HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST MEETINGS:

April 9, 2008 Educational Event
7:00-9:00 PM

Mosquito and Vector Control in the 21st Century: Then and Now.
with Nizza Sequeira and Ronald Keith
of the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District

The presentation by the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District will focus on integrated pest management principles and methodologies to suppress mosquito and other insect problems with a multifaceted approach. Additionally, our presenters will focus on information specific to our local area and discuss watershed issues as well.

January 9, 2008
7:00-9:00 PM

2007 was an interesting year for the BCWC. There have been several accomplishments, and many challenges but our unincorporated association is still functioning and looking for ways to support the Blucher Creek Watershed residents and property owners in alignment with our stated goals and mission.

The January 9 meeting will be a "general meeting" to cover the status of our programs, treasury, membership and board, and to plan and act on current and future efforts. There are several exciting opportunities to participate and organize efforts for the coming year.

The agenda is as follows:
7:00 ... Settle in, greetings, agenda review (Steve)
7:15 ... Financial Review and Membership status for 2007 (Steve)
7:30 ... Status of Lawsuit brought against the Sonoma County Water Agency (Steve)
7:45 ... 2008 BCWC Projects and Program Priorities Planning Session

• Newsletter Content Outline
• Well Monitoring and Creek Monitoring Program
• Board Position Status and Upcoming Elections
• April 9 Education /Presentation Topic

8:45 - 9:00 .... Meeting Close and action summary

2007

June-July - BCWC annual board member nominations and elections August 4th - Summer watershed community potluck BCW Potluck August 4, 2007... Good Time for All! Once again the annual Blucher Creek Watershed potluck was a great and enjoyable affair.  Organized by the Blucher Creek Watershed Council, and this year hosted by the Howard family at Three Ox Farm, the annual potluck was attended by ~50 + residents from various locations in the watershed. Great food,  weather, and good old fashioned neighborly comradery were the order of the day. All who attended were glad they did and much was shared and enjoyed by all. Activities: Creek Tour, Farm Tour, Drawings for Prizes, Great food, drink, and visiting! The Annual Blucher Creek Potluck Gathering has moved around over the years. It is a great opportunity to meet neighbors, friends, and fellow residents from our wonderful watershed. This event is organized by the Blucher Creek Watershed Council (BCWC), but is not intended to be limited to it's members. All watershed residents are welcome! Tell a neighbor!

June 13th~Educational event:
Quetzal Farm - dry-farming and hedgerow habitat in the Laguna

A note from the farmers:
Quetzal Farm grows organic produce and flowers on 15 acres in Santa Rosa and Capay Valley, California. We practice sustainable farming by building soil organic matter, and planting hedgerows of native plants to provide habitat for beneficial insects, birds, and animals. Since 1999 we have grown many crops, specializing in dry-farmed tomatoes, sweet peppers, chilies, and eggplant. We focus on producing the tastiest, freshest, highest quality food for our customers at San Francisco Area Farmer’s Markets, stores, and beyond.

2006

July 22:
Potluck and Annual Board Election

We had a wonderful BCWC Potluck! We had a great "HOTluck" on July 22. Thank you again to all who braved the weather, and to hosts Paul and Debbie Garavaglia of Reindeer Ridge Tree Farm. The snowmen decorations in the barn really helped make us feel cool. The food was, as usual, awfully good and the company was the same. (I think that's a song from Carousel?) It's all true however. Regards, Jeannette Baumgardner

June 14:
Enhancing our Wetland - Cunningham Marsh with Betty Young

Nestled between Cunningham Road and Lone Pine is the historic Cunningham Marsh. Once home to 6 now-endangered species, the Pitkin lily is the lone surviving listed species. Through the efforts of volunteer from the California Native Plant Society, the lily population has increased. With the support of the Blucher Creek Watershed group, we have obtained a grant to begin the restoration of the historic conditions that made this such a special place. Betty will speak of those those efforts, where we are now and where we hope to go.

March 7 event:
Natural Gopher Management with Steve Howard was a great success!

