Meet LandPaths - Sharing Our Love Of Nature Every Step Of The Way

LandPaths / Open Space District Partnership Outings

Since 1999, LandPaths has partnered with the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District to offer free, open-to-the-public Outings to a variety of District protected properties.

Diverse by design, these Outings include hikes, paddle trips, full access/ADA, horseback and bike rides, holiday gatherings, Spanish-language tours, family-friendly events and more. Most Outings focus on a theme, such as bird watching, geology, local food production, or history. Not only do these Outings provide participants with insight into the District's work, they also foster a deeper connection to Sonoma County's diverse landscape of open spaces & agricultural lands.

In 2008-09, LandPaths will facilitate an additional 32 Outings, serving over 1,100 Sonoma County residents. This District / LandPaths partnership continues in response to public demand evidenced by waitlists on most Outings.

More on the LandPaths / District Partnership
As one of the District's longest standing non-profit partners, LandPaths oversees a variety of programs to get you outside onto District protected properties in ways that are both fun and educational. These programs provide a means for the community to steward, access, and connect with their local landscape, creating a deeper "sense of place" and awareness of the importance of open space. LandPaths works both on District owned lands that are in transition to parks or preserves, as well as on private lands protected from development by a District conservation easement. These partnership programs are offered at no cost to the public, sponsored by the voters of Sonoma County who funded the District's work with a quarter-cent sales tax. They are coordinated & staffed by LandPaths.

LandPaths and the District also connect Sonoma County's youth with the land through a program called In Our Own Backyard (IooBY). The core of the IooBY program is a series of 4 hands-on field trips to a District-protected, ‘adopted' property. Each student spends an estimated 20 field hours at their property developing a strong ‘sense of place' in the outdoors through discovery, hands-on science, writing, art, stewardship, and quiet observation and contemplation. IooBY currently serves 26 classes at 15 schools throughout the County.

With a belief that public access and land stewardship should always go hand in hand, LandPaths also partners with the District to manage volunteers for workdays, Volunteer Patrols, and other projects as needed. Volunteer-powered workdays provide a means to accomplish tasks like property cleanups, invasive plant management, and trail development, while giving the community a chance to invest sweat equity in their local open spaces. Volunteer Patrols provide extra "eyes and ears", submitting reports each time they visit the property. These programs help to safeguard District owned properties and prepare them to become parks or preserves.

Share:

|

Follow:

|

Traducir