Sunday, December 31, 2017

Helping Nature Heal Itself: Parking Lots And Rain Gardens



It's amazing how nature can heal itself...with just a little bit of help.

See how rain gardens are making a huge difference in fighting water pollution, cleaning the air and providing animal habit in urban environments.

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Rush Ranch Windmill



Aeromotor 702 working windmill pumping water for horse and cattle at Rush Ranch in Suisun, CA

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Grizzly Island



In this video I took an adventure to Grizzly Island/ Rush Ranch in Suisun City, CA

Musical Rights: Prince of Peace - Hillsong United
Video Rights: Carlos Medina

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Rush Ranch



Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown, http://www.nancydbrown.com, visits Rush Ranch in Suisun Valley, California. This working cattle ranch is owned & managed by Solano Land Trust. The historic ranch offers kid-friendly activities, horses, bird and wildlife viewing.

Monday, December 4, 2017

Brown Pelicans Released In Southern California



And he's off!! That tenacious young Brown Pelican with the horrible, horrible pouch and bill wounds we treated recently just got released! He is now sporting big blue band "N75," so keep your eyes out for him flying the coast!

Friday, December 1, 2017

A Day At The Bird Rescue Center Of Sonoma County



Watch this video and get an idea of the day-to-day work done by the good people (mostly volunteers) at The Bird Rescue Center in Santa Rosa, CA — whose mission is the rescue, rehabilitation and release of orphaned, ill and injured wild, native birds of Sonoma County, CA.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Northern Red-Shafted Flicker release



This Northern Red-Shafted Flicker came to us on January 14, 2017 after a window-strike in Healdsburg. She had congested breathing and a broken coracoid on the left side. This is bone that acts sort of like a trunk holding the wing up, attaching to the bulk of the body, and allowing for flight. It is a common injury for window-strike victims, songbirds and raptors alike. We've developed a certain way to wrap these injured wings to allow them to heal back to a normal position. After having the wing wrapped, we had to do some physical therapy until our largest aviary was available. As soon as we could, we got her in that large flight space and just days later she was ready to go! She was released just one month after admit in the found area by one of our resident handler and rehab hard release volunteers, Jeanette Thorpe.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Our World: A Hopeful Outlook



Nature and people can thrive together. Our World is a campaign of unprecedented scale to create a new vision for the planet—one powered by a virtuous cycle, where we make major progress on climate change and take care of nature so that nature can take care of us.

Sunday, November 19, 2017

Red-Tailed Hawk Release



The best part of our work — the successful release of a bird back to the wild — only results from the efforts of a small army of dedicated volunteers.

Friday, November 17, 2017

Partner With Solano Land Trust!


Solano Land Trust's business partners support our mission to protect working farms and natural areas. Join us as a business partner and your company can receive:


  • Recognition in the community through an inscribed brick at Rush Ranch, a listing in Vistas, and visibility on our website
  • Free use of the Rush Ranch facilities for a one-day company retreat
  • Employee team-building projects planned by Solano Land Trust staff
  • Satisfaction in knowing that you are investing in your community and helping to protect our quality of life
  • Kudos from your employees for supporting an organization that provides fun and healthy outdoor activities for them and their families

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Wildlife of Jepson Prairie


Jepson Prairie, in Solano County, is home to vernal pools -- and otherworldly invertebrates that look a bit like tiny trilobites or horseshoe crabs!

Monday, November 13, 2017

Birds of Lake Solano and Putah Creek


Filmed by Jeffery R. Martin in Solano County, California in 2014 and 2015, this HD film features a wide diversity of bird life that occurs in the convergence of several habitats: Oak Woodland, Riparian Woodland, and Savannah Grassland. Copyright (C) 2015, Jeffery R. Martin, All Rights Reserved. You may correspond with the filmmaker at pelicanday@aol.com.

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Saving the Pacific Flyway: California's Solutions to Sustain Great Migra...