Steve presented an overview of natural, non-toxic methods to control the notorious Pocket Gopher, well known in the Sebastopol area. He offered the audience an enhanced understanding of how to go about controlling and minimizing gopher damage to plants, crops, and landscape ... while at the same time preserving the health of the ecosystem. By popular demand, we have posted Steve's powerpoint presentation as a PDF file here

January 26
Council meeting 7 - 8:45 p.m.
Jeannette Baumgarder's house

Agenda:
*Announcements, Jeannette Baumgardner, chair
*Revised draft of welll monitoring policy, Jane Nielson
*Budget update, Steve Howard
*Discussion: Laguna de Santa Rosa & Tribs. focused Environmental Grant program$250,000 available
*Newsletter
*Planning Calendar

2005

December 14
Decadent Desserts Potluck & Meeting

Discussions and decisions at this meeting:

1. Whether to reduce the size of the board to 3 members; elections to follow.
2, Whether or not to join our well monitoring program with SWiG's';
3. Whether or not put out a "hard copy" newsletter in 2006, or an e-newsletter on our web site.
Related issue: Membership

Also a brief report from Deborah Grace on her training in Basins of Relations; updates on grant applications; dreams about open space acreage for sale on Canfield Road.

November 9th
Community Emergency Preparedness

Recent events have highlighted the extent to which natural disasters can impact communities. Relief agencies may not be able to reach all those in need of assistance. However, our own neighborhoods are rich resources of knowledge, skills and support!

Living in earthquake country, we know about resources and checklists for our home and family and we discussed these at our October meeting. But what else can we do? What other resources can we draw on that are just around the corner? How about enlisting the support of our neighbors and offering our own? The good old days when we knew the families around us are not so long gone.

During the evening, we highlighted what agencies you might want to know about, how you can go about organizing your neighborhood, and exchanging experiences and other commonsense neighborly notions.

October 12th
Emergency Preparedness
A big THANK YOU goes out to watershed member Diane Nissen for the excellent and very helpful presentation on emergency preparedness. Diane highlighted key emergency preparedness topics and additional key considerations, brought a sample emergency box for show-and-tell, and made resources binders and emergency pocket guides available for all meeting attendees.

Couldn't make it? We've posted some resources here!

September 14th
Council Meeting

AGENDA

7:00-7:10: Brief Announcements and thank you's
7:10-7:20: Report on recent conversation with Kendall Jackson rep., Julie Collins. (Jeannette)
7:20-7:45: Review of our well monitoring policy.
7:45-8:00: Treasurer's Report and discussion of possible expenditures.
8:00-8:30: Planning Calendar
1. Including ideas for topics from Paul, Steve, Frank B.
2. Set Newsletter deadlines
3. Other
8:30-8:45: New Business

Saturday, August 27 POTLUCK! Annual BCWC POTLUCK! 2:00 pm short walk to toast to the creek (at Sonoma Horticultural Nursery) 3:00-6:00 pm PICNIC POTLUCK This year, the event was hosted by Deborah & Djubaya at Catchtail Gardens close to the Sonoma Horticultural Nursery (5 minute walk away!). The nursery is situated directly on the creek, and at 2 pm we took a walk to the beautiful site and paid a visit to the creek toasting with juice and mimosas!! At 3 pm the potluck delight started back at Catchtail Gardens, with over 70 joining in over the course of the afternoon.

Wednesday, July 13
POPCORN! and a Movie!
"Thinking Like a Watershed"

Join us for popcorn and a movie plus guests for our July 13th monthly meeting of the Blucher Creek Watershed Council! "Thinking Like a Watershed," our featured film, tells the story of the residents of the Mattole River valley on the coast of Northern California. When residents discovered that the native salmon in their river was almost extinct, they decided to take action. See how this citizen-based restoration project has taught these people that "salmon don't just live in streams, they live in watersheds."

This entertaining and educational documentary shows how any group of citizens can restore the ecological health of their watershed and in the process improve the quality of their community.

As a follow-up to the movie, Joe Honton of the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, Jenny Blaker of Cotati Creek Critters/ Northern California Earth Institute and Zeno Zweijtik of the Russian River Interactive Information System joined us and highilighted exciting projects we all can be involved with.

Saturday, July 9, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m "Visualizing the Watershed" A free, hands-on art workshop presented by local artist, Nancy Ricciardi. Participants had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the watershed, from the microscopic to the macroscopic, from the structure of a leaf, to a branch, to a tree, to the landscape of which they are a part. Nancy has taught for over twenty years in Sonoma County schools. Her paintings of native oaks were recently on display at the Local Color Gallery, 1580 Eastshore Road, Bodega, CA.

June 16 Council Meeting
Our June meeting was held at Jeannette Baumgardner's house ~ Thanks for the hospitality: pie and tea!

The Board had a full agenda of business to discuss and vote on. Topics included:
finances, well monitoring report, recruiting members, future of the newsletter, educational topics for a regular meetings, the August Potluck, the planning calendar.

Many thanks to Dan Quinn, who is moving out of the area, for his 1-1/2 years of support and effort on behalf of BCWC. We wish him all the best!

click!

