Volunteer Stewardship Day at Ya-Ka-Ama
12/19/2025 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM PT
Description
Volunteer Stewardship Day at Ya-Ka-Ama
Friday, December 19th, 2025
10am - 3pm
Volunteers may leave early, but please arrive on time
Join us for a day of community land stewardship on the traditional homelands of the Southern Pomo! In collaboration with our neighbors at Ya-Ka-Ama our efforts will support fire resiliency, improved access to culturally valuable resources by our Native neighbors, community building around shared values, and so much more. This will be a family friendly event with something for everyone to do! As a heads up, please know that chainsaws will be in use throughout the day. We will have inner ear protection available for anyone who needs it!
While we are a guest on this land it is important to recognize there are spaces used for ceremony. You may be asked not to participate in certain tasks on certain areas of the land if you have consumed drugs/alcohol in the last four days or if you are menstruating. By understanding and following these requests we can support and uplift Indigenous practices and values. Thank you for understanding!
This is a drug and alcohol free event. If you have any questions about any of the above, please don't hestitate to contact roxy@landpaths.org for more information.
Where: 127 acres of agricultural land in Western Sonoma County near Forestville, California about six miles west of Santa Rosa, the county seat, and 70 miles north of San Francisco. “The Land,” as it is known locally, is partially bordered on the west and northwest by the Russian River. On the north by Lake Benoist in the Riverfront Regional Park and on the south and east by the Santa Rosa Junior College, Shone Farm. Redwood forest, oak woodlands, grasslands and more than two hundred varieties of native plants thrive throughout the land.
Tasks for the day include:
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Lighting burn piles
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Gathering wood debris and adding woody debris to burn piles
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Adjusting pile shape with hand-tools
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Putting out burn pile with water and hand-tools
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Assessing fire heat
What you should bring, if you have it:
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Picnic lunch, snacks & plenty (2 liters+) of water, backpack to hold your gear
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Sturdy boots or shoes that can get muddy
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Long pants and fully non-synthetic clothing
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Sunglasses or safety glasses
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Bandana for your face/neck
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Leather gloves
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Brimmed hat and sunscreen
Where to Meet: We'll meet at 10am at Ya-Ka-Ama, 1465 Steve Olson Ln, Forestville, CA 95436
Upon arriving you will be going through SRJC Shone Farm and drive down Steve Olson Ln where you will see a Ya-Ka-Ama sign and continue until you see the parking lot where LandPaths employess will be waiting.
What to Bring With You:
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Picnic lunch, snacks & plenty of water, backpack to hold your gear
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Sturdy boots or shoes that can get muddy
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Long pants recommended
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Work gloves
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Hat and sun screen
- Loppers and/or hand saw if you have one
What else do you need to know?
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You will be asked to sign a liability waiver.
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No stewardship or volunteer workday experience is necessary!
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There are porta-restrooms on the property.
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There is no potable water available on the property.
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No pets or smoking.
Does rain mean the workday is cancelled? The stewardship workday will move forward if there is a light drizzle, but a torrential rainstorm will cancel. If we need to cancel due to weather or other circumstances: You will immediately receive an email if the program gets cancelled. However, if you would like to confirm, check back on this post; it will say "CANCELLED" if the program is called off. If you have any questions, call the office at 707-544-7284. Please know that the office is only open Monday - Friday from 9am - 5pm. All calls or emails sent before or after that time will be responded to on the next business day.
We are excited to team up with you and take care of the land together!
