Special Events
Celebrate Your Parks!
Celebrate the Sonoma County's parks and open spaces with more than 130 outdoor adventures over nine weeks. Fly a kite, watch for birds, explore a tide pool, paddle a kayak, learn about restoration, catch fish, hug a tree, look back at old California, hike with a ranger, celebrate Earth Day, go on a treasure hunt, walk for wildflowers, view the stars, go backpacking, hike under the full moon, toast marshmallows around a campfire and tons more! Curious? Get the info!
Parks Celebration 2012 is presented by Sonoma County Regional Parks in partnership with California State Parks and the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District.
Take Another Lap at the Water Bark Dog Swim!
Doggie swim weekend returns to Spring Lake Regional Park on May 11, 2012 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on May 12 & 13, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The swimming lagoon will be open as a leash-free dog park. All well-behaved dogs welcome. Dogs must have current rabies inoculation or valid dog license. $3 per dog per day for Parks members, $5 for non-members. Proceeds go to the Regional Parks Foundation to support the parks. Parking $7 or free for members. Swimming for dogs only.
Grab your picnic blankets - Park-n-Eat is back!
Local food trucks, those mobile vendors of delicious street food, return to Santa Rosa's Spring Lake Regional Park on Tuesday, April 3, 2012, and roll into Sebastopol's Ragle Ranch Regional Park on Thursday, May 3, 2012. The trucks will be in the parks from 4:00 p.m. to dusk each Tuesday and Thursday through the summer, so come out after work, take a walk, unwind and enjoy an al fresco dinner. Not only is this an opportunity to get outside and try something new, it's a great-tasting way to help the parks. Each food truck will donate a portion of its sales to the Regional Parks Foundation to support park programs and operations.
Family Hikes and Science Saturdays at the Environmental Discovery Center
Family Hikes - Third Saturday of Each Month at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Get the kids outside and let them explore Spring Lake Regional Park with a naturalist from the park’s Environmental Discovery Center. On the third Saturday of each month, naturalists lead free family hikes into the park and share their knowledge of the area’s plants and wildlife. The one-hour hikes leave the Discovery Center at 1:00 and 3 p.m. Families return to the Center afterward to make eco-crafts and explore the touchable tide pool and other hands-on exhibits. These will be easy to moderate hikes. All ages are welcome, but strollers are not recommended. Hikers should wear warm clothes, good walking shoes and bring water. Heavy rain cancels.
Science Saturday – First Saturday of Each Month at 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m
On the first Saturday of each month, the EDC hosts free "Science Saturday" experiments at 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. Families can join a naturalist for a series of tangible, fun science experiments that explore the world around us. April 7 – Electromagnetism; May 5 – Atmosphere; June 2 – Outer Space; July 7 – Life on Earth, a Journey through Time; August 4 – Garbology
The Environmental Discovery Center is at the Violetti Road entrance of Spring Lake Regional Park. Parking is $7 or free with a Regional Parks membership. The Discovery Center is presented by Sonoma County Regional Parks, the Sonoma County Water Agency and the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation. For more information, call the Discovery Center at (707) 539-2865
Hike With Us
Sonoma County Regional Parks are gorgeous year-round, but they are especially breathtaking in the spring and summer. We've got a great lineup of free, guided outings that will help you enjoy the parks through August. From Petaluma to Healdsburg and points in between, we're offering wildflower walks, family hikes, Spanish-language hikes, bird-watching walks and other outings. No registration required. All hikes planned through May 5 are part of this year's iWALK Challenge, and can help you meet your goal of getting out and getting active. Parking is $7 or free with a Regional Parks membership. Please dress for the weather (layered clothing best), wear good walking shoes and bring your own water and snack. Heavy rain cancels. See you on the trails!
Learn How to Grow a Vegetable Garden
Are you interested in growing your own nutritious food but aren't sure how to start? Sonoma County Regional Parks and iGROW Sonoma are offering a series of vegetable gardening workshops. Whether you're interested in growing food in your backyard or a community garden, these three-part sessions will help you get started. Topics include soil care, choosing what to grow, planting techniques, irrigation and other basics. Workshops start in February and March at gardens in Petaluma, Windsor, Santa Rosa and Sonoma. (See the class schedule.) Instructors are Sara McCamant and Wendy Krupnick, veterans of organic farming. There is no cost to attend, but donations of $5 to $20 are welcome and will go to the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation and host site. No one will be turned away for a lack of funds. Spanish translation and supervised activities for children will be available. For more details, contact Regional Parks at (707) 789-9699. For more on local gardening resources, visit igrowsonoma.org.