Life+Landscapes: Fostering Biodiversity

LIFE+LANDSCAPES Impact Report

Fostering Biodiversity

FALL 2023

We believe that our well-being depends on the health of our natural world. Every day our team studies California’s land, water, and wildlife so we can educate decision-makers, our community, and the next generation about how best to care for the Earth. With guidance grounded in science, we can all take action to sustain the planet that sustains us.

Pepperwood is a very special place to me. When I go there, all of my problems disappear.

The beauty and serenity is so calming. As I look around, I see and hear nature in all of her glory – birds with their songs, spiders spinning their webs, trees and bushes with all of their different leaves, shapes, and colors. It is a marvel.”

DARLENE LEFFLER PEPPERWOOD STEWARD

ON THE COVER: Preserve Manager, Michael Gillogly stands in front of a climate monitoring station at Pepperwood, autumn 2023.

Photo courtesy of Kristen Russell.

THIS PAGE: Chestnut-backed chickadee.

Photo courtesy of Ian Nelson.

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What Biodiversity Needs Now Dear Friends, I started my career working at the Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in San Francisco in the Wetlands Protection and Restoration division. By that time, roughly 90% of California’s wetlands – a precious habitat for many endangered species – had been converted to other uses. I won’t lie, every day our goal of “no further net loss of wetland habitat” felt like an uphill battle.

I received some timely and simple advice from the then Senior Ecologist for the Southwest USEPA Region: “Remember your purpose. We are a voice for those creatures who would otherwise be voiceless. Plants and animals can’t vote, they can’t make contributions to political parties, they can’t raise money to protect their habitat.

You are here to represent them.”

This purpose has been a guiding light throughout my career and it brought me to Pepperwood to help protect our biodiversity through community-based action instead of regulation. Pepperwood’s mission is to inspire conservation through science – a mission that requires mobilizing a social network. Along with the incredible Pepperwood team, I stand with tens of thousands of community members and supporters like you. Together, we give voice to our largely silent and unseen wild neighbors.

Pepperwood is more than just a nature sanctuary, it’s a refuge where people have the opportunity to reconnect with nature. Our work is a celebration of the natural world and our critical role within it. That’s why we are helping to lead the science needed to realize the goals of conserving 30% of California’s biodiversity by 2030, the California 30x30 Roadmap.

To create a science-based real-time information source on the status and trends of our biodiversity in the face of climate change, Pepperwood leads a statewide network of more than 100 self-identified public and private Sentinel Sites. These are long-term monitoring and evaluation stations where continuous data streams are collected on climate and biodiversity-related variables. Pepperwood’s Sentinel Site has been collecting these data for over a decade. Linking our data with other Sentinel Sites across the State is foundational to the design and implementation of nature-based solutions we need to unlock a healthful, truly sustainable, and resilient future for all. In standing together our impact is great.

Thank you for standing with us,

Lisa Micheli President & CEO

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Pepperwood sits within the traditional homeland of the Wappo people. We respect and honor past, present, and future generations of Wappo and their continued

By Clint McKay

Pepperwood gives me hope. Climate change felt big, scary, and unwieldy before I took the Climate Stewards course and learned of Pepperwood’s efforts to protect us locally. The work done to restore our native landscapes, stewarded both by skilled staff and energized volunteers, protects us here in Sonoma County. Connecting with others who find value in this work restores me beyond the tangible results of pulling invasive weeds or documenting bird populations – it gives me hope that our human and ecological communities are resilient.”

(Dry Creek Pomo, Wappo, Wintun)

AUDREY FRY 2023 CLIMATE STEWARD GRADUATE

connection to this land. We are grateful for the opportunity to gather in this beautiful place, and we give our respect to its first inhabitants.

Pepperwood offers the UC Climate Stewards certification course every other year in January.

Participants learn how climate is changing both our natural and social systems, and what they can do to improve ecosystem and community resilience. Pictured is the Climate Stewards cohort for 2023 at Pepperwood’s fog monitoring station, learning from Environmental Educator, Summer Swallow.

Photo courtesy of Holland Gistelli.

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OUR IMPACT AT A GLANCE

Here’s how your support has inspired conservation through science in 2023:

700+ individual data streams continuously collecting data on our soils, water, weather, climate, and biodiversity as part of our Sentinel Site, gathering data for 12+ years on our region’s climate, ecosystem, and biodiversity.

207 acres of Good Fire conducted in grasslands, oak woodlands, conifer forest, and chaparral ecosystems as well as 761 piles of excess forest fuels burned via pile burning.

890 youth inspired through our SCENIQ, TeenNat, and Learning Landscapes educational programs, amounting to over 8000 hours of nature-based opportunities for youth to connect with the natural world.

8+ large landscape conservation partnerships empowered to advance resilience, ranging from the growing Golden Gate Biosphere Network to climate-smart habitat corridors in Central Chile.

To mobilize a wave of conservation action, we leverage world-class scientific expertise, 21st century technology, and Indigenous knowledge. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR 2020-2025 STRATEGIC PLAN.

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Sentinel Sites: Tracking Nature’s Vital Signs Locall THE FOUR MAJOR FOCUS AREAS OF PEPPERWOOD’S SENTINEL SITE

WEATHER, WATER & SOIL

VEGETATION

WILDLIFE

ALERT SYSTEMS & RADIO NETWORK We measure weather (such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, and wind) and watershed hydrology (such as precipitation, fog, soil moisture, stream flow, and groundwater).

We track species composition and other indicators of vegetation health in grasslands, forests, chaparral, and wetlands. We quantify wildlife abundance, behavior, and response to landscape disturbance (e.g. fire, droughts, and floods). These data and information are used to inform on-site research and stewardship, and inform the work of other organizations (like Sempervirens Fund) and government agencies (like Sonoma Ag+Open Space and Sonoma Water).

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Humans, as a species, aren’t alone in experiencing destructive impacts from climate change. Our wildlife neighbors and the habitats they rely on for food, water, protection, and mates, are enduring profound climate shifts that may threaten their very existence. Now more than ever, there is an urgent need to track and understand the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and the species therein at nested local, state, and global scales – so that we can act swiftly to protect them. Pepperwood’s President and CEO, Dr. Lisa Micheli, is working with partners to leverage key technological advances and new social network models to meet this challenge throughout California’s growing Sentinel Site network.

