Environment

Why? ~ Native Plants ~ The Laguna de Santa Rosa ~ Flora & Fauna ~ Revegetation Plant List

Why Plant Trees?

A canopy of shade discourages non-native plants such as Himalayan Blackberry and grasses that slow stormwater flows and trap debris. Shade also cools the water, reducing water temperatures and therefore bacteria levels. Cool water is also beneficial to native wildlife, and cooler water flowing from Cotati will help salmonids downstream in the system. Healthy creeks and trees help to make Cotati a more beautiful and enjoyable place to be, and improve our quality of life.

• The trees will eventually create a leafy canopy that will shade out the vegetation that is currently growing in the channel.
• This will also help keep water cooler, which is beneficial for aquatic life including fish downstream in the system.
• Tree roots will help to stabilize banks and prevent soil erosion, which causes sedimentation downstream in the Laguna.
• To provide habitat for birds, beneficial insects and other wildlife.
• To provide and enhance recreational and educational opportunities for people, too.

Native and Invasive Plants...

Q. What are "native" and "invasive" species and why does it matter?

A. Native species such as Valley Oak, California Buckeye, Big Leaf Maple, California Rose, and Snowberry are ideally adapted to our unique environment, in which they and their ancestors have grown for thousands of years. They provide just the right kinds of food and shelter for the native birds, insects and mammals with which they have coevolved, mutually adapting to each others' needs.

Invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry, pampas grass, broom and periwinkle (vinca) have been introduced from other ecosystems and can outcompete native plants to the point of excluding them completely.

By selectively removing invasive exotics and replanting with natives we enhance the sources of food and shelter for wildlife.

The Laguna de Santa Rosa

Cotati's creeks are part of the Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed, which drains 250 square miles and is the largest tributary to the Russian River. This 14 mile long waterway from Cotati to Forestville originally was a vast mosaic of vernal pools, lakes, marshes, woodlands and grasslands. Many of the watercourses have been straightened or have filled with sediment, and many of the marshes and wetlands have been built on or drained for agriculture. Many species of birds, fish, mammals, and plants that used to be abundant have disappeared along with their diminishing habitat. As the areas of existing wetlands and waterways shrink, what is left becomes ever more valuable as wildlife habitat and for people to be able to restore themselves in, and learn from, nature close to home.

Most of Cotati's creek channels have been channelized and the banks either denuded or overgrown with invasive species such as blackberry. The Cotati Creek Critters, working with the support of the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, the City of Cotati and the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA), has been sponsoring volunteer creek restoration efforts for over 6 years, which has allowed us to plant and maintain numerous native trees and shrubs along the Laguna in Cotati. A canopy of shade discourages non-native plants such as Himalayan Blackberry and grasses that slow stormwater flows and trap debris. Shade also cools the water, reducing water temperatures and therefore bacteria levels. Cool water is also beneficial to native wildlife, and cooler water flowing from Cotati will help salmonids downstream in the system. Healthy creeks and trees help to make Cotati a more beautiful and enjoyable place to be, and improve our quality of life.

Click on the thumbnails below for maps and photos of the area over time.

Map of Rancho Cotate, the Estate of Thomas S. Page. From New Historical Atlas of Sonoma County. Thompson, Thos. H. & Co. 1877	Illustrated Atlas of Sonoma County, California. Reynolds and Procter. 1897.	1942 Sonoma County aerial photograph from the Natural Resources Conservation District.
Aerial photo, 1998.	Aerial photo, 2000.	Map of the Laguna de Santa Rosa Watershed.

Flora and Fauna of the Laguna in Cotati

The Laguna de Santa Rosa is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. Click on the thumbnails below for larger images of some of these plants and animals, or click here to see a list of observed bird species.

Elder Flower	Elder Berries	Box Elder	Snowberry
Tule	Twinberry	Mulefat	Heron (photo by Don Jackson)
Mallard Pair (photo by Anne Leonard)	Ring-Necked Pheasant (photo by Anne Leonard)

Plant List for Revegetation of the Cotati Reach of the Laguna

Plant List for Revegetation of the Cotati Reach of the Laguna
The plants we have been planting along the Laguna are divided evenly between trees and shrubs/herbaceous plants. Below are the two groups. All these species are native to riparian plant communities of Sonoma County. It is probably a broader assemblage then what would have been present historically in Cotati. We’ve chosen to include as many different species as reasonable to maximize diversity for both wildlife habitat and human enjoyment. Many of these species, and about 150 total plants, have already become successfully established at our Helen Putnam site over the last several years. Many of these plants are great in a home or commercial landscape as well, and we can recommend a particular species depending on your needs. If you have any questions, contact Stewardship Coordinator Wade Belew.

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