LandPaths’ Docent Program is a fantastic way to share your love of nature with the community in Sonoma County– adults and children alike. 

Docents are vital to building our capacity to offer free and sliding scale outings, allowing many more people to connect with the land. Through their enthusiasm, knowledge, and local connections, docents also serve as important volunteer community ambassadors for LandPaths and the preserves that we steward.

We currently have thriving docent programs at Lafferty Ranch in Petaluma and Bohemia Ecological Preserve in Occidental. Currently, there are more than 40 active docents between the two preserves!

Program Goals

Provide the public with regular opportunities to hike and explore LandPaths preserves.  
Provide high-quality, fun, and inspirational experiences for the public while they visit the preserve.   
Assist visitors in discovering the meaning and significance of their experience—their appreciation of the site and nature (this contrasts with a goal only to increase their knowledge).  
Assist in building a community of neighbors, users, and visitors to form a strong stewarding force for the future of LandPaths preserves.

How You Can Participate

Sign Up for a Docent Training: You’ll learn basic preserve background information and the basic structure for LandPaths’ outings. Additional enrichment opportunities will provide more detailed naturalist instruction to deepen your understanding of and appreciation for the ecology, geology, wildlife and natural history of our preserves and the surrounding region. Docent trainings usually occur twice a year in fall and spring.

Sign up for our bimonthly eblast to learn about dates for the training as they are added to the Calendar.

Click to fill out a docent interest form!