The LandPaths Trail Watch program currently has more than 30 volunteers who patrol on foot, bicycle, and horseback. They report on trail conditions, help hikers in various ways, and "look for anything out of the ordinary," said volunteer Melinda McCutcheon, who lives in Petaluma and said she hikes somewhere in the county every weekend. "One winter there were big mud wallows that had obviously been made by ATVs--people out there doing wheelies or something." She and her friends also take note of how many people they pass on the trails, how many cars are in the parking lot, and what wildflowers they see. "I've been e-mailing wildflower pictures to LandPaths all spring," she said.

LandPaths is also collaborating with the nonprofit Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, established in 1985 to support state parks in Sonoma County, in putting together a trail crew for the whole Sonoma coast and to train volunteer crew leaders who can supervise trail work without requiring State Parks staff time.

Volunteers from both LandPaths and the Stewards lead day hikes on Willow Creek for people who don't have permits, and for people who do but want to learn more about the land's natural and cultural history. They work with groups of schoolchildren in environmental education and stewardship programs, including In Our Own Backyard, LandPaths' program for students from second grade through high school. Each class in the program adopts an open space in the county for the school year and completes a project associated with it, such as helping to restore a creek and planting native plants. Each student also chooses a special "sit spot" that he or she will visit repeatedly throughout the year, to foster a sense of connection, and often adopts a particular tree in the spot, naming it and measuring its growth during the year against his or her own. "The more people learn, the more they'll be able to take an ownership role and be stewards of the land," said Michele Luna, the Stewards' executive director.

Planning with Community

There's much to learn about wildlife at Willow Creek. Nearly a dozen species that are threatened, endangered, or of concern live here. You can find California red-legged frogs in streams and wetlands, and in the forests old conifer trees shelter marbled murrelets, the small, threatened birds that build their nests far inland and may fly 40 miles or more to the ocean every day to feed. The highest density of endangered northern spotted owls in the north coast region has been recorded on the Willow Creek property, Retecki said. Streams are being restored for salmon and steelhead, and the Department of Fish and Game is funding work to remove barriers to fish passage.

Willow Creek is among the few public spaces in Sonoma County where horseback riders can ride for miles, and where the trails aren't too busy to accommodate them comfortably. Mountain bikers have used the extensive network of dirt roads and trails for many years, exploring way out into the backcountry. Hikers can choose a short outing or longer trek. "Part of why I love the place is that I can start out walking on Willow Creek, hike up to Red Hill, then down to Shell Beach, and it's all on public land," said Steve Harper. "It's part of a bigger picture." One element of that larger picture, according to the Open Space District's Brennan-Hunter, is a plan to link the Carrington Ranch to Bodega Bay by trail; connections to Occidental and Camp Meeker have also been discussed.

State Parks is developing a general plan for the future of Sonoma Coast State Beach that includes Willow Creek, and LandPaths, Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, and all others who are interested are welcome to be part of the process, said Rick Royer.