California’s Climate-Biodiversity Sentinel Sites combine data, community education, and public agency engagement to develop innovative, place-based solutions to some of our most pressing concerns, including climate change and natural disasters. At Pepperwood´s Sentinel Site, we collect climate, hydrological, and biological data and study their trends and interactions as a basis for stewardship response and actions. Our staff scientists engage in long-term assessments, and visiting scholars conduct shorter-term studies to produce a more robust body of research to inform climate solutions.

y to Globally

HOW WE RELATE TO OUR LANDSCAPE DETERMINES OUR COLLECTIVE STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF A CHANGING CLIMATE. SUPPORT THE SCIENCE THAT SUPPORTS OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY. LEARN MORE ABOUT BUILDING CLIMATE AND FIRE RESILIENCE AT PEPPERWOOD.

29 NEW VISITING SCHOLAR RESEARCH PROJECTS SINCE 2020. 2022-2023 PROJECTS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: n Native pollinator diversity and abundance Santa Rosa Junior College) n Insect DNA barcode library (CA Academy of Sciences) n Coast redwood fungal and bacterial communities (UC Berkeley) n Mapping of seismic fault lines (San Jose State University) n Monitoring monarch butterfly use of milkweed (UC Davis) n Modeling post-fire fuel accumulation (UC Berkeley) n Snake fungal disease survey (a newly emergent pathogen that is affecting snakes in CA)

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We need global networks of scientific observation stations, like Pepperwood’s Sentinel Site, to meet two critical goals.

First, to create a stronger foundation for empirical scientific results to inform models that guide long-term public/private policies and investments. Second, to provide critical real-time data that can be immediately applied to pressing climate adaptation and nature conservation challenges in an era of rapid environmental change.”

DR. LISA MICHELI, PRESIDENT & CEO, PEPPERWOOD

CHECK OUT DATA COLLECTED AT PEPPERWOOD ON DENDRA.SCIENCE

Like fine wine, Sentinel Site datasets improve with age. Launched in 2010, Pepperwood’s Sentinel Site has collected more than ten years of data on our uniquely biodiverse and fire-dependent landscape – including data preceding and following the Tubbs and Kincade Fires (of 2017 and 2019 respectively). To date, Pepperwood boasts 725 individual data streams continually running at our Sentinel Site. Ecological patterns emerge when data is consistently collected over long periods of time in the same location, and these patterns inform our ongoing land stewardship.

The Climate-Biodiversity Sentinel Site roundtable is on a quest to blaze a scientific path forward for California’s 30x30 Initiative. Co-chaired by Dr. Micheli and Dr. Steven Monfort, Executive Director of the UC Natural Reserve System, the roundtable aims to build a community among Sentinel Sites statewide as they monitor and capture data from California’s diverse bioregions. By sharing existing and long-term datasets, we can: n

Fill critical gaps in understanding climate and ecosystem change over time,

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Inform conservation and stewardship priorities,

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Serve as an early warning system for biodiversity at risk, and

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Develop coordinated responses to climate threats.

Data collected by Sentinel Sites throughout California are being made publicly accessible on Dendra.Science – a data platform developed and managed by Collin Bode of UC Berkeley. Currently, Dendra includes data streams from Pepperwood, the UC Natural Reserve System, the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Extension Centers, Eel River Critical Zone Observatory, and The Nature Conservancy. In the last two years, 42 new stations were created with California Sentinel Site Roundtable support by the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife on their own properties. Pepperwood researchers, Morgan Gray and Kai Henifin were directly involved in siting these new stations.

In Spring of 2023, Dr. Micheli spent weeks touring field stations in Chile represented by UC Chile’s Red de Centros y Estaciones Regionales (Network of Research Centers and Field Stations). From the extreme desert of Atacama, to the coastline of Central Chile, to the ice fields of Patagonia, Chile is working toward similar climate goals as California. “The conversations I had with researchers, station managers, agency personnel, and private conservation leaders reveal the shared challenges and opportunities as a global community that we face at this pivotal moment,” says Micheli of the experience. A happy outcome of this collaboration is the recent grant award from UC Davis for Pepperwood to assist linking our pioneering fog monitoring network from California to Chile!

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BUILDING CLIMATE & FIRE RESILIENCE IN 2023 Adding Air Quality to Sentinel Sites: Empowering Vulnerable Communities in Fire-prone California Wildfire smoke and ash are a widespread threat to rural and urban communities, ranging up to hundreds of miles away from active wildfire perimeters. Airborne particulate matter (smoke PM2.5) generated by wildfire smoke adversely impacts human and environmental health. Vulnerable communities are most at risk from increasing wildfire-related air quality impacts because they lack high quality air quality sensor technology, data, and educational resources, and often hold positions as outdoor workers. Sonoma County currently features only one US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality sensor, based in Sebastopol. Pepperwood is now able to help augment this data by using our Sentinel Site to monitor air quality in our inland valleys and agricultural lands where vulnerable community members often live and work. Pepperwood has earned an award from the EPA to work with several local community service organizations to collect air quality data and access practical and effective solutions for this problem. This project will enable members of Northern Sonoma County’s Latine population to benefit from recent advances in cost-effective air quality sensor networks due to seasonal wildfire and prescribed fire smoke.

Partners in this project include Pepperwood, Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Soluna Outreach Solutions, Bay Area Environmental Research Institute (BAERI), Communities Organized to Prepare for Emergencies (COPE), North Bay Jobs with Justice, Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District (NoSoCoAir), and Nuestra Comunidad.

Going Solar in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI): a PG&E Pilot Project at Pepperwood Remote power grids use a stand-alone power system, to allow people living in lesspopulated, high-fire threat areas to disconnect from power lines without losing access to electricity. These systems combine solar power, batteries, and fuelpowered generators to provide safe, clean, continuous electric service for those living and working in the Wildland Urban Interface. In 2023, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), installed a pilot remote grid at Pepperwood’s Bechtel House to test the feasibility of this type of project in eliminating above-ground power lines, reducing the maintenance and fire hazard that they pose.

By 2035, the US Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity aims to establish microgrids like PG&E’s Remote Grid Program as an essential component of future electricity delivery systems that support resilience, decarbonization, and affordability.

The Open-access Wildfire Fuel Mapper Tool Expanded to Napa The Wildfire Fuel Mapper of Napa County will help residents, fire safe councils, and other land managers locate and understand fire hazards on their properties.

Formerly available only to Sonoma County residents, the Wildfire Fuel Mapper (WFM) was recently expanded to all of Napa County with support from Napa Firewise Foundation. Thanks to our partnership with the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources division, this application is built on the same statewide platform hosting the Sonoma County Wildfire Fuel Mapper and aggregates fine-scale fuels and fire hazard datasets to deliver information via custom maps and reports. The simple interface helps residents understand planning and regulatory requirements specific to their location. The WFM is slated for adoption in seven more counties: Lake, Mendocino, Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara, thanks to the leadership of our local technical partners at Tukman Geospatial.

