LandPaths

LandPaths is an environmental education and conservation leader with the mission to foster a love of the land in Sonoma County. Everyone should have access to the awe and inspiration of nature.Annually, LandPaths engages thousands of participants in joyful, caring, and transformative relationships with the land. This is done mainly through creative outings led in both English and Spanish, environmental education, nature camps, and people-powered land stewardship of local open spaces.With a commitment to equity in the outdoors and building reciprocal relationships, LandPaths programs are offered free or sliding scale, or with robust scholarships, led by diverse participants. Three Core Initiatives Rooting Youth in Nature: We reduce the barriers and expand opportunities to get outside so that youth can experience wonder, joy, awe, belonging, and a sense of stewardship in nature.Branching Out Conservation for Everyone: With a dedication to equity and inclusion, we reduce the barriers to increase access for people historically excluded from positive connection with nature and the outdoors. Growing Community With Nature: Facing the challenges like catastrophic fire and drought dramatically increased by climate change, LandPaths more than ever believes in forging care and connection between people and the land. From stewardship days for all ages to conservation workforce training, we address community care with curiosity, determination, and creativity.LandPaths programs are as follows:Rooting Youth in NatureIn 2025, LandPaths offered a full season of nature-based youth programs across Sonoma County. A total of 17 camp weeks were held across seven unique programs, providing opportunities for hundreds of young people to explore, connect, and grow in the outdoors at: Rancho Mark West, Bohemia Ecological Preserve, Preston Farm & Winery and the Russian River. These programs reflect our commitment to connection, access, and belonging in the outdoors. Across all programs, LandPaths continues to expand equitable access through financial assistance, transportation support, and partnerships with schools and community organizations, ensuring youth from diverse backgrounds can experience the joy and belonging in nature. LandPaths Owl Camp is a nature-based summer immersion program for kids from 6 to 13 years old. Owl Camp offers a rich place for children to explore the natural world, test out new ideas and experience the freedom of child-directed, open-ended learning through nature exploration and play guided in small groups by expert educators. Camp Trillium is a newer nature camp program for youth between the ages of 9 13 focused on creating a sense of belonging in nature for LGBTQI+ youth and allies. LandPaths also offers RiverTrek camps. Consistent with LandPaths youth programs, these camps immerse youth in nature and develop outdoor skills, such as paddling, camp cooking, fire starting, filtering water all the way down to caring for your feet and hands (and blisters). These experiences and skill development, build participant sense of belonging (with nature and with peers) and confidence in continuing outdoor activities and exploration for a lifetime. In Fiscal Year, 2024 2025 we offered 2 weeks of Teen River Treks with 23 total campers served. 14 campers received scholarships and 3 received transportation support. 10 of those were first-time campers. Camps Program By the Numbers 7 camp programs: Owl Camp, SRCS Owl Camp, Camp Trillium, Teen River Treks, Spring Break Camp, Winter Camp, and Inspired Forward Teen Trek 17 total camp weeks across all sites 565 total camper spots filled, representing 458 individual youth 317 campers (56%) received scholarships 219 campers received transportation support Owl Camp had the largest number of campers (305 over 7 weeks) Smaller, focused programs like Camp Trillium (19 campers) and Inspired Forward Teen Trek (11 campers) offered deeper connection and leadership opportunities In Our Own BackYard is a nature awareness program built to enhance student connection and confidence in the outdoors. In Our Own BackYard, school-based, provides an in-depth experience to 17 schools for a total of 81 field trips in Sonoma County with 4-full day field trips, and 2 classroom visits over the course of the school year, averaging 20 hours in the field per student.In Our Own BackYard curriculum correlates with many of the state and federal science, math, language arts and physical education standards, and anticipates strong alignment with Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. In Our Own BackYard program serves approximately 800 students, is offered for free to Title 1 schools. In 2012, LandPaths launched a teen-focused program, Inspired Forward. Built on the In Our Own BackYard model, Inspired Forward is a field-based, multi-day program. Inspired Forward brings together positive, life-changing, and leadership-based experiences for teens and young adults with the opportunities presented by the land: adventure, learning, healing, stewardship, relaxation, and community. We partner with individual schools, school districts, and Restorative Justice clubs across Sonoma County to offer free programming to Title 1 schools. Inspired Forward offers teens and young adults: Environmental literacy through hands-on activities aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).The chance to explore the beneficial relationship between humans and the land, and the development of a stewardship ethic through fun and rewarding projects.A recognition of their amazing power and responsibility to act on behalf of the earth.An invitation to attend a three-night, four-day Spring Break Trek from the ocean through public and private lands in Sonoma County.In Fiscal Year 2024 2025, we worked with 7 school partners on a total of 15 class visits and 40 field trips. Participants visited 9 different site, including the Sonoma Coast thanks to Explore the Coast funding from the California State Coastal Conservancy. Between Inspired Forward and IOOBY, at total of 1447 participants spent 24,729 hours in nature! Branching Out Conservation for EveryoneLandPaths is Sonoma Countys lead public access organization, working County-wide to provide public outings annually with over 5,000 participantsall with an exemplary safety record. This year, Vamos Afuera con LandPaths participants spent a cumulative 2,432 hours camping at local spaces including Gualala Point Regional Park. Diverse by design, LandPaths Outings and Vamos Afuera, include themed hikes, farm tours, campouts, kayak trips to the Jenner estuary, Spanish-language and stewardship projects. Participants discover Sonoma Countys beauty and care for the land that gives so much back to us. LandPaths invites all Sonoma County residents outdoorsincluding the most reluctant or unfamiliarsparking their curiosity in nature through positive and culturally relevant nature-based experiences.In 2007, LandPaths broke ground at Bayer Farm setting off an avalanche of firsts. Bayer Farm was our first urban park project, our first partnership with the City of Santa Rosa, our first partnership with the Latinx Community, and our first community garden. In FY 2024-25, 123 families grew their own fruits and vegetables in our community gardens in Southwest Santa Rosa. Since that time Bayer Farm has grown into a farm-based community center with programs ranging from Lets Read Outside, a nature-based early childhood literacy program to Summer Free Lunch. LandPaths also offers robust docent program opportunities at Lafferty Ranch in Petaluma and Bohemia Ecological Preserve in Occidental with about 25 docents. Docents offer hikes at least 3 to 4 times a month at Lafferty Preserve and at least twice a month at Bohemia Ecological Preserve, which often fill up, and serve 20 participants at a time. We also introduced the Stand for the Land program in FY 2025-2025, our new program centered in youth and gang violence prevention and intervention through referrals. In partnership with local community partners and LandPaths, Stand for the Land is designed to facilitate access for teens to the healing power of nature. Throughout 2025, program leaders took youth to Doran Beach, where they tried their hands at fishing, flew kites, and cooked outdoors with a guest chef. At Bohemia Ecological Preserve, participants camped, many for the first time cooking tacos, sitting around the campfire, and venturing out on hikes. Growing Community with Nature/Community CareLandPaths champions community conservation, where residents participate in actions that support a healthy communitynature and people alike. People Powered Parks is our approach to land stewardship, on our own lands and lands we assist in managing for Agency partners. LandPaths owns six unique preserves in Sonoma County: Bohemia Ecological Preserve, Ocean Song/Myers Preserve, and Grove of the Old Trees in West County, Rancho Mark West /Lobban preserve in northeast Santa R