Cotati Creek Critters vision: to see Cotati’s reach of the Laguna de Santa Rosa become a green corridor of habitat for native and migratory birds, pond turtles, frogs, butterflies and dragonflies, as well as an urban greenway with its walkways and bicycle path.

Cotati Creek Critters goals:

• Enhance natural habitat for native species without compromising flood control;
• Organize Creek Stewardship Days to plant native trees, shrubs, and understory plants and to remove invasive species;
• Encourage an appreciation of Cotati's creeks and creekside (riparian) vegetation;
• Raise awareness that Cotati's creeks are part of the larger Laguna de Santa Rosa and Russian River watersheds;
• Enjoy this beautiful natural resource with our families, neighbors and the community.

Hands in the dirt!

Creek Stewardship Days were held regularly once or twice a month, from October through May, from 1998 until the end of 2012. Over 2,000 native trees and shrubs, and thousands of native grasses, sedges, and rushes were planted alongside a 1 mile-long section of the Laguna de Santa Rosa channel that runs through Cotati and part of Rohnert Park.  A further 350 native trees and shrubs were added further downstream in 2011-12. Creek Stewardship Days also involved removing invasive plants and trash, propagating plants in the nursery, pruning, mulching, weeding, and other supportive tasks as needed.

CCC held a Trash Pick Up event twice a year (see 2010 and 2011 events), usually in October and April, to remove trash from the Laguna de Santa Rosa channel before it could get washed downstream into the heart of the Laguna, the Russian River and the Pacific Ocean.

Cotati Creek Critters also:

• Organized group stewardship days for specific groups of 15 or more (e.g. class, church, work group, youth group, etc.)
• Offered a presentation on the history, background, and purpose of its projects, to any interested group or class.
• Ran an internship program and offered community involvement opportunities for students from Sonoma State University, Santa Rosa Junior College, and local schools.

photo courtesy of Don Jackson

Inside/Outside Nature Education Series

CCC's Inside/Outside Nature Education series was a program of community education events featuring local experts.  The series included “inside” presentations in fall and winter, and “outside” guided walks, field trips, and bicycle rides in spring and summer. The series was complemented by a monthly column in the local newspaper, The Community Voice. The column is still ongoing thanks to the efforts of CCC volunteer Christopher Harrod.  See Press & Media to read past and recent articles. 

Funding

• CCC was fiscally sponsored by the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit public benefit corporation, and supported by the Sonoma County Water Agency, and the City of Cotati.
• A three-year project to plant 2,000 native trees and shrubs along a 1-mile section of the upper Laguna de Santa Rosa in Cotati was funded by the California Department of Water Resources Urban Stream Restoration Program (2005-2008).
• An understory restoration project was funded by an Environmental Enhancement grant from the City of Santa Rosa.
• USFWS Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program contributed funding from 2010- 2011.   
• The project to plant a further 350 native trees and shrubs from Falletti Park/Gravenstein Way to Commerce Blvd. was funded by Sonoma County Water Agency.
• In November 2011, the Rose Foundation for Communities & the Environment contributed funding for community outreach, environmental education and volunteer recruitment, including to support a new partnership with St. Joseph Health System Sonoma County/Community Benefit Department.

Interpretive Signs
In October, 2009, Cotati Creek Critters installed three interpretive signs, which tell the story of the biology, history, and restoration of the Cotati reach of the Laguna.  Approximately 30 people contributed to the signs including graphic designers, ecologists and historians, writers and editors, artists and photographers, City and SCWA staff and officials, manufacturers and installers.
Read more . . .

Laurette Rogers, Director of STRAW, speaks at Open House, October 2009

Jenny Blaker, Wade Belew, Assemblyman Jared Huffman and artist Ed Willie discuss interpretive sign at unveiling, October 2009

photos courtesy of Jean Wasp