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Restore & Reconnect

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Dear Friends of the Laguna,

As we close out 2020, let’s take a moment to appreciate what we have: We live in one of the most biodiverse places on Earth! California is home to more species of plants and animals than any other state, accounting for a full third of all species found in the United States. It’s one of the world’s 36 diversity hotspots because of the high concentration of unique species. Our Laguna de Santa Rosa is recognized for its biodiversity as a Wetland of International Importance!

The Laguna de Santa Rosa is much more than a meandering 22-mile channel along the western edge of the Santa Rosa Plain. It is a rich patchwork of 30,000+ acres of creeks, open water, perennial marshes, seasonal wetlands, riparian forests, oak woodlands, and grasslands. This expansive freshwater wetland complex is the most biologically diverse region in Sonoma County! It is an internationally recognized critical stopover for thousands of birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway and home to more than 200 species of birds—from bald eagles to hummingbirds. Its also home to rare and endangered salmon, steelhead, salamanders, plants. Also, mammals such as mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, mink, badger, and the river otter call the Laguna home.

That is something to celebrate because we depend on biodiversity for our very survival. Biodiversity—the variety of life on Earth from microscopic genes to large mammals—gives us healthy ecosystems that supply oxygen, clean air and water, pollinate plants and much more. As we celebrate biodiversity, we must also note that it is facing unprecedented threats from climate change, habitat loss, spread of invasive species, decreasing water supplies, wildfires, and more.

With so much out of our control this past year, let’s not wait a moment before acknowledging the good news: We can do something locally about biodiversity loss.

The Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation is your local expert dedicated to restoring biodiversity—from rare plant conservation and vernal pool protection, to riparian restoration, watershed planning and environmental education—the Laguna Foundation helps restore life in balance with nature.

Today, I hope you choose to give a gift to the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation to restore nature and rebuild our connection to the natural world.

No one person or entity owns the Laguna—the 254-square mile watershed that ranges from Cotati to Windsor, the Mayacamas to Forestville—but we all depend on its health. The biodiversity challenges facing it are too big to be solved alone. We must collaborate. And the Laguna Foundation has deep expertise in partnering with private and public landowners, government agencies, Native tribes, and community organizations.

Restoring biodiversity also means getting kids hooked on nature as we ignite their curiosity about the natural world. For the future of our planet, we need the best minds of each generation focused on finding solutions to the problems of climate change, habitat loss, and species extinctions.

Our education programs have now reached every school district within the Laguna watershed, and the first students to have gone through these programs 20 years ago are now adults introducing their children to the wonders of nature. This past year the pandemic forced the transformation of our programs. Engaging virtual sessions kept community alive and furthered connection to the natural world. We brought the Laguna into your homes and reached more people than ever before!

From restoration to education, we’ve undertaken a big job. And our success is your success.

Success means improved water quality; reduced flooding impacts; healthy water habitats where salmon, steelhead, herons and egrets flourish; sustainable and diverse agriculture; abundant opportunities for recreation; a more robust economy; and climate resilience. It means that bald eagles and river otters—which have already begun returning to the Laguna—will no longer be a rare site but fixtures thriving in their habitat.

Success means we feel connected to our shared home and environment and because of this, our endangered species are no longer endangered but thriving and doing their job enhancing biodiversity. Success means that people recognize they are a part of the Laguna watershed, not apart from it.

Your gift today will create a healthier Laguna.

With deep gratitude,


Executive Director


P.S. Your gift will help restore our wonderful world of nature and rebuild our connection to it.

P.P.S. This year individuals who don’t itemize their taxes are able to deduct charitable contributions up to $300 and couples up to $600. Those who itemize may be able to deduct up to 100% of their adjusted gross income. Please consult with your tax advisor for details.

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