Nature Apps for Sonoma Overlook Trail

Posted September 27, 2026

Filed under Birds, Insects, Mammals, Nature, Plant Life, Reptiles, Wildlife

by Jacqueline Steuer

So you are on the trail, and you hear a bird calling. You think it’s a Bewick’s wren, but you aren’t sure. It’s driving you crazy. What do you do? Turn to Merlin Bird ID. Just open the app on your phone, select “sound,” and the app records the bird sounds in your environment. Next thing you know, bird species’ names are popping up. And, as each species calls, its name is highlighted. Yes, it is a Bewick’s wren!

Or, you aren’t sure if that colorful, three-lobed leaf is poison oak or some other plant. Depending on its size, this plant can look like a woody vine, thicket or shrub, or just a bundle of sticks. What do you do? Turn to Pl@ntNet. Open the app, take a photo of the leaf or flower, give your location, and the name of the plant is provided. Now you know–don’t touch those pretty leaves!

Before you hit the trail, decide what apps are of interest to you and take time at home to download the apps to your phone. Or, depend upon built in phone tools that supply some plant IDs listed below. These are some of the best apps to consider:

Merlin Bird ID – provided by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Identifies bird species by: 1) sound recording you provide, 2) a photo for identification, or 3) use “Step by Step” to give location, date, approximate size, color, and location of bird (i.e., eating at a feeder, swimming or wading, on the ground…) to get an ID. Alternatively, in “Explore Birds,” obtain detailed information about a species, including its likelihood at your location. Creates a personal life list of birds you document. Free app.

Ebird – provided by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Provides a way to document birds seen or heard in a location. Observers must be able to identify the species by sight or sound to create a checklist for the event. Ebird requests observers spend at least five minutes during the event. Provides rare bird alerts. Provides detailed species information through Birds of the World. Allows exploration by Species Maps, Explore Hotspots, Search Photos & Sounds, and Bar Charts. Provides free birding skills courses. Gives eBird science information. Free app.

iNaturalist – A powerful app created by the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society. Take a photo of an animal, bug, or plant to identify it, and your findings help scientists track global biodiversity. Free app.

Seek – A child-safe, camera-based version of iNaturalist that works offline. It uses image recognition to identify species in real time and lets you earn badges for finding different types of wildlife. Free app.

Pl@ntNet – identifies native and non-native plants with a photo of a plant. Your profile lists plants you have identified. Can also search for a plant by starting with a family or genus name. Each species is listed with photos of its leaf, flower, fruit, bark, habit and “other” as well as a map of its location based upon observations. Backed by a scientific research consortium. Relies on crowdsourced citizen science. Free app.

Plantora – A good choice for a mix of plant identification, disease symptom checkers, and basic care reminders without being forced into a premium subscription. Free app.

Built-in Phone Tools (No App Required):

iPhone: If you have iOS 15 or later, open any photo of a plant in your Photos app and tap the info “i” icon at the bottom. A leaf icon will appear allowing you to select “Look up plant.”
Android: Use Google Lens directly through your camera or Google search bar to snap a picture and instantly identify local flora

With these tools in your pocket, you will no longer be left to rack your brain for what bird call that is. And you won’t discover, too late, that the pretty leaves you brought home to decorate with are poison oak! Happy trails!

After the Fire, a Renaissance

Posted January 3, 2026

Filed under Fire, Land Maintenance, Plant Life

The burn begins

If you visited Montini Open Space Preserve, our sister trail system, last summer, you’ll have seen the rather shocking, charred landscape resulting from the 20-acre prescribed burn that took place in the central meadow and surrounding forests to reduce wildfire fuel loads and risk for Sonoma and its neighborhoods, manage invasive species, and support other long-term ecological goals for the preserve. The project was a collaboration of Sonoma Valley Fire District, in partnership with the City of Sonoma, Sonoma Ecology Center, CAL FIRE, and other agencies. The Overlook was assessed for a burn as well, but as our layout is less accessible to water, one has not been prescribed.

