Saturday, December 29, 2018

Kid's Hike: January 4th 2019


Kids’ Hike:  The holidays are over, but the kids are still out of school.  What to do??  Come join the next kids’ hike at Lynch Canyon Open Space Park, hosted by Solano Land Trust, for some fresh air, exercise, and fun!  No registration required.  Meet in the parking lot at 9:45 for a 10:00 departure. Free. 
*NOTE: There is a separate parking fee of $6 at Lynch Canyon, cash or check, payable to Solano County Parks.

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

New Docent Orientation and Training


Solano Land Trust is offering New Docent Orientation and Training starting on February 2nd, 2019 at Rush Ranch at 9am. We are looking for fresh, new, and excited folks who would like to make an impact on the communities of Solano County and help educate and inform people of the work that Solano Land Trust does to protect and preserve the lands. Please click here to register!

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Join Us For A New's Years Day Hike!


January 1, 2019 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

New Year’s Day Hike:  Kick off the first day of the New Year with a hike through the hills between Suisun and Green Valleys. Participants will see sweeping views of Solano County and beyond. Residents and visitors are invited to take advantage of this opportunity if they can because Rockville Trails Preserve is otherwise closed. Up to six miles. Space is limited. Pre-registration recommended. Free.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

The Fun & Educational Subscription For Kids


CRANEium is a fun and educational subscription package for children ages 5-10 years old.  Remember that feeling of excitement you had as a child when you received a piece of mail addressed just to you? CRANEium captures that same feeling of excitement, while also introducing and educating kids to animals that live on  Solano Land Trust properties. CRANEium hopes to teach children to appreciate and love the nature and wildlife that surrounds us every day.

Proceeds benefit The Solano Land Trust.  By purchasing a CRANEium subscription package, you are supporting a wonderful non-profit dedicated to protecting and preserving land that is home to the animals featured in CRANEium.



Monday, December 17, 2018

There's Still Time To Support Solano Land Trust!


Because of you, beautiful natural areas and agricultural lands in Solano County are protected, forever. As 2018 draws to a close, I hope you'll consider an end-of-year gift to continue the important work to preserve our shared land, and shared values.

Please consider all the ways protected lands add value to your life and enhance our community.

-Healthy land and clean water for wildlife and people
-Scenic views and open spaces between our cities
-Healthy, local food
-Safe recreational trails for all to enjoy
-Free and low cost community-based outdoor events
-Responsibly managed natural areas

Let's keep Solano County a desirable place to live, work and play!

Donate now to make a generous, tax-deductible year-end gift today. 

Gifts of all sizes are greatly appreciated. 

Friday, December 14, 2018

New Year's Day Hike at Rockville Trails Preserve on Tues. 1/1/19


January 1, 2019 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

New Year’s Day Hike:  Kick off the first day of the New Year with a hike through the hills between Suisun and Green Valleys. Participants will see sweeping views of Solano County and beyond. Residents and visitors are invited to take advantage of this opportunity if they can because Rockville Trails Preserve is otherwise closed. Up to six miles. Space is limited. Pre-registration recommended. Free.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Citizen Science Friday


December 14 @ 8:30 am - 12:30 pm Free

Get involved in science on our lands! Solano Land Trust staff will teach you all you need to know.

Signs that tell stories: Educational signs can enrich an experience for visitors from all walks of life. Lynch Canyon is a treasure trove of learning opportunities and stories just waiting to be told. SLT and County Parks staff would like to expand our informational signs, but first, we need an inventory of what we have. We are also interested in your ideas!

Calling for all experience levels! There are 9 named trails at Lynch Canyon, ranging from easy to difficult, and we need to hike them all! Ideally, we will break into teams, one team for each trail. We are hoping to form teams between people familiar with the trails and signs and those who are still looking to the signs for direction. We need experienced Lynch Canyon volunteers to help us catch those out-of-the-way signs. Staff and Lynch Canyon volunteers may be so familiar with the trails that we take for granted the wayfinding signs that a newcomer needs, so we are also hoping for fresh eyes. Do you have a friend who keeps meaning to get out and exercise? Please bring them! Do you usually hike Kestrel? Consider teaming up with someone who usually hikes North Ridge Trail.

What we will do: Meet at the Lynch Canyon parking lot. We will break into teams depending on turnout. Those who need to leave strictly at 12:30 will be teamed together and given a trail that they can finish on time. I will hand out the sign survey forms, maps, and GPS units. Each team will hike a trail and fill out survey forms, GPS the locations, and take pictures of the signs they see. Along the way, please note any areas that you think could use signs. If we do not finish all of the trails, I will ask for volunteers to continue the project on a different day. If it is sprinkling, we will still hike. If it is pouring rain, we will still meet so that I can hand out forms, explain what information SLT needs, and we can plan alternative days for the hikes.

