The season of broom stewardship is here! Come on out for a day of forest stewardship centered on getting rid of French broom (see why below), delicious snacks, and community! 

Thank you to our friends at Sonoma County Ag + Open Space for helping to make this stewardship event possible! 

What is French Broom?  

An invasive plant, French broom was brought to California in the last century for use in decorative gardens. Sadly, it soon took over, growing at fast rates and spreading seeds with abandon, thousands at a time. As a result, it’s taken over spots in the forest, where it crowds out native plants and acts as fuel ladders, allowing wildfire to reach into the canopy of the trees.  

Broom is also toxic to many wildlife species and doesn't make good forage. What these forest creatures do feed on is oak acorns, Douglas fir tips, understory grasses, and young oaks; removing broom helps these essential species to thrive! At Broomapulloza you’ll have a chance to make a difference with a few hours of getting that broom out of the ground and into a burn pile! The more hands we have, the more we can say “BUH-BYE BROOM!” 

What Can I Expect At this Whole Broomapulloza Thing?  

When you arrive at Bohemia Ecological Preserve, you will caravan 1-mile on a dirt road to a dirt parking lot. We will hike a 2-mile round trip hike and will pull mostly small french broom plants and some larger french broom plants along the way. This hike will have an elevation gain of approximatly 400 feet. 

We’ll go into more detail on the day of. We’ll also break for snacks provided by LandPaths!    

How to get there: The entrance to Bohemia Ecological Preserve is off Bohemian Highway, approximately 3 miles north of Occidental. From the intersection of Graton Road and Bohemian Highway, drive north on Bohemian Highway for approximately 3 miles. Look for the LandPaths' sign marking the entrance. The address is 6407 Bohemia Highway, Occidental, CA 95465. From the parking area near the entrance, we will caravan to the corral parking lot.
    

About Bohemia Preserve:

You are warmly invited to lend a hand at Bohemia Ecological Preserve for the health of the forest, soil, and grasslands! This 1,000 acre protected, open space, people-powered preserve in West Sonoma County teems with old-growth forest, oak woodlands, native grasslands, and a legendary waterfall. Several endangered and at-risk species live here, including northern spotted owls, red tree voles, and Pennell's bird's beak. 

Come on out and join our friendly stewardship staff and help keep the land healthy and resilient in the face of wildfire and other climate-change aggravated challenges, and have fun outdoors with like-minded people! Bohemia Ecological Preserve is located on the ancestral territory of the Coast Miwok, past, present, and future. 

Does rain mean the workday is canceled? The stewardship workday will move forward if there is a light drizzle, but a torrential rainstorm will cancel.  Please call 707-544-7284 (then press 1) after 7am the morning of the stewardship day if the weather feels questionable. If you don't hear a notice of cancellation on the outgoing voice message, the stewardship day is moving forward.   

• Plenty of water, extra snacks if you need them, and backpack to hold your gear 
• Sturdy boots or shoes that can get muddy 
• Long pants and long sleeve shirts 
• Your own work gloves if you have them

What else do you need to know?  

• Expect to do a 2-mile round trip hike on a moderatly flat but well-graded trail.  
• You will be asked to sign a liability waiver
• No pets or smoking

THANK YOU, see you there!