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Water is a precious resource in the American<br />
West, and even in the verdant boundaries<br />
of <strong>Sonoma</strong> <strong>Valley</strong>, conservation should be<br />
paramount. The <strong>Sonoma</strong> Creek watershed –<br />
which runs from <strong>Sonoma</strong> Mountain to the tidal<br />
shores that feed into the San Francisco Bay – is<br />
seasonal and arid. When visiting, please<br />
take short showers, turn off the water<br />
when brushing your teeth and don’t ask<br />
to change your towels and sheets unless<br />
needed. In <strong>Sonoma</strong> <strong>Valley</strong>, every drop counts!<br />
Stop by the <strong>Sonoma</strong> Garden Park (19996 7th St<br />
E, <strong>Sonoma</strong>) run by the <strong>Sonoma</strong> Ecology Center<br />
to see how to plant a garden that uses permaculture<br />
techniques that save water and provide<br />
food and beauty. The fig tree forest is a good<br />
place to enjoy a picnic lunch!<br />
The local power utility, <strong>Sonoma</strong> Clean<br />
Power, gets electricity from the largest geothermal<br />
power field in the world, the Geysers,<br />
located 35 miles northwest of <strong>Sonoma</strong> <strong>Valley</strong>.<br />
Travelers can save power by turning off<br />
lights when not in use, taking advantage<br />
of the cool nights and mornings<br />
by opening windows to let nature’s air<br />
conditioning cool off the room, and making<br />
sure not to leave doors and windows<br />
open during the heat of mid day. If visiting<br />
for an extended stay use major appliances in<br />
the evening or early morning before things<br />
get too warm. <strong>Sonoma</strong> Clean Power runs the<br />
Advanced Energy Center, a great information<br />
showroom in nearby Santa Rosa, with details<br />
on how to save energy at home.<br />
Support your local farmer by eating<br />
seasonal food from Northern California.<br />
Look for items on menus from local farmers<br />
and stop by the farmers markets and chat with<br />
the farmers themselves to find out what’s in<br />
season. Locally grown food, eaten in season,<br />
has a smaller carbon footprint and tastes<br />
amazing. Oak Hill Farm in <strong>Sonoma</strong> has tours<br />
the first Saturday of the month, and they sell<br />
their fresh veggies and fruits at the Friday<br />
farmers market.<br />
Looking for more ways to be mindful while<br />
traveling to <strong>Sonoma</strong> <strong>Valley</strong>? Check out the outdoor<br />
programs offered by the <strong>Sonoma</strong> Ecology<br />
Center (sonomaecologycenter.org)<br />
and pledge to Travel Kindly via <strong>Sonoma</strong> County<br />
Tourism’s sustainable travel program at<br />
www.sonomacounty.com/pledge.<br />
Cheers to a better future with<br />
clean energy<br />
GLORIA FERRER<br />
EverGreen Customer Since 2022
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