What you need to bring: Weather appropriate hiking gear. Layers are your friends. Don’t forget your water bottles!

When you RSVP, please tell me what difficulty level and trail length you prefer.

RSVP for this Citizen Science event to Jasmine by replying to this message or email Jasmine Westbrook at jasmine@solanolandtrust.org.  If you RSVP and can’t come- please give me a call or text (707-718-3234) so we don’t wait for you. THANKS!

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

People And Conservation


Citizen Scientists are vital to our work

This summer, Sue Wickham passed the Citizen Science baton to project manager Jasmine Westbrook and stewardship coordinator Ryan Lewis. Since then, Jasmine and Ryan have introduced Citizen Scientist volunteers to new projects and revisited several of the old.

Ryan has taken members of the group deep into Rockville Trails Preserve to sample invertebrates in the property’s only year-round stream and to monitor red-legged frogs at the Vallejo Swett Ranch. Jasmine has taken volunteers to Rush Ranch to help survey the site of an upcoming restoration project and to help check mammal traps to support Shannon Skalos’s Northern harrier study.

Sue started the monthly Citizen Science program ten years ago to engage volunteers with hands-on science and projects on our properties. From planting trees to recording phenology, Sue and the dedicated volunteer team have ventured onto trails once a month on Fridays for years. Now retired, Sue is showing up to help as a Citizen Science volunteer.

Does this sound like fun to you? You can join the Citizen Scientists list by contacting Jasmine Westbrook at jasmine@solanolandtrust.org. No experience is necessary, and you are not required to participate in every event. We would love to have you join the team. Our volunteers and supporters give in many ways. Thank you.

Photos by Sue Wickham.

Sunday, December 2, 2018

A New Beginning


Rush Ranch revitalizes veteran

It wasn’t the sight of the horses that triggered something inside of Brent Satterlee’s brain.

“It was the smell of manure and earth that started to bring back memories,” says his wife, Kristi Satterlee. “It was like a fog lifted, and he just woke up.”

Brent had spent 20 years in the US Army as a combat medic. Toward the end of his successful career, the otherwise strong and healthy man started showing signs of early onset dementia.

Although Brent and his good friend Kristi had known one another for thirty years, they rarely saw each other. Three years ago, they were reunited at a birthday party for Brent. Kristi was shocked to see how much he had declined due to the disease. He was dangerously thin and heading toward assisted living because he could no longer care for himself. The couple ended up marrying, and Kristi was determined to turn Brent’s health around. Her strategy included walks in nature, which prompted her to research local open spaces like Rush Ranch.

Memories of the land

Kristi knew that Brent had spent part of his youth on a large ranch in Northern California. On their first visit to Rush Ranch, she saw something spark in Brent while they were standing in front of the stallion barn. She talked to Monatte, the Rush Ranch steward, who told them that Access Adventure has a wounded veteran program. They signed up.

Brent started to visit Rush Ranch two days a week, where with Kristi’s help, he fed the horses, mucked the stables, and worked with Virgil, a long-time volunteer at Rush Ranch. Visits to Rush Ranch gave Brent something to look forward to.

“He started feeling like a man again. Everything about him sparkled, and he became alive,” says Kristi.

Sometimes the connection was quiet. On sunny days, Brent liked to nap in the grass outside of the paddocks and put his hand inside the fence. The mares and their foals would watch him and nudge his hand.

His renewal was evident at home, too, Kristi says. Before spending time at Rush Ranch, Brent had been put on palliative care, one step before convalescence. He was losing his language skills and was on a downhill slide. Since his visits to Rush, he started putting on his own shoes, taking out the trash, helping with dinner, and being more independent in general. Kristi and Brent hope that sharing their story will encourage more veterans to visit the ranch.

“We can’t change the outcome of his disease, but we can change our outlook on it,” says Kristi. “Being here lights him up, and he’s not in the gloom of his horrible diagnosis. It gives him hope, and his quality of life has gone through the roof.”

We are encouraged that this chance encounter at Rush Ranch gave Brent a new lease on life and hope that others will connect with nature as well. We are grateful for the generous support of donors and volunteers who contribute to the quality of lives, often without realizing the impact.

Brent and Kristi Satterlee’s story first appeared in the Spring 2018 issue of Vistas, a bi-annual print publication of Solano Land Trust that is exclusively for members and supporters. Become a member to support Solano Land Trust and receive Vistas with its uplifting content.

 By Aleta George. Photos by Tom Muehleisen.