Months later, as expected, Montini is well on its path to renewal. Richard Dale, Director of Sonoma Ecology Center, offered his assessment and encouragement as the recovery process unfolded:

A moonscape of charred earth

“I see significant recovery happening, as we’ve seen even after uncontrolled wildfire, especially in places like Montini where the fire was (intentionally) cool and mostly stayed on the ground. Many of the trees I thought were damaged appear to be fine, with new growth happening in the upper canopy, and likewise things are recovering on the ground with native shrubs and grasses sprouting. Other plants that need fire to keep them from dominating the landscape, like bay, have been reduced somewhat as intended. I also see many kinds of birds, deer, ground squirrels, and other tracks around the burned area–sometimes using it preferentially–far more than I would have expected.

Late fall 2025 on the burn site

As for pile burns vs fire on the ground, as you likely know, cultural or human-assisted fire has been part of local landscapes for millennia, so much so that local landscapes evolved with them, and recent fire suppression has caused major ecological issues: crowded stands of even aged trees that are less healthy and actually store less carbon, more invasive plants, decreased overall diversity, less food for wildlife, higher severe wildfire risk, and so on. There are significant benefits to pile burning, as was done throughout the preserve over the last few years to prepare for the burn that happened in June, and, there are even more benefits from burning.

Native grass renewal

The main issue we had with the burn is that it would have been better carried out in the fall so that the period before the wet season would be shorter. This seems appropriate for a place that is used for recreation by people, and it might reduce plant stress from prolonged exposure to higher temperatures caused by sun on the darker ground all summer. Still, local fire agencies and CalFire offered a lot of support for an early burn, because it helps them train their staff, and they have staff available early in the season before they are deployed around the state on wildfires. It also allowed us to target an especially aggressive non-native grass, Medusahead, that is best controlled with earlier burns.

On the whole, I think it will prove better for vegetation, and perhaps even for visitors once the burn area has had more time to recover, and less crowded and larger, healthier trees have established.”

We welcome you back to Montini, where nature continues to triumph, as she does.

Forest Mystic: Wild Mushrooms on the Overlook Trail

Posted December 3, 2025

Filed under Fungi, Mushrooms

The Overlook Trail abounds with wild mushrooms! Take your own visual treasure hunt; they’re everywhere…. But of course, as with everything on our trail systems and wild areas, leave them undisturbed. Mushrooms can be deadly if consumed.

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We Won the Battle and Lost the War

Posted May 29, 2024

Filed under Invasive Species, Italian Thistle, Plant Life, Stewardship, Summer, Yellow Star Thistle

I’ve spent several days scanning the Overlook Trail and Montini Preserve properties for the invasive Yellow starthistle (YST). Although it’s still early in its season, it’s clear that it has essentially been eradicated from these two properties. I will still be looking for it this season and next, but I’ve pulled so little so far it seems nearly pointless. After over a decade of fighting this scourge, I expected to be able to celebrate this major accomplishment.

But I can’t.

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The Third Leaf

Posted December 13, 2023

Filed under Invasive Species, Italian Thistle, Plant Life, Seasons, Stewardship, Winter, Yellow Star Thistle

We’re in the very early days of “Thistle Season,” which sadly lasts from November into August. That’s right, those of us who struggle against thistle get something like 2-3 months off a year. And knowing how relentless invasive species can be, that actually seems generous to this obsessed lunatic. Italian thistle starts coming in as early as the rain does while Yellow starthistle doesn’t come in until much later in the season, like around May and extending into August.

Right now most of the Italian thistle looks totally tiny. Thankfully, I’ve come to recognize Italian thistle as soon as the third leaf comes in. This is because the third (and then later, the fourth) leaf comes in with spikes (see picture). It’s completely unique among the plants found on the Sonoma Overlook Trail and the Montini Open Space Preserve, so you know you have it dead to rights.

And the great thing about pulling Italian thistle now is that all you need to do is to pull it and toss it. Later, when it goes to flower, we will need to bag it up and carry it out. We dump our bags beside the dumpster in Mountain Cemetery next to the City Public Works Yard. Most years the pile gets to be about ten feet in circumference and about five feet high.

But before we even begin to create that pile we’ve pulled thousands of plants and tossed them aside. Starting with the plants that show that tell-tale third leaf.