Nearly 300 customized property and map reports generated for Sonoma County residents via the Wildfire Fuel Mapper.

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Select Instrumentation at Pepperwood’s Sentinel Site Pepperwood Sentinel Site Instrumentation (2022) Pepperwood Sentinel Site Instrumentation (2022) Pepperwood Sentinel Site Instrumentation (2022)

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Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensors installed April 2022 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Pepperwood. An emerging technology, these sensors measure naturally occurring neutrons from cosmic rays to measure the moisture in deepsoil and fractured bedrock. These measurements reveal the impact of variable water supply on plant root systems and soil nutrients.

These two photos show Pepperwood’s coastal and inland fog monitoring sites. 2a shows fog monitoring collectors in Bodega Bay and 2b shows fog monitoring collectors at Pepperwood in the Mayacamas Mountains.

The acquisition, instrumentation, installation, and maintenance of these collectors represent a collaborative effort between researchers and staff at CSU Monterey Bay, USGS, Bodega Marine Lab, and Pepperwood.

Our Sentinel Site was upgraded this year with the addition of CO2 flux towers (3a), soil moisture monitoring (3b), and stream weirs (3c). This equipment tracks the water cycle in real-time in two separately instrumented watersheds: one actively stewarded through selective forest thinning and prescription burning, and one unstewarded “control” plot to evaluate how our forest stewardship affects the water balance of that watershed.

The Pepperwood West “High Hill’’ fire camera (pictured) along with its counterpart Pepperwood East “Hill 1524” were among the original eight wildfire detection cameras installed as part of the ALERTWildfire North Bay pilot campaign, installed in September 2018 by the University of Nevada, Reno Seismological Laboratory. Throughout California there are now more than 1,000 high-definition, pan-tilt-zoom cameras providing a 24-hour backcountry alert network with near-infrared night vision.

ALERTWildfire

Prescribed burn at Pepperwood.

Stream gauge on Pepperwood’s Roger’s Creek, installed December 2019. This installation utilizes Long Range Radio telemetry (LoRa) to relay data from sensors to a central collection point.

This LoRa network provides low-power, real-time data retrieval in challenging sites lacking adequate solar, line-of-site, or cell coverage required by conventional telemetry networks. This telemetry installation represents a collaborative effort between Carnegie Mellon University, USGS, and Pepperwood.

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Grasslands: Reservoirs of Biodiver

HOW WE RELATE TO THE EARTH MATTERS. SUPPORT STEWARDSHIP IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY FIRST, AND WATCH THE IMPACT OF THAT WORK RIPPLE OUTWARD. LEARN MORE ABOUT RESTORING NATIVE GRASSLANDS AT PEPPERWOOD.

Did you know you can find over 30 plant species in a single quarter-square meter plot of grasslands, and that these habitats support over 90% of the endangered plants and animals in California? Grasslands are very dynamic; they have what’s called high interannual variation, which means they do not stay the same from year to year. That’s why, every spring at Pepperwood, our research team spends a half-month conducting grassland monitoring. We’ve been doing this at the same exact time every year for thirteen years. We are tracking the long-term health of our grassland communities under the impacts of climate change and the success of our land stewardship (which includes conservation grazing, invasive species management, and prescription and cultural burning).

CONSERVATION GRAZING In our conservation or targeted grazing strategy, we use livestock to maintain and increase the biodiversity of natural grasslands and other habitats. After six years of grazing cattle at Pepperwood, we found that native non-grass flowering plant diversity increased from 67 species in 2012 to 87 species in 2017 (prior to the wildfires).

FIRE RESILIENCE Based on our observations from monitoring, we can reduce fuel loads by strategically modifying our conservation grazing (e.g., increasing herd size and/or rotating cattle through target areas) and by putting good fire on the ground to strengthen fuel breaks – all while enhancing the grassland community.

We work to reduce thatch (a tight layer of dead stems and leaves between growing grass and soil that forms in the absence of fire/grazing) because it suppresses access to light and reduces seed germination, thus reducing plant growth (or productivity) and biodiversity.

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sity for Climate Resilience BIODIVERSITY MONITORING We track how our stewardship affects grassland-dependent birds like western meadowlarks and grasshopper sparrows, which nest on the ground in grasslands, or predatory birds like kestrels, white-tailed kites, and burrowing owls that visit in winter months and forage on rodents. Although western meadowlarks are shown to be declining in coastal California regions, our bird monitoring data indicate that Pepperwood has continued to support healthy populations since monitoring began in 2007. This indicates that our grassland stewardship is working for Pepperwood’s western meadowlarks.

Photo courtesy of Ian Nelson.

Fostering biodiversity is all about balance. Small voles and mice rely on sufficient ground cover to hide and maintain their populations, which are offset by predators – including birds, snakes, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, and more. With respect to the use of grazing to restore ecological balance, if we overgraze we are putting the food web at risk, but if we under-graze we are also putting the food web at risk. The same fine balance applies for our prescriptive use of good fire.

Maintaining variability in our strategic use of grazing and good fire, as well as balancing their intensity and timing, supports greater biodiversity.

California’s native grasslands are highly prized for their ecological roles in groundwater infiltration and storage, carbon sequestration, erosion control, pollinator support, forage for wildlife after summer fires, and for delivering the beauty we can all enjoy. By applying regenerative agriculture, good fire, and conservation science to our grasslands, Pepperwood is supporting their key role in creating a more sustainable, resilient future for all.

IMPACT STATS

1.5 miles of new and restored trails, increasing community access to nature

Pepperwood staff conducted 9 land stewardship workshops and presentations to expand stewardship literacy and outreach throughout our region

19K native grass plugs propagated from seeds harvested at the reserve, and then planted throughout our priority restoration areas

Belted Galloway cattle managed by Markegard Family Grass-Fed LLC., are part of Pepperwood’s conservation grazing strategy to maintain ecological health and fire resilience.

Photo courtesy of Michael Gillogly.

More than 130,000 phenological observations since the establishment of our phenology monitoring project in 2014

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ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION IN 2023

Calving Season at Pepperwood, 2023 Calving season is a time of birth and renewal, new beginnings, and a testament to the cycle of life. Most of all, it reminds us how truly regenerative our relationship with the natural world can be. This year marked the first official calving season with Pepperwood’s new grazing partners, Markegard Family Grass-Fed LLC. Markegard’s hardy Belted Galloway cattle are an integral part of Pepperwood’s adaptive management program for maintaining ecological health and resilience throughout our native grasslands.

740 acres grazed sustainably through our conservation cattle grazing program in partnership with Markegard Family Grass-Fed LLC.

Photo courtesy of Ian Nelson.

