Restoring wetland-upland transition zone habitat in the North Bay with STRAW

Point Blue Conservation Science
Design; Construction/Implementation; Maintenance; Monitoring
STRAW program participants (photo: Leia Giambastiani)
Grant Amount:

$2,661,264 in the initial grant for Phase 1; $1,936,000 for Phase 2.

Location:

Phase 2: American Canyon Wetlands, City of American Canyon, Napa County; Measure AA Region: North Bay

Phase 1: San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Sonoma, Solano, and Napa Counties; Pickleweed Park in San Rafael in Marin County; Shollenberger Park and McNear’s Landing in Petaluma in Sonoma County; North Region

Project Phases Funded by this Grant:

Design; Construction/Implementation; Maintenance; Monitoring

Measure AA Program Category:

Vital Fish, Bird and Wildlife Habitat Program

Partners:

San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sonoma Land Trust, Marin County Dept of Public Works, Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program, SF Bay Joint Venture, Sonoma County Water Agency, Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria, Friends of the Petaluma River, Petaluma Wetlands Alliance, Sonoma Resource Conservation District, City of American Canyon, the American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation, local community colleges, and K-12 school partners.

Summary:

2024 UPDATE: In May 2024, $1,936,000 was awarded to Point Blue Conservation Science for Phase 2 of this project. Phase 2 consists of restoring approximately 1.1 acres of critical wetland-upland transition zone habitat at the American Canyon Wetlands, engaging STRAW (Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed) participants on site, and offering early career training and workforce development that focuses on historically underserved communities

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2024 Update: The project has completed planting at all sites and is complete. 

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This funds Point Blue Conservation Science to restore approximately 1.3 linear miles of critical wetland-upland transition zone habitat in the North Bay, engaging over 5,000 STRAW (Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed) participants at four sites over the course of five years.

The project will consist of design, implementation, maintenance and monitoring of climate-smart marsh (and newly restored marshes which are typically mudflats) to upland transition zone habitat restoration in four locations in Marin, Sonoma, and Solano Counties, while educating and building a constituency of environmental supporters. The project will: (1) cast teachers, students and their families as ecological stakeholders—engaging them actively in the improvement of natural areas in their community, (2) increase resiliency of marsh transition zone habitat through critical restoration work, and (3) ensure long-term restoration success through monitoring and maintenance.

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