Ready to Act
For Land and Community
Established in 1996, LandPaths is a nonprofit community conservation organization with the mission of fostering a love of the land in Sonoma County.
Diverse by design, we achieve this through three core initiatives:
- Rooting youth in nature
- Branching out conservation for everyone
- Growing community with nature
Riddell Preserve Recovery
Click here to donate to the Riddell Preserve Recovery Fund
Response to Covid-19
Our commitment to the health of everyone in our community has only strengthened during the mental, physical, and financial challenges of Covid-19. We will continue to offer connections with the land and each other in creative ways, while rigorously following Covid-19 safety protocols and policies.
We appreciate the county, city, and other partners that have worked tirelessly to keep our local parks, open spaces, and preserves open for physically distanced walks, freshly harvested produce, expansive views, and quiet moments.
This essential access to nature aids us collectively to keep going through these challenging times.
Our goal is to support our entire community to get outdoors safely by doing the following:
- Implementing and staying consistently up–to-date on official safety directives.
- Re-imagining programs to keep you connected to nature.
- Supporting staff as they work remotely.
Our Initiatives
Get Kids Outside
Rooting Youth in Nature
Play in nature reduces stress, promotes healthy sleep, enhances creativity and self-respect in children. Learning in nature has been proven to improve academic achievement, problem solving, social awareness and enthusiasm for school.
We reduce the barriers and expand opportunities to get outside so that more children can reap the benefits found in nature.
Explore
Branching Out Conservation for Everyone
We expand the percentage of people in Sonoma County who benefit from healthy land, understand the value of nature, and cultivate a sense of reciprocity with the environment. We welcome new perspectives and believe it is our job to expand the conservation movement to the larger community.
Community Care
Growing Community with Nature
As we face a climate crisis, LandPaths more than ever believes in the importance of forging essential connections between people and the land. From stewardship opportunities to multi-day treks across the land to community gardens and collective gatherings in nature, we address community care from many angles. Every one equally important.
Featured Outings
Water Coloring & Exploration at Rancho Mark West
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2020
Time: Two sessions: 9am – 12pm; 12:30pm – 3:30pm
Location: Rancho Mark West, Santa Rosa
Cost: $10/individual; $15 – $20/family
Come take a saunter along the Mark West Creek and enjoy the beautiful oak woodlands, douglas fir, madrones and redwoods along the trails. LandPaths will have water coloring kits for families/individuals that you will take home or you can bring your own sketchbook and preferred medium of illustration. We are inviting families/individuals to come explore Rancho Mark West through a self-guided walk through the property along marked trails while creating art!
Earth Arrangements Workshop w/ Elemental Arts
Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Time: 6pm to 7pm
Location: Online at Zoom
Cost: Sliding Scale, $5 – $25
Join us as we make time to root ourselves into a new perspective guided by the natural world; slowing down and taking time to learn the artful practice of making ‘earth arrangements’ with small belongings in your home. We’ll be guided by Kelsi Anderson, co-founder and facilitator of Elemental Team Arts. Elemental Team Arts offers public art experiences to allow anyone interested in community collaborative art to participate. At the end of our session, we’ll have the chance to come together and share our makings. This will be the first part of this experience, followed by an online or in-person workshop.
Stories + News
Stories from the Field
Fire, Grief, and Recovery at Riddell
September 4, 2020
Tags: community care, community resilience, growing community with nature, Healdsburg, riddell preserve, walbridge fire, wildfire
As the Walbridge fire bore down on Riddell, LandPaths’ 400-acre preserve west of Healdsburg, firefighters carefully swept the deck of the dry leaf litter around Steve’s cabin. The simple …
Our Response to Covid-19/ Nuestra Respuesta a Covid-19
August 20, 2020
Tags: Covid-19
[En español abajo] As Sonoma County (and much of California) grapples with the onset of wildfire season during the pandemic, our hearts go out to you. We hope that …
Our Response to Covid-19/ Nuestra Respuesta a Covid-19 Read Article
The Power of LandPaths’ Community Gardens in Pandemic Times
July 23, 2020
Tags: Bayer Farm, branching out conservation for everyone, Community Garden, Covid-19
When LandPaths broke ground at Bayer Farm in 2007 and kids from the neighborhood began planting seeds on a neglected plot of land in Roseland, we knew …
The Power of LandPaths’ Community Gardens in Pandemic Times Read Article
Get Outside with LandPaths
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