Prescribed Burning in 2022-2023 Prescribed burning is on the rise at Pepperwood and throughout California.

Making California a safer place to live is our top priority and burning is a traditional approach to reducing wildfire hazards. Our late June prescribed burn, a 44-acre grassland broadcast burn, was a great success. We also conducted two successful forest prescribed burns in late 2022. If you’re interested in learning more about burning and stewardship, we encourage you to attend one of the workshops we offer throughout the year to increase community understanding of this age-old practice.

Photo courtesy of Ian Nelson.

207 acres of prescribed burning in grasslands, oak woodlands, conifer forest and chaparral.

70 acres treated with forest thinning for fuels management to increase forest health and mitigate fire hazards.

761 piles of excess forest fuels burned via pile burning.

Goat-Powered Fuels Reduction This year Pepperwood utilized the munching power of goats to help reduce fine fuels in the grasslands and oak woodlands surrounding our new Visiting Scholar’s Center. Goats are natural browsers who prefer coarser roughage to grass, so they’re an ideal ally in creating defensible space. Their grazing preferences naturally complement other grazing animals, like cows, because they’ll eat the vegetation that cows will not and their smaller size and nimbleness allows them to reach places inaccessible to cows. In their wake, goats leave a more defensible landscape and, of course, some feces, which nourish the soil after they’ve moved on.

2023 is the first year we’ve piloted the use of goats for defensible space.

Monitoring the impacts of this work over time helps us determine the efficacy and utility of this increasingly popular stewardship practice.

Photo courtesy of Devyn Friedfel.

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Native Leadership in Conservation Pepperwood is grateful to partner with local Indigenous leaders through a Native Advisory Council led by Clint McKay (Wappo, Dry Creek Pomo, Wintun), who is also Pepperwood’s Indigenous Education Coordinator. The Native Advisory Council fosters open communication between Pepperwood and local Indigenous communities, ensures appropriate stewardship of cultural resources on-site, and promotes collaboration on projects that advance mutual goals including the restoration of Native stewardship practices on the reserve. The Council shares traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) that is as relevant, and perhaps even more critical, today as it was a thousand years ago.

Pepperwood is a case study for how Native leadership can greatly enhance an organization’s work. While not always easy, Indigenous Education Coordinator, Clint McKay’s dedication to uplifting Native knowledge and perspectives into every part of Pepperwood’s structure, whether it be leadership, stewardship, or youth programming, brings collective healing to our communities and points to a brighter future for California Native families.”

TAYLOR PENNEWELL (TYME MAIDU NATION, BERRY CREEK RANCHERIA) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE REDBUD RESOURCE GROUP

IMPACT STATS

8 Native-led classes and events

6+ Indigenous outreach events in the community

LEARN MORE ABOUT NATIVE ADVISORY COUNCILS IN THIS VIDEO PRODUCED

BY THE REDBUD RESOURCE GROUP, IN WHICH CLINT MCKAY DISCUSSES THE INTENTION, FUNCTION, AND DESIGN OF THE NATIVE ADVISORY COUNCIL AT PEPPERWOOD.

Photo courtesy of Eve Lynch.

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A TeenNat Legacy Pepperwood is truly a beautiful place that aims to inspire conservation by doing. I recently graduated from Sonoma State University with a BA in Biology, and over the summer of 2023, I was a Summer Education Assistant for Pepperwood’s TeenNat program.

Before college and this career opportunity, I was a young TeenNatter myself in the 2016 cohort, ready to explore the natural world.

By Chloe Howard Summer Education Assistant for the TeenNat Program 2023

Before Pepperwood, I had an idea of the standard definition of “science.” It was very strict with lots of concrete rules one must follow in labs and other

settings. I enjoyed it more than my other subjects in school but I believed I had a different role to play within it.

What I did not understand at the time, was that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) could be so dynamic and all-encompassing.

I thought that engineering was the only way to enjoy my future. I went into the program thinking (like most 16-year-olds do) that I had my entire life planned out, with all i’s dotted and t’s crossed.

When I arrived at Pepperwood that first time as a teenager, I immediately fell in love with the rolling hills, lush

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Gonzalez.

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IMPACT STATS

890 youth inspired through our SCENIQ, TeenNat, and Learning Landscapes educational programs, amounting to more than 8000 hours youth spent on the land

50 community education classes and events and 1,300 community members connected to nature via classes, hikes, and online programs

ponds, and steady woodlands. After my first day walking around the reserve something in my soul settled. I found peace in the breeze that rippled across the land and the birds that coasted on gusts above the valley.

There was simplicity in the way the world was concentrated into one foot in front of the other during hikes – nothing else mattered and I was able to let my personal struggles float away. It filled a hole in my heart that I wasn’t aware I even had.

It was amazing to be a part of a group with a true passion for the natural world. I felt so validated and at home in the setting, and although I was a little shy, I was overjoyed to be there experiencing the reserve for the first time. Pepperwood’s Environmental Educators and the Summer Education Assistants (SEAs) were integral to the experience. To me they were knowledgeable GIANTS in the world of science that knew so much but also wanted us to learn right alongside

25 volunteers gave 485 hours supporting our community programs

16 educational partnerships with community organizations and agencies

92% of TeenNat participants inspired to pursue STEM career paths after the program

LET’S INSPIRE OUR CHILDREN TO CARE FOR THE LIFE, LAND, AND WATERS THAT SUPPORT US. EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATION THROUGH YOUR SUPPORT, TODAY. LEARN MORE ABOUT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING AT PEPPERWOOD.

them. I am eternally grateful to all who make TeenNat possible!

Throughout my time spent hiking and wandering I still held the belief that engineering was the path I needed to be on. At the TeenNat career day I listened to a variety of speakers from different environmental careers. What sparked my interest most was an entomologist displaying all the moths she had collected. My fascination grew deeper during her explanation of the places she’d visited and the adventures she’d experienced. Suddenly I was able to envision a career in the open air and out in nature looking at bugs all day. I left that career fair with so much optimism and enthusiasm. I wanted less math, more outdoor time, and above all… to study insects!

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Pepperwood not only changed my career but my self-confidence. During the end of the program I was given the opportunity to share some poetry I wrote, which is something I had never before had the courage to do.

I cried happy tears at the end of the program recounting fond memories and a heartfelt appreciation for all involved – from the staff to each of the TeenNatters with whom I was lucky enough to bond.

After my experiences at Sonoma State University doing field research both locally and on the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, I finally returned home to Pepperwood as an SEA for the 2023 cohort. My goal was to follow in the footsteps of the SEAs from my own TeenNat experience and provide a welcoming, friendly space

for participants to share their curiosity – like I’d had. It has been a wonderful experience giving back to TeenNat. With all my heart, I loved sharing my knowledge of the world of insects to this new cohort of TeenNatters. The participants constantly challenged me to think deeply about the knowledge I’ve gained with their questions.

