Laguna Historical Ecology - February 15, 2017

KRCB-FM: Sonoma Spotlight

Laguna de Santa Rosa: Historical Ecology and Landscape Change
Laguna Environmental Center
Thursday, February 23rd, 2017 @ 6:30pm
Presentation with Robin Grossinger and Sean Baumgarten, San Francisco Estuary Institute
Join us for a look back in time at the Laguna as it existed 150 years ago. The Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed has been highly modified over the past century and a half, transformed by urbanization, agricultural development, logging, and many other land and water use changes. Nevertheless, remnants of the historical landscape persist, and the Laguna remains a vital ecosystem for a wide range of native plants and animals. In this talk, scientists Robin Grossinger and Sean Baumgarten from the San Francisco Estuary Institute will describe their research on the historical ecology of a central portion of the Laguna de Santa Rosa and how it has changed over time. Drawing on a wide range of archival maps, photographs, and documents, their research provides a window into the complex mosaic of wetlands, riparian habitats, and stream channels that occupied the central Laguna landscape during the mid-19th century.
Robin Grossinger is a Senior Scientist at the San Francisco Estuary Institute, where he co-directs SFEI’s Resilient Landscapes program. For over twenty years, Robin has analyzed how California landscapes have changed since European contact, using these data to guide landscape-scale restoration strategies. Robin's innovative work to synthesize history and science has been acclaimed for helping scientists, managers, and the public appreciate both the dramatic transformation and the impressive resilience of the state's ecosystems. Sean Baumgarten is a scientist in SFEI’s Resilient Landscapes program, where his research focuses on the historical ecology of California ecosystems. Sean has conducted research on coastal, riverine, and terrestrial ecosystems throughout the Bay Area as well as in southern California and the Central Valley, using archival data to reconstruct the form and function of past landscapes and understand how they have changed over time.
Free admission. Pre-registration required.
Location:
Heron Hall
Laguna Environmental Center
900 Sanford Road
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
[phone]