North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council

As Earth month comes to a close, our staff and fellows were hard at work! 🌎

On Friday, we joined the on the Colgan Creek restoration project - decades in the making and nearing completion! We supported some of the final plantings using plugs from , including creeping wild rye, grey rush, and pacific rush 🌾🌾 We also helped clear weeds from the newly planted sites - and lots of them!

Thanks to the generous volunteers from Calpine Energy for joining us, supporting planting 500 plants (!!) and having a wonderful time together! 🌞

Do a tree pose if you LOVE THE EARTH! 🌍

https://givebutter.com/2026HikeForHabitat

We are walking a collective 56 miles for the 56 years of Earth Days! Can we do it???

TJ our Russian River Confluence Program Manager is hiking the 20 mile San Francisco X town trail! Rhonda our office manager walked 7.6 miles of the Camino De Sonoma, Oona our Executive Director is Walking 10 miles from the coastal hills to the ocean, Luya our board member is walking several miles from the Middletown Rancheria to town with her kids on bikes, Lily our Conservationistist is walking 10 miles to the top of Sonoma Mountain , Susan and Shari are walking the Mendocino Headlands trail and several other staff and board members are in planning mode.

Please consider supporting our Hikes as an Earth Day Action! We do soooo much for the earth here each day and we can’t do it without our communities support.

Hike for Habitat: Celebrate 56 Years of Earth Day! Join Hike for Habitat for endangered bees & butterflies, salmon, redwoods in our forests, and other conservation actions on the North Coast.

Join Conservation Works this Earth Week 🌿 in a riparian planting along the Colgan Creek restoration project!

Friday, April 24th, 8a-1p

Enjoy some sunshine, get your hands in the soil, and make a positive impact on your community! 💚🍃

Lunch and tools will be provided, just Bri my yourself and a smile! ☀️
Sign up using the QR code, or reach out to [email protected]

Conservation Works is proud to be a part of this Mendocino Land Trust multi-partner effort in habitat restoration both through our hosting of the rearing laboratory at the Sequoia Park Zoo and the dedicated work of our great staff at the lab working on the capture, rearing, and release of this unique species, the Behren’s Silverspot Butterfly.

From February through April, our California Climate Action Corps fellows and supervisor Lily Roberts brought watershed education to nearly 500 students across 10+ classes in the Mark West Creek Watershed. 🌧️💧

Through hands-on lessons, like tracking pollution with an Enviroscape model, building rainwater harvesting systems, and testing real creek water- students explored what it means to care for our waterways.

From shorter showers to proper waste disposal, these future stewards are ready to make waves in protecting the creeks, rivers, oceans, and wildlife they love. 🌎🐟

Thank you to the American Water Charitable Foundation for making this possible through the Kids Creek Care: Conservation Action in Mark West Creek grant.

California Climate Action Corps American Water

Say hi to Emily! Another one of our Corps Fellows serving with us this year. 🎉

Emily has been a force on our team - going above and beyond to connect community members to the programs we provide. You might see her leading composting workshops, teaching youth about watershed health, or performing habitat restoration across the county.

We are grateful for the difference she is making through volunteerism and direct climate action! Thank you, Emily, for making a positive impact in our communities! 🙌🌿🐛

We love opportunities to meet with our landowner partners and see their forest health projects in action! 🌲🌲

In February, Sarah, Emma, and fellow Emily joined Pepperwood Preserve on a Learn and Burn day at the property of a North Bay Forest Improvement Program funding recipient. We saw first hand the impact of forest health treatments on the property, and participated in lighting burn piles that were created with NBFIP funding. We can’t think of a more beautiful way to support wildfire resilient lands, build community connections, and expand local forest health efforts - all with a stunning view and a delicious meal, freshly cooked in our burn piles! 🔥🪵

NBFIP is a collaborative, regional program supporting forest health and wildfire risk reduction across Lake, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma counties. This cost-share program, funded by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Wildfire Resilience Program, provides financial incentives to landowners to conduct this critical work. We are proud to be part of this partnership alongside Gold Ridge, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Napa RCDs, and Clear Lake Environmental Research Center. 🌳

✨🌿 When community comes together, beautiful things grow. 🌿✨

This past Saturday, Conservation Works’ Fellow, Brianna organized a volunteer pollinator planting event at Rancho Mark West — and what an incredible day it was!

Together, volunteers planted native species that will provide blooms in every season for native pollinators and wildlife. We colored rocks for the garden bed, created seed bombs, and spent the day connecting with nature and each other. 🌸🐝🦋

I can’t wait to see how this garden flourishes as spring unfolds!

A heartfelt thank you to the Sonoma County Fish & Wildlife Commission for funding this project and making it possible for us to purchase the native plants that will sustain pollinators for years to come.

Thank you to the American Water Charitable Foundation for supporting conservation action in the Mark West Creek Watershed, to for providing a beautiful space to dedicate to pollinators, and to for generously providing the plants at cost.

And most importantly, thank you to every volunteer who showed up ready to dig in and make a difference — this garden exists because of you. 💚

Last Friday, our fellows joined in a native grass planting 🌿

We learned about the importance of our lush native grasslands for wildfire resiliency, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity as we spent an afternoon taking in the sunshine and overlooking Sonoma valley 🌄

Thanks to Devyn and Shae from Pepperwood, and our wonderful volunteers that helped us transform this former burn scar into a beautiful, green hillside for creatures of the preserve large and small! 🌱

Are you looking to engage with your community in a meaningful way? 🌱
Join Conservation Works for a volunteer day creating habitat for pollinators! 🦋🐝🐛

We’ll be spending a beautiful morning outdoors at Rancho Mark West, where volunteers will:
🌱 Plant native species
🌱 Learn about pollinator gardens and habitat
🌱 Decorate rocks for the garden bed
🌱 Connect with their community

As a thank-you for your time and effort, lunch will be provided 🍎

This family-friendly volunteer event is open to all ages — no experience needed!
All tools and materials will be provided.

Please bring:
• Comfortable shoes
• Clothes you don’t mind getting dirty
• Sun protection / a hat

👉 Scan the QR code to register!

Our fellows joined forces with last week to plant purple needlegrass - a California native AND California’s state grass! 🌾

Native grasses are crucial to a happy, healthy California. They support water retention, wildfire prevention and resiliency, and reduce soil erosion. They also provide critical habitat and food sources to our favorite furry friends 🦌🐾

It’s always a pleasure to be at Pepperwood Preserve, and we can’t wait to be back - and sooner than you think! Look out for details coming soon for an opportunity to join us in this beautiful space & get your hands dirty 🪏🌱