It has been such a joy to watch these teens explore the area and discover their passion for nature in real time!

As I walk into this new chapter of my life after college, I am grateful for the TeenNat program as a whole and hope it touches and changes as many lives as it can.

Pepperwood is a unique landscape that provides opportunities for a breadth of educational endeavors, and occasions to appreciate the beauty of the California Coast Range. I love teaching at Pepperwood because everyone who chooses to explore this land is invested in understanding the intricacies of nature, and they appreciate the value of integrating the many facets of Earth sciences into a comprehensive exploration of Pepperwood.”

NICOLE MYERS GEOLOGIST & PEPPERWOOD GUEST INSTRUCTOR

TeenNatters from the 2023 cohort comparing finds during a field excursion.

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INSPIRING CONNECTIONS WITH NATURE IN 2023

SEEC’s Pathways to Environmental Literacy Initiative Thanks to grassroots funding from the Ridell Family and a strong collaboration with Landpaths and the Community Foundation of Sonoma County, the Sonoma Environmental Education Collaborative (SEEC) leveraged the outdoor education programming for youth in Sonoma county to ensure that each child at an under-resourced school is provided the opportunity to engage in four different experiences in the outdoors in grades K-6, each one complementing their prior experience. SEEC is a regional consortium of environmental education professionals from nonprofit organizations, agencies, and school districts created to enhance best practices and to encourage the creative exchange of ideas within the science and nature education community.

SEEC’s programming reaches over 25,000 students and community members annually.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SEEC.

Creative Sonoma’s ArtSurround Project Hosted at Pepperwood Pepperwood was an advocate and host for Creative Sonoma’s ArtSurround project in late 2022. ArtSurround is a grant program for Sonoma County artists working in creative placemaking, public art, and community engagement. Pepperwood hosted several amazing artists at the reserve including Christopher Reiger’s “The In Between” series – art focusing on animals active during the dusk and dawn times of day; Jane Ingram Allen’s “Living Leaf” installation – a giant pepperwood tree leaf that utilizes handmade paper and seeds for local grasses that will change over time into a living leaf in the landscape; and a mural unveiling of a Sonoma County landscape, painted by Magalli Larque and the Latino Service Providers’ Youth Promotores.

In the 2023 fiscal year, Pepperwood hosted 3 major gallery exhibitions and featured 11 different artists.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ART AT PEPPERWOOD.

Celebrating the Third Cohort of UC Climate Steward Graduates For 10 weeks starting in January 2023, a fantastic group of 20 community-minded folks formed the first and second cohorts of the newest certification course developed by the UC ANR Environmental Stewards team: the UC Climate Stewards program. Based at Pepperwood, the curriculum focuses on climate communication, science, and stewardship.

Each year starting in January, Pepperwood hosts either a Climate Stewards course or a California Naturalist course. Join us in 2024 for the UC California Naturalist Certification Course.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2024 CALIFORNIA NATURALIST COURSE.

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Climate-smart Habitat Corridors: a Strategy for Resilience Pepperwood is dedicated to advancing landscape-scale strategies for resilience, which includes promoting climate-smart habitat corridors across California and beyond. A habitat or wildlife corridor is a continuous swath of natural and agricultural lands providing room for our wild neighbors to roam, and at Pepperwood, Conservation Analyst, Morgan Gray has pioneered how to make these corridors climate-smart. As the climate warms, wildlife need to shift their ranges across the landscape to be able to survive, this often means moving to higher elevations. Left with only isolated patches of habitat set aside in protected areas, species are unlikely to survive in the long term. Climate-smart corridors provide the connectivity necessary to adapt to our changing climate.

Protecting and stewarding these corridors allows water to flow along natural pathways and for animals and plants to migrate. Furthermore, the ability to move through the landscape is critical to finding breeding grounds, food sources, and to escape wildfire. As climate change alters the vegetation and suitability of our protected natural areas, these linkages become increasingly crucial for biodiversity conservation.

Protecting habitat corridors, or fostering “habitat connectivity,” is the most recommended strategy for protecting biodiversity in the face of climate change. Pepperwood uses several approaches for tackling this work, all of which involve collaboration.

Our goal is to increase the pace and scale of conservation actions that sustain wildlife populations and improve habitat corridors throughout

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Northern California. With our partners, we see ourselves as one of many stewards of the Pacific Coastal Wildway.

As a regional center of innovative conservation science and land stewardship, Pepperwood continues to be a key partner for the Land Trust of Napa County. Our participation in Pepperwood’s programs and collaborative conservation initiatives have greatly benefited our organization and our mission.

In addition, I have personally appreciated the opportunity to coordinate with and learn from Pepperwood’s outstanding science and stewardship staff.”

MIKE PALLADINI STEWARDSHIP DIRECTOR, LAND TRUST OF NAPA COUNTY

Local collaboratives include the North Bay Bear Collaborative, which collects data and conducts public outreach to reduce human-wildlife conflicts in light of an increasing black bear population. We’re also mapping habitat changes and extending our wildlife camera network to monitor trends in wildlife diversity, behavior, abundance, and movement particularly in the corridor centered in the Knights Valley, which links Pepperwood and Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Modini Preserve. Data from the Mayacamas Wildlife Picture Index, a remote grid of motion-activated cameras positioned to document wildlife activity at Pepperwood and Modini since 2012,

provides an unrivaled opportunity to monitor wildlife over the long term and to understand local migration patterns.

This information and the ability to mobilize action on the part of private landowners is fostering relationships with the Sonoma County Ag + Open Space District, Regional Parks, and Sonoma Land Trust.

While public agencies focus on connecting public lands for resilience, our sweet spot is encouraging habitat connectivity on private lands through science and outreach. We train and convene landowners and residents to develop and implement wildlifefriendly practices. We encourage them to share models for regenerating healthy wildlife corridors. We foster integration of local, regional, national, and global partners in watershed protection and synchronize these biodiversity protection measures with fire resilience efforts. The nature of this type of work cannot be conducted in a silo – we must unite forces with government agencies, conservation organizations, landowners, and more to enact real on-the-ground change that benefits the whole community.

SUPPORT A CULTURE OF COEXISTENCE WITH OUR WILD NEIGHBORS!

LEARN MORE ABOUT HABITAT LINKAGES AT PEPPERWOOD.