Eight million birds migrate along the Pacific Flyway each year, but without adequate wintering habitat in California, the Pacific Flyway would quickly collapse. 95 percent of the wetlands they depend on are gone. These birds now depend on farms for their habitat and survival. Our last hope for saving the Pacific Flyway is to work with farmers. The Nature Conservancy and its partners are working with farmers in California to manage their lands to provide critical habitat for migratory birds and keep their working farms in production. We can have both farms and birds. Helping farmers be good stewards of their lands and water helps them keep their farms in production.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Nature Opened My Eyes


Joshua Carrera's story may have started out like that of most kids growing up in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. But it sure takes a different turn. At age 17, Josh joined The Nature Conservancy's Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future (LEAF) Program. He spent 4 weeks in Vermont -- an experience that changed his life forever.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

International Bird Rescue - The Every Bird Matters Mission


International Bird Rescue (IBR) has been saving seabirds and other aquatic birds around the world since 1971. Bird Rescue's team of specialists operates two year-round aquatic bird rescue centers in California, which care for over 5,000 birds every year, and has led oiled wildlife rescue efforts in over 200 oil spills in more than a dozen countries. Find out more: http://bird-rescue.org/

Sunday, November 5, 2017

'Honey Hunters' with The 4H Beekeepers


The 4H Beekeepers in Solano County are all about learning to work with bees, among other animals. These kids fearlessly dive in and brave the buzzing hives in order to tend to their queens and harvest honey and wax to make amazing bee products! Check out their story!

Friday, November 3, 2017

Over 22,000 Acres Protected In Solano Land Trust


Wide open spaces are a dominant characteristic of the Solano County landscape, but with California's population expected to grow by 11 million new residents by 2030, open space preservation cannot be taken for granted. Solano Land Trust has been in the vanguard of protecting Solano County's open space since 1986. To date, SLT has permanently protected 22,270 acres of natural areas and agricultural lands while also stewarding the diverse and important habitats and species on those properties, including many that are threatened and endangered.

To protect and enhance our lands, we work in close partnership with various private and public entities, such as the University of California, San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve . We also work hand-in-hand with several nonprofits including Access Adventure, Rush Ranch Educational Council, Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, Napa-Solano Audubon and the Solano Resource Conservation District.

Grazing on our lands is also important to our mission. Grazing continues historic use patterns, helps control invasive weeds to improve native plant communities and provides a source of income for property maintenance.

We hope you will explore our lands. Protect the legacy of Solano County's open spaces by supporting Solano Land Trust. Please donate now!

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Thursday, October 5, 2017

The Mission of Solano Land Trust


The mission of Solano Land Trust is to protect land to ensure a healthy environment, keep ranching and farming families on their properties, and inspire a love of the land.

Founded in 1986 as the Solano County Farmlands and Open Space Foundation, the group changed its name in 2004 to the Solano Land Trust. Solano Land Trust was established as a result of litigation involving open space advocates, land developers, and a municipal government. This unusual genesis created a board that reflects all sides of land-use issues united in the mission to preserve the agricultural legacy and natural landscapes of Solano County. Using innovative, non-confrontational techniques, SLT has permanently protected 22,161 acres of natural areas and agricultural lands to date.

Our anchor properties at Jepson Prairie Preserve, King-Swett Ranches, Lynch Canyon, Rush Ranch and Rockville Trails represent the rich and varied landscape that makes Solano County unique. From rare vernal pools to tidal marsh wetlands to rolling serpentine grasslands, our properties serve an important role in preserving these habitats for residents in the local community, the Greater Bay Area and all of California.

Working in close partnership with landowners, state and federal agencies, cattle and sheep grazers, nonprofits and our many dedicated volunteers, Solano Land Trust will continue to protect and preserve Solano County’s farmland, ranchland, and open space well into the future.

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Welcome To Our New Blog

Thanks for stopping by and checking out our new blog. We intend to share much about Solano Land Trust. We'll be making posts regularly very shortly. Thank you.