There are many ways to observe Earth Day. One can post a leafy infographic, shop with reusable bags or make bold declarations about composting, then maybe do it. Or one can do something vastly more superior: Head to the Sonoma Coast, where Earth Day, simply put, is every day.
At the Sonoma Coast, the elements remain in constant flux—the wind arrives sideways, the fog is both mercurial and bone-chilling, and the seagulls openly speculate on how to share in one’s picnic. None of this, however, distracts from the fact that there are front row seats to the largest body of water on the planet free for the taking. With Earth Day on the horizon, here’s a veritable carnival of coastal events to celebrate.
UC Davis Marine Institute
A worthy first stop is the Public Tour of Bodega Marine Laboratory on Thursday, April 24. Operated by UC Davis, the research facility offers docent-led tours introducing visitors to marine science, coastal ecology and the strange, charismatic creatures living just offshore. It is one of the few outings where hanging with invertebrates is socially acceptable. bit.ly/ucd-bodega-tour
Easy Sonoma Coast Wildflower Walk
If one’s Earth Day inclines toward flowers rather than fisheries, they may consider the Easy Sonoma Coast Wildflower Walk on Saturday, April 25, led by Dr. Laura Morgan and beginning in Bodega Bay. Spring on the bluffs can be spectacular as colorful blooms appear in defiance of wind, salt and precipitous cliffsides—a useful reminder that beauty often thrives in inhospitable conditions. bit.ly/easy-wildflower-walk
Sauna by the Sea
Should one’s environmental consciousness require becoming drenched in sweat, there is Sauna by the Sea at Doran Regional Park in Bodega Bay on April 25, from 9am to 4pm. This community wood-fired sauna project pairs restorative heat with bracing ocean air with a sauna that’s literally on wheels. Community sessions are listed at $25. thesaunabythesea.com
Bodega Head Audio Tour
For solo wanderers, the “Bodega Head: Spectacular Wild Surf, Ancient Wanderers, Whales and Wonders” audio tour offers a self-guided route via one’s ears along the “untamed stretch of California’s north coast at the edge of the continent.” Diverse wildlife, dramatic overlooks and wildflowers abound. It’s remarkable to think that local citizens had to stop plans for a nuclear power plant here in the 1960s. Sigh. bit.ly/bodega-tour-audio
