{"id":7350,"date":"2025-07-03T15:20:15","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T15:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.birds.cornell.edu\/landtrust\/?p=7350"},"modified":"2025-08-04T13:30:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T13:30:37","slug":"sonoma-land-trust-the-wildlands-conservancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.birds.cornell.edu\/landtrust\/sonoma-land-trust-the-wildlands-conservancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Sonoma Land Trust & The Wildlands Conservancy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why Bird Conservation?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n

Names: <\/strong>Sonoma Land Trust (SLT) & The Wildlands Conservancy (TWC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Location: <\/strong>California<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Number of Staff:<\/strong> 39 (SLT) & 38 (TWC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bird Conservation Resources:<\/strong> Bird-friendly Habitat Management, Collaborative Partnerships, Monitoring\/eBird<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contacts:<\/strong> Shanti Edwards, Sonoma Coast Program Manager (shanti@sonomalandtrust.org<\/a>) & Ryan Berger, Sonoma Coast Preserves Manager (ryan.b@wildlandsconservancy.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Websites:<\/strong> <\/a>https:\/\/sonomalandtrust.org\/<\/a> & https:\/\/wildlandsconservancy.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small Grant Awardee 2022<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

As California grapples with the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires, land managers across the state are seeking solutions that both reduce fire risk and protect ecosystems. Amid these challenges, Sonoma Land Trust<\/a> (SLT) and its partners are turning to birds as powerful indicators of ecosystem health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBirds respond quickly to environmental change, they\u2019re relatively easy to monitor, and they occupy nearly every habitat niche,\u201d explains Ryan Berger of The Wildlands Conservancy<\/a> (TWC), one of SLT\u2019s core partners. \u201cThey\u2019re excellent indicators of overall habitat health, and they help us understand how our management practices are impacting the land.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Birds aren\u2019t just ecological indicators\u2014they\u2019re also community builders. SLT has long relied on local birders and participatory scientists to help monitor the lands it protects. \u201cThere\u2019s a real lineage here,\u201d says Shanti Edwards, SLT\u2019s Sonoma Coast Program Manager. \u201cFrom the Christmas Bird Count that\u2019s happened at one of our preserves since 1987 to the Jenner Headlands Hawk Watch<\/a>, birders have been watching over these lands for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A small grant project in 2022 brought SLT, TWC, and Point Blue Conservation Science<\/a> together. Their shared goal: to examine how birds\u2014particularly forest species\u2014respond to fuel reduction treatments like prescribed fire, mechanical thinning, and shaded fuel breaks. By replicating bird surveys done a decade ago, the team aimed to assess whether these land management techniques were enhancing or degrading critical wildlife habitat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spotlight Resources: Bird-friendly Habitat Management, Collaborative Partnerships, Monitoring\/eBird<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The bird monitoring effort was built on a strong foundation. In 2013\u20132014, Point Blue ecologist Ryan DiGaudio conducted an extensive breeding bird survey at Jenner Headlands; it was initiated during SLT\u2019s management and completed shortly after TWC began managing the property. That data became the baseline for this project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A map of the four project sites. Image credit: SLT<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 2023\u20132024, DiGaudio returned to Jenner Headlands to replicate the methodology and document changes. He expanded the survey effort to include three other SLT preserves\u2014Little Black Mountain<\/a>, Pole Mountain<\/a>, and Bear Canyon Wildlands<\/a>\u2014where forest treatments had recently been implemented. From coastal redwood forests at Jenner Headlands to inland oak woodlands at Bear Canyon Wildlands, these preserves are part of a network of conserved land spanning from the Pacific Ocean to the highlands of Sonoma County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using eBird<\/a> to record observations from focused surveys at treatment plots, DiGaudio looked at species richness and abundance through point counts and area searches, especially among target forest bird species sensitive to habitat changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An entrance to Jenner Headlands Preserve. Photo credit: Sara Barker, Cornell Lab<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jenner Headlands, acquired and stewarded by conservation partners SLT and TWC among other acquisition funders, was a central focus. With over 3,500 acres of forest and a history of over-logging, the land was primed for restoration. There, shaded fuel breaks\u2014150- to 300-foot-wide corridors along roads and ridgelines that are selectively thinned\u2014were created to reduce ladder fuels (vegetation that allows fire to climb from the ground into the forest canopy), reduce the intensity of wildfires, and expand edge habitat to slow or control the spread of fire. \u201cThe idea is to disrupt fire\u2019s vertical spread while also opening up space that benefits birds and other wildlife,\u201d Berger explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results were encouraging. At Jenner Headlands, where management had been underway for a decade, focal species such as Vaux\u2019s Swift, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Purple Martin were not only present but, in some cases, more abundant than before the prescribed fire. The project team attributes this to the increase in open-edge habitat resulting from thinning and burning treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A prescribed burn at Pole Mountain. Photo credit: SLT<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Little Black Mountain offered its own insights. \u201cBefore the treatments, it was a wall of vegetation\u2014dark and thicketed,\u201d Edwards recalls. \u201cAfterward, light came through. It was a complete transformation. Point Blue biologists