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Cotati Creek Critters is a grassroots citizens group planting native trees and shrubs along the banks of the upper reach of the Laguna de Santa Rosa. All the work we have done to plant native trees and shrubs, maintain the plantings, and raise public awareness, could not have been done without the involvement of many hundreds of volunteers and many partners, collaborators and supporters. (Read about our achievements to date and our history!) Volunteers have included people of all ages from three year olds (the Cotati Co-op Nursery School) to high school students, to students from Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) and Sonoma State University (SSU), to professionals and retired persons, and a range of community groups.
We meet for Community Planting Days on second Saturdays (9 a.m. -12 noon) and last Sundays (10 a.m. -1 p.m.) from October to April.
We also run a monthly educational series of presentations and/or guided walks, the Indoor Outdoor Nature Education series, featuring local experts. These are complemented by a monthly column in the local newspaper, the Community Voice. See archives.
We can offer a presentation to any group that is interested in knowing more about the work of the Cotati Creek Critters. We also welcome any opportunity to schedule special workdays for specific groups or classes at a mutually convenient time. Please contact Jenny Blaker to set up a presentation or organize a workday for your group.
The main way we keep in touch is via email and via this website. To be added to the email list, please contact Jenny Blaker, Outreach Coordinator. You will receive email announcements and reminders of all our events, usually twice a month in the fall and winter, once a month in the summer.
 Jenny and Wade
Stewardship Coordinator: Wade Belew organizes and manages every aspect of the restoration project from the native plant nursery to the Community Planting days. Wade is a lifelong Sonoma County resident and avid outdoor enthusiast. He is a self-employed woodworker with a specialty in designing, building, installing, and maintaining bird nest boxes made from recycled redwood fencing. He also does environmental education and interpretive walks. His show "The Outsiders" can be heard Mondays at 7:35 am on KRSH 95.9 FM.
Outreach Coordinator: Jenny Blaker is responsible for organizing the community outreach program including volunteer recruitment and the Inside/Outside Nature Education series. Along with Community & Environment Commission members Maria Alvarez and Linda Christopher, and other friends and neighbors, she helped start the Cotati Creek Critters in 1999. She received her MA in Conservation Psychology, in the program "Action for a Viable Future" at Sonoma State University, in 2006, focusing on the Cotati Creek Critters Outreach Program. She and her husband Neil built the first fully permitted straw bale building in Cotati in 1997.
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Jenny Blaker received the 2007 Cotati Citizen of the Year award!
From the "Community Voice":
Jenny Blaker, outreach coordinator for Cotati Creek Critters was honored as Cotati's Citizen of the Year at the Cotati Chamber of Commerce's 50th annual awards ceremony and dinner. Blaker was awarded for her devotion to Cotati's natural wildlife through Cotati Creek Critters, and she, in turn, thanked the "hundreds of volunteers" that make the Critters' work possible. The award was presented by Chamber president Andrew Hutchins (right).
Read the full article...
Jenny Blaker says "Thank You!" to all the volunteers, individuals and organizations, partners, sponsors, and funders, who are such an integral part of the Cotati Creek Critters!
Read the letter to the Editor...
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Sponsors: We work closely with a number of sponsors and partners.
The Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, a 501(c) 3 non-profit public benefit corporation is our fiscal sponsor and administers all CCC’s grant funding.
The Sonoma County Water Agency is the agency sponsor for the Department of Water Resources grant (see below). SCWA is responsible for the flood control channel itself.
The project is supported by the City of Cotati which has provided us with our base of operations at “Ladybug Lot,” Cotati City well lot #2 on Lakewood Avenue, adjacent to Ladybug Park.
Partners: Many other partners have made essential contributions to the project. These include native plant nurseries: SSU’s Native Plant Propogation class, the California Native Plant Society, Appleton Nurseries, Circuit Rider Productions Inc., and Sonoma County Jail Industries. We have obtained many of our used tools from Recycletown. Sonoma Mountain Village provided used tree stakes. See Appropriate Technology, Resources, for further information. Many thanks to Oliver’s Market and the Redwood Café for providing refreshments for some of our workdays, and to the Clif & Luna Bar Company for their snack bar donations.
Volunteers: Thank you to all of you for your ongoing support!
Cotati Creek Critters Time-line
| 1998: |
Cotati Creek Critters began as an all-volunteer grass roots citizens group working closely with Cotati’s Community & Environment Commission. |
| 2003: |
Wade Belew and Jenny Blaker wrote a “Baseline Assessment & Habitat Enhancement Feasibility Study of the Cotati Reach of the Laguna de Santa Rosa.” |
| 2005: |
CCC, with help from the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation staff and other local experts, successfully applied for an Urban Stream Restoration grant from the California Department of Water Resources. The Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation was the non-profit sponsor, the Sonoma County Water Agency was the Agency sponsor, and the application was supported by the City of Cotati. |
| 2007: |
Watch this space! |
Read more about our history!
Read more about our achievements to date!
As well as our regular community planting days, we can use help for one-time projects, or on a regular, weekly basis if you’re available. We will value and appreciate any time you have to contribute.
1) Staff Ladybug Lot. We want the Ladybug Lot to be an available and operational resource for creek work and the community as a whole. We would like to have the lot staffed two days a week, Fridays and Saturdays. Saturdays will often be planting and workdays, so we would like to have the lot open and available to retrieve tools and supplies. Fridays will be prep days for workdays, and one of Wade’s main workdays. We would like to receive deliveries and use the day to prepare for planting the following day. We may also give away or sell small quantities of compost or plants. We may encourage school groups to come on Fridays, and will have an informal outdoor classroom at the lot. Plants will need to be watered and repotted, and/or other gardening tasks. It would be great to have regular volunteers for this job, and it would be ideal for a retired person, or anyone with some regular time available.
2) Plant Nursery Help. We will be buying most of our plants for this project, but want to propagate or transplant some ourselves. We’ll need thousands of plants for future revegetation projects in Cotati. We want to gather seed for sowing, and transplant appropriate plants into containers for use at other sites. If you have experience in plant propagation and care, we can use your help. We also want to feature Ladybug lot as a beautiful demonstration garden of native plants. Regular or drop in help needed.
3) Team Leader for Planting Days. If you have experience planting or would like to learn, we need people that can demonstrate and oversee planting by our various volunteer groups, and generally help out on workdays.
4) Development. If you have experience fund-raising for non-profits we are continually seeking donations and contributions to further our goals.
5) Graphics/signage. We need help with posters, flyers and signs.
6) Photographer. It’s hard to take photos and plant trees, let alone organize a workday! If you can’t do the hard physical work, we’d love to have someone take digital photos that we can use for the website, brochures, etc.
7) Snack chefs. So maybe getting your hands dirty isn’t your thing, or you don’t have time or you’re physically not able to help with other tasks. How’s your baking? We’d love to be able to reward our volunteers with tasty homemade cookies or treats whenever possible.
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