Sonoma plants a tree on Arbor Day

The City of Sonoma repeats its annual Arbor Day Celebration in the Plaza at Grinstead Amphitheatre, starting at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 28.|

Arbor Day doesn't go unnoticed in Sonoma. The City of Sonoma repeats its annual Arbor Day Celebration in the Plaza at Grinstead Amphitheatre, starting at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 28. Mayor Rachel Hundley will welcome the community, with Supervisor Susan Gorin as guest speaker.

The Rotary Club's 2017 Conservation Award will go to Karin Niehoff, for over 20 years the director at Sonoma's Crescent Montessori School. 'I feel a timely responsibility to focus attention on Sonoma's students and getting them connected to the incredible learning resource that is the Sonoma Plaza,' said Niehoff. Once again poet and flautist Bo Sapper will be on hand to provide music, and in keeping with Sonoma tradition a tree will be planted as well.

Previous trees planted on Arbor Day have included a Chinese pistachio, one of the seedlings from the Jack London Heritage oak, and at least one strawberry madrone. This year, a scarlet oak will be planted on the north side of the Carnegie Building (the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau) to replace the catalpa that was felled during the winter storms.

Afterward, an Arbor Day hike will begin at 12:30, led by docent Rosemarie Marks on the Overlook Trail, beginning from the trail kiosk at 198 First Street West. Later in the afternoon, at 2 p.m., a Mountain Cemetery hike led by amateur historian Fred Allebach will introduce participants to some interesting residents of the cemetery and other local features.

The Sonoma Ecology Center is taking part in a joint Arbor Day / Day of the Child series of events the following day, on Saturday, April 29, along with La Luz, the Boys & Girls Club and the Sonoma Land Trust staff, at Maxwell Farms Regional Park. The day's events begin at 11 a.m. and will include hikes, special exhibits, rock climbing, music and other activities to connect residents with their neighbors, and everyone to nature.

The celebration goes until 3 p.m. and will be free, though regional parks has a $7 parking lot fee.

At Jack London State Historic Park, two Arbor Day hikes are scheduled on Saturday, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., from the Ranch parking lot to the historic Wolf House. The hikes are free, but the $10 parking fee applies.

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