June | 2025 | Sonoma Overlook Trail • Montini Open Space Preserve

TRANSCRIPT:

[Sonoma Overlook Trail]
Welcome to the Sonoma Overlook Trail podcast. I’m Jess from the Overlook Trail Stewards.

In honor of the Chinese New Year of the Wood Snake, my guest today is Galen Freed-Wilhelm, a local snake handler and reptile educator. In addition to his love for reptiles, he has a deep passion for environmental causes and actually received the Youth Environmental Award from Sonoma County Conservation Council.

Among other endeavors, Galen volunteers at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in Kenwood, California, where he leads nature walks, works on the trails, and relocates rattlesnakes from the campground there.

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Moving boulders is a science

A hardy band of young men and women from California, Florida, Illinois and other states spent 12 weeks earlier this year solving hard problems — large sections of bare, rough rock in the Overlook trail bed.

As regular users know, the upper trail was closed between the Toyon Junction and the summit during the project. What went on beyond the “Trail Closed” tape? Every morning, a six-person crew from American Conservation Experience arrived around 7:30 a.m. from their campsite at Sugarloaf, did the daily stretch, and discussed the day’s plan. Then they hiked up to the site.

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