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Every donation matters. Support our volunteer and education programs, preservation of ancient forests, and restoration of the natural and cultural resources that help make park visits cherished memories.
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Author John Schubert 1938-2022
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June 17, 2022
Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods is saddened to announce the passing of our friend, and very talented writer, John Schubert. John passed on June 6, 2022. A resident of Guerneville for 67 years, John authored five books of local history. For decades he also shared tales of Russian River history in columns published in The Paper and the Sebastopol Times & News. He is survived by his life partner of 38 years, Sarah Brooks, three sons, Keith (Daria), Hilmar (Gina), Preston (Janette), and four granddaughters Jasmine, Sabrina, Johnna, Heather and one grandson, Doran. John contributed to Stewards and the local community in so many ways. He would do book signings and history talks on Armstrong and Austin creek, sharing interesting local history about the parks and surrounding areas and was a friend to many of our volunteers. Memorial Service will be held at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park on June 30, 2022 at 1:00pm. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Russian River Historical Society.
 Sincerely yours,
Justin Lindenberg
Executive Director
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New Volunteer Orientation
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Participating in one orientation is required for all new volunteers. Join our New Volunteer Orientation to learn about volunteer opportunities in Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve and Sonoma Coast State Park. Meet our program coordinators and learn about the perks of volunteering! There is no fee for this event. To register, click here.
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Learn to recognize animal tracks and gaits, feeding signs, scat, nests and burrows. We will open our senses to the details of animal presence and their interaction in the environment. Join us as we venture into the world of our local animal inhabitants of the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast area! To register, click here.
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Supurb Wildlife: At the Tidepools
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The goal of Superb Wildlife is to provide the best tips and information about tidepooling in the San Francisco Bay Area. This website shows how to find the sea creatures at each beach (Shell Beach; Coleman Beach; Maverick's Beach; Agate Beach; and Salt Point) and learn all the amazing facts about them. Meet Michael Gallegos, and let him show you around the tidepools!
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All the ropes and fences are still standing. There were a lot of visitors and but as in the past weekend, and the wind picked up at 9:45AM. So many wonderful people from all over the country. A lady from NOAH arrived doing a seal count. The river was open, just barely. Lots of the seals were rubbing themselves on the beach and in the sallow parts of the river. I believe they were molting and this felt really good. People loved watching them.
-- Lisa Bilodeau
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We added many driftwood stakes, extended the ropes and added the red flags at the ends of the ropes on both sides of the river mouth areas. I have photos of many folks, midweek and when docents are not around, just walking over the ropes laying on the ground so we staked them up. Yes, spring winds are becoming more intense and are causing a mess.
A new red flag is also on the North mainland side to help stop kayakers and paddle boarders from flushing the colony in the back cove. It's just too narrow to legally paddle into now without disturbing the seals. But if folks park their kayaks before the red flag on the opposite side, they can still walk to the North beach.
We have a very ambitious volunteer, Erik, who also owns a guide business, who also holds State Park approval. Erik built a partial drift wood fence on the North side near the rock that is now in the middle of the sand. I added red rope on that side as well and his fence extended what we did not have enough rope to cover. Where did you get your red rope? I couldn't find that type and I love it.
-- Suki Waters
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Trail Patrol with Mark Anderson
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After going with Scott and Rachel to do some temporary fence work at School House Flat, I walked back down to the grove on the road, just for fun. Cheers! Mark
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Photos by Bill Perry
Greetings Sea Birders!
Conditions were much better this week, with clear skies and a light wind. We were greeted by two juvenile Peregrine Falcons and one adult flying around and vocalizing. Common Murre numbers are still high on the rock, with numerous birds in the water. (How many do you count? Answer below.)
Gull Rock: Common Murre 4240; Brandt's Cormorant 2; Western Gull 16 (11 nests); Black Oystercatcher 1.
South/Triangle/North Rocks: Common Murre 75; Brandt's Cormorant 62; Western Gull 6; Pelagic Cormorants 7; Black Oystercatcher 2 (1 nest with egg).
Surrounding Area: Pigeon Guillemot 20+ in the water.
Bill, Ellie and Chris
(Answer: ~3,000!)
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Chris, Ellie and Bill with Gull Rock in the background.
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Photos above by Mark Anderson and Tim Mayer
It was a fine day to work in Armstrong - warm, but not too hot in the shade of those tall trees. Eight volunteers worked under the guidance of Scott Lawyer to clean up the group picnic area. We cut the weeds, removed some remainders of a fallen fir tree, made a good start on replacing the decrepit split rail fence and hauled out old rotted fence timbers. There is work yet to do, but the place is looking better already and we are looking forward to finishing the job.
Tim Mayer, Volunteer Co-Cordinator
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Photo above: Trail in Furlong Gulch about to be cleared!
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Stewards Trail Crew Work Day at the Coast - We Need More Volunteers!
We need more Trail Crew volunteers to help us when we return to the Kortum Trail and other overgrown areas to give some much needed love. Once again, portions of the trail are becoming overgrown, and once again we will give the string trimmers a workout.
Follow this link to our website for instructions before you volunteer.
https://stewardscr.org/volunteer-opportunities/
No skills? No problem! Ask about training, or, just start with what you know!
MEET NEW FRIENDS AND JOIN THIS BUNCH OF AWESOME PEOPLE!
Trail Crew is also looking for assistance in responding to trail problems. If you are interested in helping report problems simply notify one of our Stewards Volunteer Trail Crew Co-Coordinators Paul Schwarz at paulgschwarz@comcast.net or Tim Mayer at allwet@sonic.net or Bob Ahders at robertahders@gmail.com. If you notice problems while hiking the trail at Armstrong Redwoods SNR, Austin Creek SRA, Sonoma Coast SP or the Willow Creek Watershed please take a few photos, one distant shot to show the overall problem and one close up. Please get a good location and a quick note of the problem (clogged culvert, tree blocking the trail, brush overgrown blocking the trail, etc.)
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Guided Forest Immersion in the Redwoods
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July 9th at Armstrong Redwoods and July 16th in Pomo Canyon, 2022 - Join Larry Williams and Cynthia Halliday and connect with nature, engage the senses, and enjoy the therapeutic health benefits of a mind, body, spirit experience of complete immersion into our beautiful Redwood Forests. We’ll meet and walk slowly and quietly into the redwood forest, stopping frequently to see, listen, touch, smell, and even taste. Click here to register!
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Climate Steward Certification
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Starting on August 17, 2022, Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods will be hosting its first UC Climate Steward Certification course for adults interested in climate science, interpretation, and action. Climate Stewards is an exciting new initiative from the University of California Cooperative Extension in partnership with the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods. For more information or to register click here.
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Marine Protected Area Online Training
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Learn Online!
Find out more about California's Marine Protected Areas (MPAs); three regional deep dives alone the North Coast, Central Coast and South Coast, and an included a compliance guide for educators. Take the course
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