LINKING LANDS FOR WILDLIFE IN 2023 Genetic Monitoring of California’s Burgeoning Black Bear Population A new genetic study based at Pepperwood is determining and mapping the genetics of Sonoma County black bears, providing us with valuable information on their population’s health and resilience. One goal of this study is to map black bear movement and monitor genetic diversity.

Another goal is public outreach: to teach residents how to coexist with black bears safely by employing best practices like keeping garbage secure. The research is conducted by a large group of state agencies, nonprofit conservation groups, landowners and volunteers that have come together in a working group called the North Bay Bear Collaborative (NBBC). The group aims to mitigate future challenges that may arise from the North Bay’s increasing black bear population.

BENEFITS OF CORRIDORS

CLEAN AND ABUNDANT WATER Connected creek corridors protect our streams and groundwater

Golden Gate Biosphere Network From the windswept coasts of Sonoma County to the towering peaks of Mt. Tamalpais, and from the bustling Presidio to the quiet solitude of the Farallones, the Golden Gate Biosphere Network (GGBN) is a voluntary, internationally recognized partnership that works to build harmonious relationships between people and nature. GGBN is open to local, state, and federal agencies, tribal governments, conservation nonprofits, universities, working lands, community groups, and the private sector. As a partner in the Network, Pepperwood collaborates to conserve nature and maintain the benefits of healthy lands and waters for our entire Biosphere Region’s quality of life. The GGBN also facilitates the sharing of knowledge and best practices at the regional, national, and international scales through membership in the U.S. Biosphere Network (USBN), World Network of Island and Coast Biosphere Reserves, and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

REDUCED WILDFIRE RISK Well-managed forests have less fuel to carry and spread flames

CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE Plants and animals can move through corridors to cooler places

The Wildlife Picture Index In 2012, Pepperwood established North America’s first Wildlife Picture Index (WPI) grid of motion-activated cameras.

Community scientists help maintain 20+ cameras located around the reserve, and also play a major role in cataloging photos into a database that helps us understand our local animal populations and how they are shifting over time. Pepperwood manages an additional grid at Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Modini Preserves, about eight miles north of our own reserve. We recently completed management of a WPI project on Sonoma Mountain for the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. Pepperwood also advises on additional grids in the North Bay.

ROOM TO ROAM Connected landscapes maintain healthy flows of plants, animals, and resources

More than 530,000 wildlife images captured via Pepperwood’s Wildlife Picture Index camera grid.

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Generosity Serving Future Generations SENTINEL SOCIETY

Richard McDaniel has dedicated his life to art and nature. His art reflects his advocacy for the natural world. In his recent Pepperwood exhibition, the Lure of Pepperwood, Richard’s artistry captures his emotional response to the landscape.

Some of the paintings portray multiple views or composite arrangements of the Pepperwood landscape.

In the same way that our personal memories and dreams combine fragments of our experiences, McDaniel’s landscapes often connect a succession of fragmented images that may be from the same location at different times but which together evoke a profound emotional response in the viewer. His art inspires and connects us on a deep level to the natural world supporting us.

Through his unique brushstrokes he brings place, mind, and emotion together to bring about a more spiritual union with nature. We are honored that Richard has elected to list Pepperwood as a beneficiary in his estate plan, which makes him our newest Sentinel Society member!

What inspired artist Richard McDaniel to tie his legacy to Pepperwood?

Positive energy. That’s something I cherish about Pepperwood.

It is the consistent sensation I notice whenever I’m at the reserve.

Whether I’m talking with someone or walking the grounds in silence I am amazed, yet not surprised, by the positive energy.

I believe we feel grounded and at peace when paying attention to the needs of our natural world.”

RICHARD MCDANIEL ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE 2021-2023, PEPPERWOOD MADRONE CIRCLE DONOR & SENTINEL SOCIETY MEMBER

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Pepperwood is here for the long haul. By joining other passionate members of Pepperwood’s Sentinel Society, your legacy gift safeguards continuity for Pepperwood’s sciencebased community vision for protecting our region’s land, water, and wildlife.

GIVE A GIFT THAT LASTS FOR GENERATIONS

BY JOINING THE SENTINEL SOCIETY. The Sentinel Society takes its name from Pepperwood’s designation as a Sentinel Site, providing scientific information and data that informs and transforms conservation practices regionally and nationally.

Sentinels diligently defend and keep watch, and through your estate plan, as a member of the Sentinel Society, your legacy will make it possible for Pepperwood to be a vigilant protector of nature – today and into the future.

Financial Statement

REVENUE $3,133,559 n n n n n

Individual Gifts and Membership 56% Foundation/Corporate Grants 9% Earned Income 11% Government Grants 18% Other Income 7%

EXPENSES $3,756,453 n Programs 69% n Administration 21% n Development 10%

Revenue and Operational Expenses based on preliminary data and do not include unrealized investment loss as part of revenue. 2023 audited financial statements will be available upon completion here: pepperwoodpreserve.org/about-us/ar-financials.

Photo courtesy of Summer Swallow.

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With Gratitude to Pepperwood’s Supporters This listing includes gifts of $100 or more received July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023.

Thank you for inspiring conservation through science with us!

REDWOOD CIRCLE $50,000+ Anonymous Austin Foundation Bedford Family Foundation California State Coastal Conservancy Community Foundation Sonoma County Jane and Herb Dwight Fund of CFSC J-P Conte Family Foundation The Das Berkson Fund William and Selina Dwight Family Fund Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) NRCS, USDA Flora L. Thornton Foundation National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Sonoma County Ag + Open Space University of California Office of the President

OAK CIRCLE $25,000–$49,999 Anonymous Donald and Maureen Green Foundation Roger and Michele Burch Codding Foundation Gerald and Buff Corsi The Gordon J. Dow Trust Gamble Foundation Joe and Julie Golden J.W. & H.M. Goodman Family Charitable Foundation

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Micheli Family Foundation William and Marilyn Henderson Roger and Monica Nelson Pacific Gas and Electric Company Purdom Family Fund Jack and Diane Stuppin Fund of CFSC Trione Vineyards and Winery The Joseph C. Zils Family Fund

Laney and Pasha Thornton Chuck Twichell and Mary Stroh-Twichell Jim Walters and Diane Lubich Nelson and Jane Weller Fred Wiele

