Have you discovered Hidden Forest Nursery on the pastoral southeast end of Sebastopol yet? More of a secret garden than a mere nursery, Hidden Forest is a historic, half-century-old “forest sanctuary” and “botanical reserve” sprawled across 7.5 acres of land. Although it’s on private land, you can visit it like a public park and attend nature classes and workshops held on site. But now, the whole thing is at risk: Mike Boss, the guy who runs the place, says he’s in over his head and needs some support to keep it open for everyone to enjoy. Mike recently launched a GoFundMe to raise the funds he needs to maintain the nursery. You can donate here. “I am trying to save the Hidden Forest Botanical Reserve so that it can remain an inspiration for nature appreciation and education…” he writes. “I need support due to the financial challenges incurred from the pandemic, last year and this year’s storm damage, and the rising costs of everything.” And long-term, Mike is looking for a land steward to take over entirely. “The goal is to have a foundation take ownership of the property so that it can be stewarded for future generations,” he writes in a separate letter to the community. “Towards that end, I’ve formed a 501c3 non-profit organization, Friends of the Hidden Forest. The NPO becomes a bucket in which people can donate tax-deductible contributions so that it can take ownership of the Hidden Forest, until the right Foundation can acquire it.” And in an email to me, he adds that he’s “looking for nature-loving philanthropists, or corporate sponsors, who want to make tax-deductible donations for a cause: saving a treasured community resource. It takes a community to save community resources. The NPO is Friends of the Hidden Forest, a 501c3, with tax ID# 88-4412760.” When I visited Hidden Forest the other day, Mike led me along a wonderland of trails, winding past overgrown sitting nooks and groves of rare species — including what he calls “the largest plantings of Dawn Redwoods west of the Mississippi.” We paused on a wooden boardwalk built over a mini wetland dotted with delightfully gnarled “cyprus knees.” There’s also a majestic pond, and countless other eco-delights. “The main goals” of keeping Hidden Forest alive, Mike says in his letter, are “preservation of an educational and inspirational resource; highlighting the incredible species diversity of the plant and animal communities; giving local people, especially inner-city kids, access to nature; to preforming ecological restoration of Blucher Creek; to creating a home for rare and endangered species; providing exciting plants, such as trees for the next period of climate change, food-producing plants, natives, and low water use plants.” The nursery is having a big spring plant sale through the end of the month; you can stop by between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. every day except Tuesday and Wednesday. “Come and experience the Hidden Forest Botanical Reserve to see for yourself why this remarkable resource is worth saving!” Mike says. (Source: GoFundMe & Hidden Forest Nursery)
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