Laguna Environmental Center gets love from volunteersLaguna Environmental Center gets love from volunteers

Workers weeded, spread wood chips, planted and generally beautified the garden and outdoor areas of the Laguna Environmental Center off Occidental Road. Workers weeded, spread wood chips, planted and generally beautified the garden and outdoor areas of the Laguna Environmental Center off Occidental Road.|
CHRIS SMITH<BR>BY CHRIS SMITH
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Friday was gardening day at one of the most splendid spots in Sonoma County for savoring, exploring and preserving nature - the Laguna Environmental Center, situated alongside the great wetlands west of Santa Rosa and north of Sebastopol.

Volunteers pitched in to help the Laguna Foundation spruce up the grounds of its historic Churchill Farmhouse and Heron Hall.

Workers weeded, spread wood chips, planted and generally beautified the garden and outdoor areas of the center on Sanford Road, off Occidental Road.

The labor was a gift to the nonprofit that’s dedicated to protecting and introducing the public to the biologically diverse Laguna de Santa Rosa.

The largest tributary of the Russian River, the Laguna drains a more than 250-square-mile watershed that encompasses nearly all of the Santa Rosa Plain. Lovers of wildlife appreciate that it’s an essential stopover for many migrating birds and it’s home to some 200 species of birds and to river otter, salmon, mountain lions, bobcats, badgers and other animals.

Supporters of the Laguna Foundation dressed in their grubbies on Friday and came prepared to spend an hour, or two, or three, getting dirty.

They were provided tools and taught a bit about the native plants that include wildflowers, grasses, sedges, trees and herbaceous plants.

Friday’s volunteers found both the snacks and the intangible rewards of participation in the Garden Volunteer Day to be abundant.

Friday was gardening day at one of the most splendid spots in Sonoma County for savoring, exploring and preserving nature - the Laguna Environmental Center, situated alongside the great wetlands west of Santa Rosa and north of Sebastopol.

Volunteers pitched in to help the Laguna Foundation spruce up the grounds of its historic Churchill Farmhouse and Heron Hall.

Workers weeded, spread wood chips, planted and generally beautified the garden and outdoor areas of the center on Sanford Road, off Occidental Road.

The labor was a gift to the nonprofit that’s dedicated to protecting and introducing the public to the biologically diverse Laguna de Santa Rosa.

The largest tributary of the Russian River, the Laguna drains a more than 250-square-mile watershed that encompasses nearly all of the Santa Rosa Plain. Lovers of wildlife appreciate that it’s an essential stopover for many migrating birds and it’s home to some 200 species of birds and to river otter, salmon, mountain lions, bobcats, badgers and other animals.

Supporters of the Laguna Foundation dressed in their grubbies on Friday and came prepared to spend an hour, or two, or three, getting dirty.

They were provided tools and taught a bit about the native plants that include wildflowers, grasses, sedges, trees and herbaceous plants.

Friday’s volunteers found that both the snacks and the intangible rewards of participation in the Garden Volunteer Day to be abundant.

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