LEOPARD LILY CIRCLE $1,000–$4,999 MADRONE CIRCLE $5,000–$24,999 Anonymous (2) Jay and Karen Abbe Brad and Agata Baker Andy and Betty Beckstoffer Gordon Blumenfeld Pete and Devon Briger Joanne D. Dow Family Charitable Fund Paul Downey and Hallie Beacham Drexler Estate Fund Virginia L. Fifield Fund Fledgling Fund Foley Family Charitable Foundation Henry and Marilyn Hansel C.A. Wall Family Foundation Tompkins/Imhoff Family Fund at CFSC Dick and Lynn Kelson Midstate Construction Inc. Natural Resources Conservation Service Ron and Eileen Nelson Fund of CFSC Phalarope Fund of CFSC Susan Philpot Michael and Paula Rantz Foundation Redwood Empire Sawmill Rogers Family Fund of East Bay Community Foundation Rotary Foundation of Santa Rosa Sonoma Ecology Center The Thornton S. Glide, Jr. And Katrina D. Glide Foundation

Anonymous (3) Susan and Ed Adams Robert and Kim Agrella Tom and Julie Atwood Dr. Rick and Marion Auld Stephen and Linda Barnhart Margie Bennett Shannon Bennett and Durrell Kapan Simon and Kimberly Blattner Jim Burch Ed and Claire Burdett Anthony Cabrera and Mary Kennedy Harvey Hoefer and Lisa Carr Dr. Frank Chong and Lene Jannes Ronald and Carol Cox Tom Degenhardt and Diana Huntsberger Electra de Peyster George de Peyster Suzanne Dibble and Jeanne deJoseph Kate Ecker and John Mackie Bob Epstein and Amy Roth Robert Ewing Paul Fahndrick Kerry Francis and John Jimerson Dennis and Sue Fujita Lynne Bisagno and Michael Garwood David and Cathy Good Derek and Jennifer Granath Julia L. Grant Fund of CFSC William and Jean Graustein Fund Augie Grube Bruce Hartsough and Lesli Lee

Randy and Kelly Hicks Mike and Anh Hodges Tom and Jane Holt Uplands Family Foundation Chris Hottinger George Hsu and Becky Oh Rick and Elaine Jones Maggie Kaplan of the A Bow of Gratitude Fund of RSF Social Finance Rick and Sue Kavinoky Claude Laval David and Cecily Majerus Markegard Family Grass-Fed Jess and Debra Marzak Fritz and Beverly Maytag Richard McDaniel Lisa Micheli Gerry and Lilly Mugele Newman Family Charitable Fund Jim Newsome and Sally Tischler Parkinson Giving Fund Tim and Pat Preston John and Carlene Reininga Harry and Dee Richardson Robert Sargent and Bic Ha Dovan Richard and Katherine Schram Ernie Shelton and Susan Bryer-Shelton Jerry and Laura Sherman Soiland Family Charitable Fund of CFSC Summit State Bank The Swallow Family The Swanhuyser Family The Dorothy and Jonathan Rintels Charitable Foundation The Heck Foundation Denman and Kate Van Ness Dr. Steven and Susan Vargas The Woodrat Fund at CFSC

We are drawn to Pepperwood’s strong foundation in science that supports place-based ecological research and naturalist education. We also deeply appreciate the inclusion of indigenous leadership and the wide range of cultural events and activities. Plus we love the amazing Pepperwood team!”

LESLI LEE & BRUCE HARTSOUGH PEPPERWOOD LEOPARD LILY CIRCLE DONORS

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Gonzalez.

FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS $100–$999 Anonymous (7) David and Susan Abernethy David Ackerly Janet and James Alfieri David and Cathy Anderson Janet Anderson Harold Appleton Pam Arifian Pedro and Karen Arroyo Paul Asmuth Anne-Marie Bakker Cheryl and Brian Carola and Robert Bartz Meg Beeler and Tom von Tersch Barbara Blair and Suzanne Dougherty Julian Blair Blackbaud Giving Fund Harriet Buckwalter and Bill Blake Jenny Blaker Walt and Sandra Bodley Margaret and Tanner Boeger John and Barbara Bohn Janet Bosshard Bill Bridges and Susan Strong Douglas and Sarah Brown Sam and Ginger Brown Bernie and Barbara Cain Dennis Calabi Calistoga Garden Club Dick Cameron Terry Price and Kerry Campbell-Price Erin Carney and Jane Futcher Lisa Carreño and Lorene Irizary Chris Carrieri and Connie Cloak Janice Cartee and David Smith Clare Cleveland Marcia Coleman J.P. Ellis and Joan Comendant Marianne Constable Constellation Brands Steve and Juel Craig Catherine Daley Kimberly Daly Andrea Davis Arthur Dawson Jane DeBriyn JoAnn Delwiche

Ron and Sandy Dodge Kara Dunn Debbie Ebling Matt and Tiffany Erickson Christopher and Tamara Evans Melinda Evans Robin Fautley Judith Fenley Fidelity Charitable Theobald Chandler Family Giving Fund Mary Finn Brenda Flyswithhawks Hal and Gail Forman Ned Forrest and Leslie Whitelaw Greg Franck Michelle Friend Bill and Lyn Galliani Angélica Garcia Jeana Garcia Betsy Garner Nolan and Lynn Gasser Roy Ross Frances Gast Family Fund Madelyn Gelpi Jill Gerry Michelle Giacalone Nancy Giambastiani J.D. Goodwin Susan and Joe Gorin Janet Gracyk Carolyn Greene Emily Grossman Amanda and Ray Haas Fund of CFSC Healy Hamilton Virginia and Roger Hamlin Thomas Hammond Melinda Harris Carol and Bob Hasenick Healdsburg Garden Club Sally Heath Hehman Donor Advised Fund Kathy Hellfeier Bryant and Diane Hichwa Nancy and John Hoogendyk Ann Howald and David Leland Lin Huang and Xiaodong Sun Ann Hudson Michele Ingham Carolyn and Dennis Irvine Mary Irving and Gary Schick Cliff and Irene Ives Jennifer and Carmen Jimenez Osvaldo Jimenez

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With Gratitude to Pepperwood’s Supporters This list includes donors who gave $100 or more as received July 1st, 2022 - June 30th, 2023 Thank you to the 323 household donors who contributed up to $100 this past year– together we can all inspire conservation through science.

