It was definitely interesting to study this location since it is an area I have visited fairly regularly for most of my life. During the rainy season the Laguna de Santa Rosa becomes flooded and we go out on kayaks for short boating trips. On this trip we discovered that the salsify and fennel have both gone to seed and the California poppies and yellow flag irises are flowering. I have enjoyed familiarizing myself with the plant communities and history of the Laguna. I hope to visit in the future and explore more of this wonderful preserve!
During this trip we visited a different area than we usually attend, located at the Sebastopol community center. This portion was dotted with a few redwoods and bush lupines which would not originally have been there. We also passed a play park at the community center. We walked along a path starting out by a cow pasture then turning into more riparian habitat. This area was filled with black walnut trees and oaks coated in vining plants such as wild grapes, honeysuckle, and pipe vine. The human influences in this portion of the Laguna greatly change the general landscape.
The Laguna de Santa Rosa is the second largest freshwater marsh in Northern California. Originally the Laguna was filled with oak woodland; from forests to open grassland. But settlers tore down trees to make way for wheat fields. Native Americans also had an effect on the vegetation. They would set fire to the grassland to dig up roots. Currently we are trying to restore the Laguna to its former glory by planting new oak trees such as valley oak and blue oak. A few things are currently flowering including English plantain, curly dock, and wild radish.
For my Botany 60 class Natural Area Botanical Study (or NABS) I studied the Laguna wetlands preserve off of highway 12. The whole watershed of the Laguna is 250 square miles. The area that we visited was probably only about 40 acres of land. This included vast grassland dotted with oaks, elderberries, and ash trees; oak woodland, riparian habitat, and small bodies of water connected by creeks. We also walked along the Laguna de Santa Rosa which was surrounded by willows and spreading rush.
