Category Archives: Stewardship

All the Rocks You Never See

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Filed under Safety, Trail Maintenance

I work on the trail, or hike it, most days. Even as I’m hiking I’m inspecting it. I know the rockiest places, I know where there are roots. I’m even familiar with individual stones. Call me obsessed, but in the best possible way. But yes, still obsessed.

By now I’m sure you know (if you’ve ever read this blog in recent years) that as the Trail Maintenance Chair I’ve been focused on “trail smoothing” or “tread renewal.” Many of our recent monthly volunteer workdays have been mostly focused on this (see this time-lapse video of rebuilding a section for a taste). There’s a reason for that. For many years we volunteer stewards (including me) did not believe in tackling what I now call “rock work.” That is, taking out or chipping down rocks in the trail. And it started to show — often dramatically so. Entire stretches of trail became difficult to navigate, even for the nimble.

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We Won the Battle and Lost the War

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

IMG_4549I’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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America’s Trails At Risk

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Filed under Acts of Service, Stewardship

America needs more volunteers; not just our trail systems are at risk.  Volunteerism is declining as Americans spend more time at home and less time engaging with their communities.  If only they knew: acts of service reduce stress and promote positive, relaxed feelings by releasing glorious waves of dopamine.  Less stress = less stroke, heart disease, depression, anxiety and general illness.

Why We Do What We Do

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Filed under Stewardship, Trail Maintenance

IMG_4001I’ve long intended to bring my recent campaign of tread renewal/trail smoothing from the Overlook Trail to the Montini Preserve, and today I finally did. There had been a short section that I had had my eye on for quite some time, as it checked two big boxes for needing attention: 1) a really rocky and awkward trail, and 2) a section so awkward that hikers and runners had started a mini trail around the awkward part, thus needlessly widening the trail.

Therefore this morning I got our trail wagon out of our toolshed in the Mountain Cemetery, loaded up some buckets with aggregate, threw some tools and all the rest in the back of my SUV and headed up to the trail. Entering from Norrbom Road on Rattlesnake Cutoff, I pulled the wagon into the middle of the Montini Preserve to the section I wanted to fix.

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SEEKING OUTREACH VOLUNTEERS!

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Filed under Fundraising, Stewardship

Overlook VolunteerAre you a devotee of the Overlook Trail? (Heck, aren’t we all?) We SOT Stewards are seeking new volunteers to help with outreach and fundraising and we’d LOVE for you to join us!!! No minimum commitment or required hours; just join us and pitch in where you can.

With over 60,000 visits a year, Sonoma Overlook Trail is in one sense the largest nonprofit in the Valley. What better cause than this natural, nurturing space to devote a few spare hours? PLUS, did you know that volunteering is good for your brain?!? Yes!! CONTACT US now for more info….