Rebecca Johnson Jon Joseph and Lynne Esselstein Linda Judd Jim Kafka James Kahn and Cecile Keefe Julie Kawahara Sharon Keating Michael Keller and Carol Lawrence Lynn Kelly Kristen Koblik Wayne and Ellen Krebs Ron La Bruzzo Juliet Langley Susan Lehr Peter and Olivia Leveque Lucy Liew Love and Craig Love Ken Link Jessica Lofgren Kristen Madsen and Rob Senn Grace Manning Kay Marquet Suzanne Marr and John Baylor Valerie Marsh Sandra Martensen and Alan Selby Richard and Marcie Martinez Claire McCarthy Lynn and Gerald McIntyre Geordie and Alice McKee Adina Merenlender Amanda Micheli and Eric Shank Erica Mikesh Marcella Moloshco Linda Mori Josephine Mork J Mullineaux Kathleen Mullins Henderson and Mike Mullins Cynthia Murray Doug and Lee Nalle Corinne Neuman Andrew and Nancy Nichols Cory and Mike O’Donnell Bill Ogden Oliver’s Market Steve and Elaine Olson Bruce Orr Maggie Ostara Joan Osterman Kathleen Page and Michael Graves Carol Parisek Carol Pence and Joy Bellomo Jane Pepe Jim Perry

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Fred Peterson Joseph Phair Bonney Philbin Chris and Amy Pino Mary Plimpton Sophia and Matt Pruden Recology Sonoma Marin Stephanie Reed Matt Reid and Beatrix Webb Christopher Reiger Grant Jordan and Nancy Rhoades Lynn Richardson George Riner Kristina Rizga Alan Rogers Maria Ronchelli and Diane Kinney Mike and Barbara Rosen Arnie and Phyllis Rosenfield Sue Rosenthal Liz Ryan Aileen Santos and Cathy Haas Keith Schoenthal Nancy Schwartz and Joop Delahaye Laurence Seaton Amber and Elias Serna Judith Shaw Bridget Shiels Roberta Shippey Shelley Simmons Karen Sinell Sirota/Sottile Family Foundation Christina Sloop Wendy Smit Frank and Heather Smith Justin Smith Lori Sollom Vicky Spitzer Susan St. Marie Pat Stein and Linda Scott Kat Stephens Matthew, Polly and Ann Stone Gilmore Stone Charitable Trust Rick and Jocelynn Stone Calvin and Leny Strobel Vrenae Sutphin and David Gray Genevieve Taylor and Christopher Peck Lauren Thollander Diane Toso Victoria Travaglini United Way Peter and Marian Van Alyea Jennifer Velasquez

Mike and Elaine Von Der Porten Tom and Brenda Walsh Warren and Janis Watkins Ronald Welch and Ellen Watson Gretchen Whisenand Jim and Savita Wilder Myron and Christine Williams Mike and Ginny Winter Teresa Woodward Alison Young Kay Woods

A GIFT TO PEPPERWOOD MAKES YOU PART OF THE SOLUTION IN SUSTAINING THE PLANET THAT SUSTAINS US!

Board & Staff

At Pepperwood, we are resolved to create a future where we understand, value, embrace, and actively protect the diversity of Earth’s natural systems for the benefit of current and future generations.

I support Pepperwood because the important local environmental research they do provides a factual foundation for policies that will protect our wildlife, land, and water for future generations.”

ROGER NELSON PRESIDENT AT MIDSTATE CONSTRUCTION, PEPPERWOOD FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBER

BOARD Herbert Dwight, Chairman, Co-Founder, Pepperwood Foundation Jane Dwight, Secretary, Co-Founder, Pepperwood Foundation Bill Dwight, Treasurer, Founder and CEO, FamZoo.com Lorez Bailey, Director, Publisher, North Bay Business Journal Shannon Bennett, PhD, Director, Chief of Science, California Academy of Sciences Lisa Carreño, Director, President and CEO, United Way of the Wine Country Frank Chong, Director, President and Superintendent, Santa Rosa Junior College Rob Das, Director, Co-Founder, Splunk Paul Downey, Director, Investment Banking Consultant Mark Dwight, Director, Founder & Owner, Rickshaw Bagworks Kate Ecker, Director, Consultant to Social Enterprises Julianna Graham, Director, Senior Business Development Officer, Wells Fargo Bank Julie A. Kawahara, Director, Founder, Kawahara & Associates Lisa Micheli, PhD, President and CEO, Pepperwood Foundation Roger Nelson, Director, President, Midstate Construction

STAFF Operations, Communications and Development Karen Arrington, Senior Development Specialist Stephanie Beard-Antinoro, Communications Coordinator Gwynne Corrigan, Grants & Legacy Giving Isabel Luevano, Finance and Operations Coordinator Michaela Mackenzie, Operations Assistant Corinne Neuman, Finance and Operations Director Hana Nguyen, Senior Accountant Sloane Shinn, Donor Relations Research and Preserve Management Sonja Barringer, Facilities Technician Tosha Comendant, Conservation Science Director Ryan Ferrell, Research Scientist Devyn Friedfel, Assistant Preserve Manager Michael Gillogly, Preserve Manager Morgan Gray, Conservation Analyst Michelle Halbur, Preserve Ecologist Steven Hammerich, Wildlife Specialist Annie Madden, Restoration Technician Sophia Pruden, Restoration Technician Makayla Freed, Research Specialist Education Ben Benson, Cultural Resources Coordinator Margaret Boeger, Education Director Holland Gistelli, Education Program Coordinator Stephanie Gonzalez, Bilingual Environmental Educator Clint McKay, Indigenous Education Coordinator Summer Swallow, Bilingual Environmental Educator

NATIVE ADVISORY COUNCIL Clint McKay (Wappo, Wintun, Dry Creek Pomo), Chairman Lucy McKay (Pomo, Northern Sierra Miwok), Member Josephine McKay (Enrolled member of the Ione Band of Miwok Indians, Dry Creek Pomo, Wappo), Member L Frank Manriquez (Tongva, Ajachmem & Rarámuri), Member TekTekh Gabaldon (Mishewal Wappo), Member

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NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #470 SANTA ROSA, CA

2130 Pepperwood Preserve Road Santa Rosa, California 95404 www.pepperwoodpreserve.org

LIFE+LANDSCAPES Impact Report Editor Stephanie Beard-Antinoro, Communications Coordinator Contributors Karen Arrington, Senior Development Specialist Margaret Boeger, Education Director Ben Benson, Cultural Resources Coordinator Gwynne Corrigan, Grants & Legacy Giving Janet Durkin, Guest Editor Michael Gillogly, Preserve Manager Holland Gistelli, Education Program Coordinator

Morgan Gray, Conservation Analyst Ryan Ferrell, Research Technician Devyn Friedfel, Assistant Preserve Manager Michelle Halbur, Preserve Ecologist Steven Hammerich, Wildlife Specialist Clint McKay, Indigenous Education Coordinator Lisa Micheli, President & CEO Corinne Neuman, Finance and Operations Director Sloane Shinn, Donor Relations Designer Renée Harcourt, Renée Harcourt Design

SONOMA COUNTY

PEPPERWOOD

Calistoga Santa Rosa

San Francisco

@PEPPERWOODCA

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@PEPPERWOODCA

@PEPPERWOODPRESERVECA

PEPPERWOOD FOUNDATION

Photo courtesy of Kristen Russell.