Creek Stewardship Days

Creek Stewardship Days are held regularly from October to May. All are welcome. See the Creek Stewardship Days Guidelines below for important information and please note that from Fall 2011 we will be working at two different sites: one on 1st Saturdays and one on 3rd Sundays of the month. Please check carefully to make sure you know which site we’ll be at on which date.

Thousands of volunteers have participated in planting native trees, shrubs, and understory plants (native grasses, sedges, and rushes) alongside a 1-mile section of the Laguna de Santa Rosa in Cotati and a section of Rohnert Park. The plants will help stabilize banks, reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and provide habitat for wildlife. The trees will eventually form a shady canopy, helping to keep water cool, which is beneficial for aquatic life and fish further downstream in the Laguna. [See Native and Invasive Plants] We are continuing to maintain the existing project site.

From Fall 2011 we will be beginning to plant native trees and shrubs at a second site in Cotati, further downstream, so there will be two project sites.

Tasks may include planting native trees and shrubs, taking care of existing plants by weeding, mulching, and pruning, removing invasive plants, plant care and propagation in the nursery, or other supportive tasks such as refurbishing used tools. What we do on any given day will depend on the weather and conditions at the project site, current priorities, numbers of volunteers, and other factors. Planting does not begin until sufficient rain has fallen.

To be added to the Cotati Creek Critters email list please contact Jenny Blaker. You will receive emails approximately twice a month with announcements and reminders of all our events.

Creek Stewardship Days (CSDs) Fall 2011 - Winter/Spring 2012
All Creek Stewardship Days are from 9 a.m. – 12 noon unless otherwise stated.

From Fall 2011, we will be working at two different project sites in Cotati:

We will begin to plant native trees and shrubs in a "new" area, from Gravenstein Way to Commerce Blvd. For this, we will meet at Gravenstein Way, near Falletti Park, on first Saturdays.

And, we will continue to care for existing plantings, from Liman Way to north of E.Cotati Avenue. For this, we will meet at Cotati City well lot # 2, Lakewood Avenue, on third Sundays.

Please read the Guidelines, then click on links below for directions and maps.

Fall 2011

Trash Pick Up	Saturday, October 15	Cotati well lot #2 & Falletti Park, Gravenstein Way	w/ SSU Phi Delta Theta & JUMP
CSD	Saturday, November 5	Gravenstein Way
CSD	Sunday, November 20	Cotati well lot #2
CSD	Saturday, December 3	Gravenstein Way	w/Laguna Keepers
CSD	Sunday, December 18	Cotati well lot #2

Winter/Spring 2012

CSD	Saturday, January 7	Gravenstein Way
CSD	Sunday, January 15	Cotati well lot #2
CSD	Saturday, February 4	Gravenstein Way
CSD	Sunday, February 19	Cotati well lot #2	w/ SSU’s JUMP
CSD	Saturday, March 3	Gravenstein Way	w/ SSU’s JUMP
CSD	Sunday, March 18	Cotati well lot #2
CSD	Saturday, April 7	Gravenstein Way
CSD	Sunday, April 15	Cotati well lot #2
CSD	Saturday, May 5	Gravenstein Way
CSD	Sunday, May 20	Cotati well lot #2

Creek Stewardship Day Guidelines

Here are some simple recommendations for volunteers attending Creek Stewardship Days, which will help to ensure a positive, productive, and enjoyable experience for all.

As from Fall 2011, we will have two different worksites and two different starting points, both in Cotati. Please check the schedule to ensure that you know which worksite we will be at on which day.

City of Cotati well lot #2 on Lakewood Avenue (nicknamed “Ladybug Lot”). Parking is on Lakewood Ave. which is a residential street, with extra parking available at Ladybug Park, on Liman Way in Rohnert Park. Walk across the park to the Lot.
Gravenstein Way, near Falletti Park. We’ll meet near the bridge where Gravenstein Way crosses the Laguna channel. Parking is in residential streets so please be respectful of residents’ parking needs.

For maps and directions see http://www.cotaticreekcritters.info/maps.htm

(Guidelines and directions also availalable HERE in pdf format.)

