Pepperwood

10/14/2026

Have you ever looked at the hills around Pepperwood and wondered how they got here? 🪨

Join us on Saturday, October 24, for Pepperwood Rocks! Geology of the Mayacamas, a hands-on field class with geologist Rebecca Perlroth. You’ll explore how faults, volcanoes, and the Franciscan Mélange shaped our landscape, and how geology influences the soils and plants that thrive here.

📅 Saturday, October 24, 2026, 9 am to 2 pm
📍 Meet at the Dwight Center
🎟️ $35 per person
Ages 12 and up welcome

This is a moderate to challenging hike of up to 3 miles. We’ll stop for lunch in the field, so please bring a trail-ready lunch to carry with you.

Rebecca is the Geology Department Chair at Santa Rosa Junior College and has taught field classes at Pepperwood for years. If you’d like some background before you come, watch her recorded presentation, Geology of the Mayacamas, on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v87ID7Fm568

Register here: https://www.pepperwoodpreserve.org/?event=pepperwood-rocks-geology-of-the-mayacamas-2&event_date=2026-10-24

In this class taught by Rebecca Perlroth, you will learn basic concepts of geology, earth history, and the rock cycle through a local lens.

10/14/2026

Have you always wanted to take real, local action on climate but don’t know where to start? 🌲🔥💧
Our UC Climate Stewards course is for you.

Pepperwood’s 10-week certification course is built to be experienced in person. Nine of our 10 Saturdays are hands-on, out on the preserve and on field trips around Sonoma County, exploring how fire and water are shaping our community. There’s just one short intro on Zoom. Our course emphasizes real places, real people, and real learning.

You’ll:
🌎 Dig into how climate is impacting our natural and social systems
🗣️ Practice having productive climate conversations
🌱 Gain skills to support community-scale resilience projects
🎓 Graduate as a certified Climate Steward (and take one step toward becoming a Pepperwood Steward)

Details:
📅 Saturdays, January 9 to March 27, 2027
📍 Pepperwood Preserve + Sonoma County field sites
🎟️ $450 per person
🎟️ $200 scholarship rate available for teachers and veterans
✅ Ages 18 and up welcome

Learn more, view the full syllabus, and register here:
https://www.pepperwoodpreserve.org/?event=uc-climate-stewards-course&event_date=2027-01-09

Photo credit: Ian Nelson

10/13/2026

Don’t miss it! 🌊

This Thursday, October 15, join us at Pepperwood for the opening of The Majesty of Water, a gallery exhibition by Richard McDaniel. Stop by between 4:00 and 6:30 pm to experience the work and hear live talks from McDaniel and gallery coordinator Ben Benson.

For more details and to RSVP:
https://www.pepperwoodpreserve.org/?event=art-opening-meet-the-artist-the-majesty-of-water-exhibit&event_date=2026-10-15

10/08/2026

Today marks nine years since the Tubbs Fire. We remember what was lost and honor everyone who rebuilt and recovered. 💛

At Pepperwood, the anniversary also reminds us why proactive land stewardship matters. We work with CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit and local fire partners to reduce hazardous fuels and improve the resilience of our communities and natural landscapes.

We use prescribed fire, rotational grazing, forest thinning, invasive species removal, and other land stewardship practices as important tools. By intentionally reducing accumulated fuels under carefully planned conditions, we can create landscapes with less fuel to burn, potentially slowing fire spread, reducing fire intensity, and giving emergency responders more opportunities to keep our communities safe.

With support from our Native Advisor Council and Science team, we draw on experience and monitor our work to keep improving. Wildfire will always be part of California’s landscape. Our goal is to learn to live with fire by using good fire and thoughtful land stewardship to reduce wildfire risk, protect our communities, and care for the natural resources that make this place special.

Photos taken by Ian Nelson.

10/07/2026

It's ! 🦂 Every week, we share facts and photos of the wildlife we spot on our preserve here at Pepperwood.

This week's spotlight: scorpions. (Wholesome ones, we promise.)

Our staff recently found a mama scorpion and her babies, called scorplings (how cute is that name?), nestled under a rock. Did you know scorpions give LIVE! birth, and the scorplings climb onto mom's back almost immediately and ride there until their first molt. They look white, almost translucent, because their outer shells haven't hardened and darkened yet!

Yes, mom can walk around with her passengers aboard, but she prefers to stay tucked away in a sheltered spot. Free transportation and a bodyguard with pincers? Not a bad deal. 💛

If you spot wildlife on your own adventures, remember to look but don't disturb. We left this little family right where we found them.

10/05/2026

What is Motus? A tower that follows migrating wildlife. 🐦📡

Our new Motus tower is up at Pepperwood! Tiny radio tags let researchers track the journeys of birds, bats, and even insects. When a tagged animal passes within range of our tower, it picks up the signal and logs where and when.

This helps scientists learn where animals rest and travel along their migration routes, and which habitats matter most. As a Sentinel Site for Nature, we're excited to add another set of eyes on our ecosystems. 🌿

Our tower is brand new, so we're still waiting for our first detections. Once they start rolling in, anyone can see which species have visited on the Motus website. Follow along here →

09/29/2026

Our hearts are full! 🍂

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual Gratitude Event at Pepperwood Preserve! This night is one of our favorites of the year, a chance to celebrate our amazing volunteers with a shared meal and an evening of connection.

We loved watching old friends catch up, new friendships form, and laughter fill the courtyard. Our volunteers are the heart of everything we do here, and this was our small way of saying thank you for all you give to this preserve and this community.

To all who attended: we are so grateful for you! 💛

Ready to get involved? Join us this Saturday for our next Volunteer Workday!