Key to Keeping Parks Open is Volunteerism, Park Officials Say

As cities and nonprofits struggle with budget cuts and financial hardships across the state — a coalition of parks departments is figuring out a way expand Sonoma County's open space system and keep current parks open during the recession .

The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, which county residents voted to fund in 1990 with quarter-cent sales tax revenue, buys up property put on the market by area ranchers and landowners to save it from future development. But lately, it’s been increasingly difficult to both maintain the 83,000 acres of preserved park and agriculture land, and secure new properties.

According to county’s auditor-controller office, based on sales tax collections, over the next 20 years, the district will collect between $17 and $30 million.

“What we area really struggling with now is all of our park operator agencies, the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department and the California State Park system — they’re going through huge massive budget cuts,” Bill Keene, general manager for district.

“What that means is there’s less money for property acquisition,” Keene added.

But, Keene said there’s a solution.

“I think the future park model is one of robust and extensive community involvement. That can take many forms: you’ve got folks out there like docents leading groups to learn about the property, folks greeting people at the gates, you’ve got people volunteering their time to remove invasive plants or do trail maintenance work. They’re out there building benches that need to be replaced,” Keene said. “That’s the kind of community support that I’m talking about. Absent that, these organizations are just hanging on by a thread.”

The district partners with Sonoma County Regional Parks and Land Paths to foster more involvement in the parks system. At Taylor Mountain and Crane Creek Regional Park, which are both within a short drive, bike ride or hike from Rohnert Park, a slew of programs are underway to save and better the areas.

Right now, Keene said the district is working on a master plan for Taylor Mountain — new trails, park entrances closer to Rohnert Park and Cotati, benches and more. And plans are in the works to broaden accessibility to both parks.

"Now for the first time, Rohnert Park citizens can bike up Petaluma Hill Road or drive up Petaluma Hill Road, and if they are go through one hour training program they can get a permit, and a card that gives them access to the Kiwana Terrace parking lot," said vice mayor Jake Mackenzie. "They can then climb up Taylor Mountain, which we have not been able to do in my lifetime here of 25 years until this past year."

"As you climb up and get to close to the top of Taylor Mountain you can look back down on Rohnert Park look to the south asn west and north, there area amazing veiwscapes from that particular property," Mackenzie added.

“What I really like about Taylor Mountain is how close it is on the urban edge of Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park,” Keene said. “It’s 1,100 acres, and it offers this opportunity for someone living in this area to feel like you’re out in the middle of nowhere, in a beautiful natural setting.”

“It’s so close, you can bike here, ride a horse, hike or go for a leisurely walk,” he added.

He said kids are the key to the future of the area. Schools and community service programs offer the perfect opportunity to get involved. Just ask Martha Menth, a sixth grade teacher at Kawana Elemetary, a school of about 650 kids in Santa Rosa.

She organizes a curriculum where four times a year, kids hike up the mountain, within walking distance from the school.

“The best thing of all about this school is we get to walk to the mountain, it’s about a mile,” Menth said. “From the moment we get there, until the moment we trudge on home, we’re in school, but it’s the most beautiful, fun, active, educational school.”

Menth said the field trips provide her students, a class of 32, with lessons in science, ecology, phys-ed, sustainability, history and art.

“We take care of that mountain, so we feel a sense of ownership,” she said. “The kids are taking water samples of Colgan Creek, and they’re pulling invasive nonnative plants, they’re sketching the critters they see, they’re hiking and they’re learning to be conscious about the amount of trash we use.”

“Wow, what a great exercise, we’re not saying pull out your textbooks and turn to page 183, we’re actually participating in the learning,” she added.

Menth said she’s seen the coolest kids break down when they get to the mountain.

“They literally squeal they’re so happy,” she said. “We climb trees and one’s trying to pull out a bigger weed than the next one, and they get to look and listen to what’s around them, and draw what they observe. They learn about agriculture and cows, and they even identify the plants with a field book.”

Keene said that’s the key to the future preservation of the land.

“It’s not just educating them about the site and the educational opportunities, it’s educating them about the natural resources areas that are out here — we’ve got riparian habitat out here important for fish, all kinds of different birds and plant life. There’s an effective grazing program, so they can learn about agriculture, it’s an amazing opportunity for them.”

 “We have to think of the children as the future stewards of the land,” he said. “Through our program, they don’t come out only once, they come three or four times and they bring their parents, their neighbors.”

Editor's note: To use Taylor Mountain, individuals are required to take a one-hour safety and awareness course through Landpass. The next available date is April 11. To get to Taylor Mountain, take Petaluma Hill Road north to Kawana Terrace. Follow Kawana east up past Meda Avenue to the parking lot.

 From Crane Creek from Rohnert Park is just a 10 minute drive. Take Petaluma Hill Road north, turn left at Roberts Road, continue on Pressley Road and turn left at Oak Springs Lane.