observed Pileated Woodpeckers returning almost immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, the team found that the effects of forest management on species richness and abundance of focal bird species were mixed. They were particularly interested in the effects on understory bird species, as the management work had the most impact on the forest floor. DiGaudio\u2019s monitoring visits revealed that the understory nesting guild\u2014including species such as California Quail, Mountain Quail, and Hermit Thrush\u2014was not adversely affected by the forest management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These results weren\u2019t a surprise, but a validation. This wasn\u2019t a rigidly controlled experiment\u2014there were no replication plots or randomized treatments. \u201cOur findings aren\u2019t publishable,\u201d Berger emphasizes. \u201cBut we\u2019re seeing indicators that we\u2019re moving in the right direction, such as more wildlife and native plant species returning to forest management sites.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making the Connection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The project wasn\u2019t just about birds. It was about people\u2014land managers, tribal partners, funding organizations, and a passionate birding community. The effort was deeply collaborative. Along with SLT, TWC, and Point Blue, many other groups played supporting roles, including CAL FIRE, the State Coastal Conservancy, the Sonoma County Ag and Open Space District, and a community of conservationists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Project managers Shanti Edwards (SLT) and Ryan Berger (TWC). Photo credit: Sara Barker, Cornell Lab<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Partners also included the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians. \u201cThey\u2019ve been managing these landscapes with fire long before we were here, and we\u2019re trying to learn from that wisdom.\u201d Berger says. \u201cWe involve their Tribal Heritage Preservation Officer and conduct archaeological surveys to make sure we’re not going to impact any artifacts during all of our forest management work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forest treatment units were collectively created using techniques from shaded fuel breaks to large-scale prescribed burns, always with the dual goals of habitat restoration and fire resilience. As part of their strategy, the project team minimized soil disturbance to protect cultural artifacts and maximize ecological value, while retaining mature trees to shade out resprouts, provide wildlife habitat, and foster wildfire adaptability. \u201cWe\u2019re not trying to stop fire\u2014we\u2019re trying to bring back good fire under the right weather and fuel conditions so that the landscape is more resilient when wildfires do occur,\u201d says Edwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about relationships,\u201d Edwards says. \u201cThe Hawk Watch on Jenner Headlands started through personal connections with birders. Now they\u2019re out there weekly, logging weather, raptor counts\u2014even bobcat sightings. There\u2019s this deep allegiance to place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advice to Other Land Trusts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The team behind this project had a wealth of lessons to share. The biggest? Start early and think long-term. \u201cGet your baseline studies in before your treatments begin,\u201d Berger recommends. \u201cIf you\u2019re writing grants, write in that baseline work up front\u2014and if funding is tight, reach out to local universities or birding groups. People care about birds, and birders are some of the most passionate volunteers you\u2019ll ever meet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Loggers creating shaded fuel breaks by thinning and pruning trees. Photo credit: SLT<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Berger echoes the advice about making connections: \u201cPeople love birds. They\u2019re charismatic. And birders are a dedicated bunch. You don\u2019t need a massive budget\u2014just good relationships, good science, and the will to follow through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monitoring and adaptive management are also key. \u201cThe changes we saw after one or two years were promising,\u201d says Berger, \u201cbut real insights will come over five or ten.\u201d Edwards adds, \u201cWe hope to continue this work and build something replicable\u2014like a forest version of Point Blue\u2019s Rangeland Monitoring Network<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most profound takeaway is the power of partnership. \u201cThis project would not have happened without our partners,\u201d Edwards says. \u201cSLT provided the coordination, TWC enabled us to scale up the monitoring of forestlands, and Point Blue brought the science. Together, we were able to do something none of us could have done alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead, both SLT and TWC plan to expand prescribed burning, deepen their collaboration with tribal communities, and continue bird monitoring as a tool for adaptive management. In 2024, they\u2019re preparing for a large-scale prescribed burn at Little Black Mountain\u2014which will span from ridgeline to ridgeline, shaped by the contours of the landscape\u2014designed to reduce fuels while preserving soil integrity and protecting cultural sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
The view from the summit of Pole Mountain Preserve. Photo credit: Sam Woodworth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Their efforts are also sparking interest across the region. The Sonoma Ecology Center, for example, is incorporating bird monitoring into a guidebook for defensible space\u2014a sign that this approach is influencing broader conversations about fire and forest management. Funders are paying attention too. \u201cDuring one site visit, a foundation program officer was keenly interested in this project, as it provides an example of habitat enhancement with metrics,\u201d Edwards notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a region shaped by fire and resilience, this project is showing how science, tradition, and community can work in harmony. \u201cYou don\u2019t do forest management and walk away,\u201d says Berger. \u201cIt takes maintenance, iteration, and monitoring. Birds give us a way to track whether we\u2019re moving the needle in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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