	Dress appropriately for work and weather! Wear boots or sturdy shoes suitable for wet or muddy conditions and rough ground. For safety reasons open-toed sandals or flip-flops are not acceptable. Dress in comfortable, old clothes, with long pants, and be prepared to get dirty. Shorts are not acceptable as you could be kneeling on rough or muddy ground. Long sleeves can help to protect you from thorns, etc. Dress in layers – the day may start cool and warm up later, or you may get hot working. We work rain or shine! Proper raingear is essential. Wear sunscreen and a hat, to protect you from sun and/or to keep warm in winter. We provide work gloves and tools.
	Please arrive promptly or a few minutes early.We will begin with a brief introduction and orientation, and to discuss tasks at hand and safety issues. Everyone will be asked to help with tool clean up at the end.
	If at all possible please stay for the entire period from 9am -12 noon. There is a significant amount of preparation and clean up for a work day, so we try to make the most of the time we have! We welcome help with clean up at the end. If you need to leave early please inform the Stewardship Coordinator at the beginning of the day so we can give you a task appropriate for the time you are available.
	Students under 18 are welcome with permission of their parents.We ask parents or guardians of unaccompanied minors to sign a parental consent form. Children 6-15 must be under the care of a responsible adult. We do not recommend bringing children under 5 for safety reasons.
	Credit for school. We are happy to sign forms verifying your hours for credit for school. Please wait until the end of the workday to request a signature from the Stewardship or Outreach Coordinator.
	Safety policy. Please read our Safety Policy.
	Don’t bring valuables you can’t carry with you. We can’t guarantee to lock them up safely or keep them dry if it is raining.
	Please bring your own re-usable water bottle to take with you to the worksite. Single-use plastic water bottles are discouraged. We usually provide refreshments and there is a drinking fountain at City well lot # 2, but no easy access to drinking water at Gravenstein Way.
	Questions?: Contact Jenny Blaker, Outreach Coordinator, at jenny@creeks.cotati.info or (707) 792 4422. For last-minute questions or directions on the workday, contact Wade Belew, Stewardship Coordinator, at (707) 694 0586.

Thank you, and we look forward to working with you!

Map (please read the above guidelines before arriving at the planting day ~ thanks!)

Please contact the Outreach Coordinator if you would like to arrange a Stewardship Day specifically for your group of 15 or more volunteers. If you are not sure that you will have as many as 15 people, we’d encourage you to sign up for a regular Creek Stewardship Day instead. We would appreciate it if you could let us know in advance how many volunteers you expect in your group. Thank you!

Groups that have contributed to Cotati Creek Critters project so far, 2005-2012, include:

Acorn Soupe
Boy Scouts, Troop 4
Boy Scouts, Troop 44
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Sonoma County - Rohnert Park
Santa Rosa Brownie Troop 60
Christopher Joseph & Associates
Church of the Oaks
Congregation Beth Ami
Congregation Ner Shalom/Dor Hadash
Cotati Co-op Nursery School
Cub Scouts and Webelos: Pack 4, Wolf Den, Webelos 1
First Congregational United Church of Christ of Santa Rosa Youth Group
Frogsong Cohousing Community
Key Club 32 from Elsie Allen HS, Maria Carillo HS and Cloverdale HS
Kiwanis Club of Cotati-Rohnert Park
Laguna Keepers
Mactec
Martin Luther King Day/National Day of Service 2009
Pathways Charter School
Rancho Cotati HS Interact Club
Rohnert Park Active 30/40 Club
Santa Rosa Junior College Environmental Science classes
Sonoma Country Day School
Sonoma County Homeschoolers
Sonoma Mountain Village/Codding
Sonoma Youth Ecology Corps, 2009
SSU Accounting Forum
SSU Biology Club
SSU Environmental Forum
SSU FIG (Freshmans Interest Groups)
SSU Hutchins Liberal Studies Class
SSU JUMP (Join Us in Making Progress)
SSU Outdoor Recreation and Sports Club
SSU fraternities: Alpha Psi, Tau Kappa Epsilon
SSU sororities: Alpha Delta Pi, Lambda Kappa Pi
STRAW (Students & Teachers Restoring a Watershed) with Thomas Page School & La Fiesta School
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Rosa
Wilderness Regroup

Thanks to over 3,000 volunteers we have planted, mulched, staked, pruned, and maintained well over 2,000 native trees and shrubs along a 1-mile section of the Laguna de Santa Rosa channel, planted hundreds of native grasses and sedges, and potted up hundreds of plants for future plantings.