Farm to table, garden to classroom at Adele Harrison Middle School

While concerns about childhood screen time may keep parents awake at night, Adele Harrison Middle School Garden and Culinary Arts instructor Yannick Phillips has witnessed firsthand how eager many kids are to unplug on their own, opting to go outside to sow seeds, prep beds,... Continue

Nick Brandt’s photographic odyssey

By Jackie Lee Nick Brandt seeks to change our perceptions, one photograph at a time. He wants us to “get it.” In the process, he does not give himself away; his real life is not on offer. His all-consuming passion concerns the massacre of the... Continue

Sonoma Ecology Center is ‘Nonprofit of the Year’

[caption id="attachment_96274" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Richard Dale, Sen. Dodd and David Morell, Sonoma Ecology Center board member.[/caption] Sonoma Ecology Center, which has a nearly 30-year history of environmental stewardship and preservation in the Sonoma Valley, and most recently has taken leadership roles in regional wildfire recovery... Continue

How getting your water generates greenhouse gas, and what can be done about it

It’s not just about the car you drive. A key step in reducing reliance on fossil fuels is to understand how -- and how much -- they are used in daily life, including the delivery of essential services. The huge job of storing, moving and... Continue

Going to an event on Sonoma Plaza? Forget plastic bottles

The year's first large outdoor events on Sonoma Plaza will test the City's new ban on Single Use Plastic, such as water and beverage containers. Under the rule that went effect this year, vendors will no longer be allowed sell beverages in Single Use Plastic... Continue

The trail blazers: local eco-pioneers lead the way

By Jonah Raskin Last October’s firestorms stunned Sonoma Valley citizens, though once the smoke cleared and embers were extinguished, families and friends ventured out to see the spectacle of blooming flowers and green trees. Richard Dale, the executive director for 26 years at the Sonoma... Continue

Meeting topic: The future of the Sonoma Developmental Center

[caption id="attachment_37006" align="aligncenter" width="420"] The Home for the Care and Training of Feeble Minded Children, on the eastern slopes of Sonoma Mountain, in 1910.[/caption] Scheduled to close by the end of this year, the Sonoma Developmental Center will soon undergo transformations sure to affect... Continue

Good migrations

The whole family flock in invited to get out in nature and be part of a national bird census on Saturday, January 13. Sonoma Birding’s 10th annual “Christmas Bird Count for Kids” welcomes kids 7-15, along with an adult, to be part of a fun... Continue

Why doesn’t Trump have to pay taxes?

By Bonnie Lee | For The Sun -- Donald Trump may have gotten away with not paying taxes for 18 years. Is this a loophole or the IRS not doing its job? It’s a loophole and it’s a completely valid opportunity for those who have lost... Continue

Community workshops to transform Maxwell Park

In 1973 Maxwell Park was designed as a rural regional park. Today, 40 years later, the park is surrounded by the densest urban neighborhoods in Sonoma Valley. How best to integrate the park with its adjacent urban neighborhoods, and best serve multiple multi-cultural, social, and recreational... Continue