May 21 Sonoma County Watershed Day! Yet again, Watershed Day held at Salmon Creek School in Occidental was a lovely event! We had a beautiful sunny day in the valley surrounded by redwoods, the opportunity to hear from other local watershed groups and efforts, and elected officials and listen to great music! If you didn't make it this year, maybe you can join us next time! Read more about activities and speakers here!

May 11
"Surface and ground water management" with Djubaya
Creating a relationship with our land and its water

Djubaya, natural builder and permaculture designer, presented a slide show highlighting approaches to soil retention and aquifer recharge while creating habitat and restoring the landscape. He inspired us to learn to observe water's movement on our land and engage it for beauty, habitat, aquifer recharge and restoration.

April 13
"Wild Plants in Your Backyard with Terry Loveton of Emerisa Gardens.

• Which local native can support over 400 species of animals?
• What native tree graces the BCWC logo?
• Which wild flowers in Blucher Valley are rare and endangered species?

Local native plant expert and professional gardener Terry Loveton introduced us in person - to some local natives. She explained how to encourage native bees, butterflies and birds to visit and be nurtured by our gardens and landscape, and how to make a difference in the lives of native animals by what we plant on our land.

First five people received a free, one gallon redwood tree courtesy of Steve and Bernadette Howard. Thanks!

March 8
"Community Watershed Poetry Exchange" @ Coffee Catz in Sebastopol
The Blucher Creek Watershed Council welcomed local poets and poetry lovers to plunge into the poetry of watersheds.  A wonderful evening was had by all in the cozy atmosphere of Coffee Catz.  There was some talk about doing this again.  Here is a sampling of the evenings' offerings.  The BCWC has CD's, words and music available for a donation featuring the work of Jane Kenndy Stuppin, and musician and watershed notable, Kathleen Kraft.

February
"Manure and Mud Management for Livestock Owners" with Kristan Flynn, Rangeland Management Specialist kristan.flynn@ca.usda.gov.

January
Update on Blucher Creek watershed well monitoring project
by Marty MacMillan. Read our January 2005 newsletter and the related Sonoma West article (Feb. 2005)

2004

November
"Fire Safety" with Kathleen Kraft

October 13
"Native Wildlife" with Mary Davis, wildlife biologist from the Sonoma Ecology Center.

Mary returned by popular demand to continue her discussion of native wildlife, and in particular the mountain lion. She also discussed "wildlife friendly" fencing, identifying wildlife tracks and mitigating the effects of humans on wildlife habitat.

September
"Water Harvesting" with Alistair Bleifuss.

Water harvesting has been practiced since ancient times and is still practiced around the world. Alistair and his wife, Ann have provided for their own domestic water needs by harvesting roof water run-off.
Learn more:
Rainwater Catchment Systems by John Gould & Erik Nissen-Peterson
Tank Town, Texas & Rainwater Collection for the Mechanically Challenged by Suzy Bank & Richard Heinichem
Another nice reference page. Also Google: Pioneer Tank, Australia.

August
"How Have Humans Changed the Blucher Valley Landscape" with Arthur Dawson, Director, Historical Ecology Project, the Sonoma Ecology Center.
His fascinating presentation on the history of Sonoma Valley included the following:

Native Americans intensively managed the land for over 9000 years with fire, pruning of oaks, hunting and fishing, propagation of plants for baskets. Settlers in the late 18th century saw as many as fifty or sixty bears and thirty or forty grizzlies in twenty-four hours. Quail were tame. There were herds of up to three hundred elk and prong horned antelope. Streams fanned out and disappeared. They were not channelized as they are now. Old maps show few trees but large fresh water marshes.
By the 1850's there was a dramatic decline in elk, antelope and the bears were gone. Ditch digging machines drained the land and maps show that by by 1877 all the main tributaries have been connected to Sonoma Creek.

Finally, Dawson has assembled oral histories of elders in Sonoma Valley in a book:
"Creek Wisdom" available through the Sonoma Ecology Center.
Learn more:
Changes in the Land, by William Cronon
The Ohlone Way, by Malcolm Margolin

Arthur offered ideas on researching our own area. Anyone interested to pursue this further, please call Jeannette Baumgardner!

"Tour of the old Knolls Corner Cemetery" (corner of Canfield and Bloomfield) led by Barbara Chasteen

May
All Members Meeting!

April
"Get to Know Your Wild Neighors" with Mary Davis, wildlife biologist, Sonoma Valley Ecology Center. (707-996-6637)

"Geological Tour of Blucher Valley" with geologist Jane Neilson.

March
"West Sonoma County Groundwater Quality" with Charles Judson and Mark Gallagher, Weeks Drilling & Pump Co. (info on water testing)