Since the coronavirus “Shelter in Place” order went into effect, and the school program hikes at ACR preserves in Marin and Sonoma counties were put on hold, I have been exploring other ways to help youngsters connect with nature. My time is now spent creating resources to inspire children to explore the natural word within their reach. Though there is no replacing the feeling of holding a newt or learning to spot a turret spider tower alongside the trail, children can still learn from and be comforted by nature. Even in the bustling San Francisco Bay Area, nature is all around us: the lizard sunning itself on a nearby rock, the shade offered by a tree, the warmth of the sun on one’s face, the fragrance of new leaves and flowers. There is nature where you are, and you can experience it...

ACR Board of Directors thanks Bryant Hichwa for his 17 years of visionary guidance, commitment, and exceptional leadership. Bryant’s belief in our mission, his good counsel, and his steadfast support has been an inspiration to us all.

Bryant’s service on the board began as the Madrone Audubon chapter representative in 2003 and grew to include four terms as board president—not only providing steady leadership during the financial crisis of 2008 but also in 2009 shepherding a collaborative agreement with ranchers Jim and Shirley Modini to acquire the 1,725-acre Modini Ranch near Healdsburg.

In 2012, again under Bryant’s leadership, the acquisition of the Mayacamas Mountains Audubon Sanctuary from the National Audubon Society, located adjacent to the Modini Ranch,...

We recently asked M.F.K. Fisher's daughter Kennedy Golden to reflect on Mary Frances' time living on the Bouverie Preserve. Fisher lived on the preserve for the last 21 years of her life, in a cozy house built to her specification by David Bouverie. During that time she wrote 13 books, one-third of her total catalog. The preserve influenced her deeply.

As Kennedy composed this guest blog post, she reflected on Fisher's upcoming birthday. "My mother was born in Albion Michigan on July 3, 1908. When I think of that day so long ago I am reminded of her story of almost being named “Independencia,” had she waited one more day to be born. I believe that “Mary Frances” was a much better name, and I am grateful to my grandmother, Edith Kennedy, for making sure that naming her new baby “...

Congratulations to Van Hoosear Wildflower Preserve in the Sonoma Mountain area and Cooley Ranch in northern Sonoma County for hosting Northern California burners who put good fire on the ground this past Memorial Day weekend. Both of these controlled burns on privately held lands went off without a hitch, another sign of the growth of prescribed burn partnerships in the region.