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st Annual Report for Cotati Friends of the Laguna (CFL) For August 2025-July 2026
Submitted to the City of Cotati by the CFL Steering Committee members: Maria Alvarez, Jenny Blaker, John Dell’Osso, John Savage, Judith Newton, Robert Leys, Yukta Mehtaji, and Aishwarya Kancharla.
This document seeks to share initiatives and results from our first year together, caring for our beautiful tree-lined Laguna. The natural habitat and beauty of Cotati’s stretch of the Laguna de Santa Rosa is a source of recreation, inspiration and rejuvenation for our residents as well as an important refuge for resident and migrating native wildlife. For more history see Appendix 1.
Last summer we formed a Steering Committee which met five times: on 8/1/25; 10/17/25; 1/16/26, 3/13/26, 7/20/26. This group focused on planning and coordinating with the City to host five official creek stewardship days, several smaller creek care workdays, community outreach, developing materials, and tabling at local events. Many thanks to the Cotati Historical Society for allowing us to hold meetings at the Museum.
Our main purpose in 2025 has been to remove invasive non-native plant species that have been encroaching on and smothering the native plants planted alongside the main Laguna de Santa Rosa trail in Cotati. This waterway was the focus of major habitat restoration by the
Cotati Creek Critters from 2006-2012 (see
Appendix 1). In the last year we have
focused mostly on privet, Himalayan
blackberry, and French broom removal,
and planted native plants.
We are delighted to share a review of the
CFL’s achievements over the past year.
The timing seems good to review and discuss results and future goals before we launch into the next season with the annual Russian River Creek Week event on the horizon in September (probably September 19 or 26). 2 Major Accomplishments
• We now have a name! Cotati Friends of the Laguna
• a website
• an email address
• a mailing list of approximately 80 names
• and a beautiful trifold poster display for use at events • the City created a new webpage https://www.cotaticity.gov/1724/Lagunade-Santa-Rosa Beginning with the annual Russian River Creek Week in September, 2025, we held five major Stewardship Days. (See Appendix 2 for workday details) Removing invasive, non-native plants provides more space for the native species to grow and reduces dry matter buildup caused by the berries and privet shrubs.
Where we removed dense patches of non-native berries, we transplanted basket sedge (Carex barbarae) from nearby stands. This sedge is a wetland plant that has been slowly spreading and is even outcompeting non-native blackberries in some places. Some existed prior to the Cotati Creek Critters habitat restoration project and was nurtured by careful weed management. Some was planted. Its long rhizomes (underground stems) help prevent soil erosion, it stays green all year round, doesn’t grow tall, provides cover and habitat, and requires no mowing or 3 other maintenance. We are also planting some flowering pollinators such as aster and yarrow.
We held a few other smaller-scale Stewardship Days for follow-up plant care including weeding and sheet mulching. The map below shows the overall area managed in 2025-26 by the CFL. Most of the vegetation management this year took place on the northeast side of the Laguna channel. 4 Volunteer Hour Totals for CFL Events
Volunteer hours listed below are estimates and do not include extra hours that were not recorded, including for organizing, plant propagation, and workday preparation.
2025-2026 organizer
time (hrs.)
# volunteers # hours
donated
9/20/25
Creek Week
32 43 130
11/22/25
Creek work
16 29 87
12/6/25
Creek work
16 7 18
1/24/26
Creek work
8 9 27
3/14/26
Creek work
16 15 45
Planning plus:
poster/cards/tickets
45 5? -
3/28/26
Smart Fair Tabling
8 4 16
4/18/26
Bioblitz
8 12 36
5/5/26
SSU Tabling
4 2
5/12, 5/19/ 5/26
Small group
weeding
2 2 10.5
155 128 people 370 hours
Donation of native plants valued at $280. These were propagated and donated by Maria Alvarez.
5 Totals of Weed Removal, Natives Planted and Trash removed (for details of each Stewardship Day see Appendix 2)
2025-2026
Habitat
Restoration by
Cotati Friends
of the Laguna
2025-2026
Creek
Sections
cleared
Truckloads
of
vegetation
removed
and green
bins filled
Berry
plants
removed
Privet
shrubs
French
broom
Buckthorn,
Fire thorn
veldt
grass
#
natives
planted
Trash
buckets
Acres
Managed
(square
footage)
9/20/25
Creek Week
LakewoodLadybug Park
south-north
sweep
2 City
Truckloads
And green
bins
120
plants
removed
250 sq ft.
29 privets= 1
truckload
0 2 buckthorn 0 4 ½ acre
(21,780
sq. ft.)
9/20/25
Creek Week
Benson Lane
north to south
sweep
1 City
truckload
And green
bins
Berries not
counted
31 privets 0 0 1/5 acre
(8,712
sq. ft.)
11/22/25
Northeast side
of McGinnis
bridge
1 City
truckload &
6 Green
Bins
575
berries
A few
removed
307 large
Plants
plus
seedlings
77 natives
4 1/5 acre
(8,712
sq. ft.)
12/6/25
Northeast of
McGinnis
bridge
Mulching
natives and
light
weeding
35 berries
removed
0 Hundreds
of
seedlings
1 fire thorn 44
natives
1 1/5 acre
(8,712
sq. ft.)
1/24/26
Northeast of
McGinnis
bridge, under
and
southward
1 City
truckload
And green
bins
292 root
crowns
removed
Followed
up on Dec.
and
cleared
south of
bridge
(4570 sq
ft)
0 150
seedlings
0 0 1 1/6 acre
(7,260
sq. ft.)
3/14/26
North & South
of McGinnis
bridge
1 City
truckload
423 root
crowns
removed
38 privets 150
seedlings
2 buckthorn
1 fire thorn
2 bags
veldt grass
0 ¼ acre
(10,80
sq. ft.)
5/12/2026
Weeding
NA Weeded
@
6 McGinnis
Bridge
5/19/2026
Weeding
NA Weeded
@
McGinnis
Bridge
5/26/2026
Weeding
NA Weeded
@
McGinnis
Bridge
Totals 5 truck
loads
Plus many
green bins
1445
berry root
crowns
removed
(1/3 acre)
98 privets
managed
across
1.5 acres
607
broom
plants
pulled
1/8 acre
cleared
6 weedy
trees, 2
bags veldt
grass
121
natives
planted
1.5 acres
of
Laguna
managed
(65,340
sq. ft.)
1 acre contains 43,560 square feet
These two maps depict the streamside areas that were managed by the CFL in 2025-26
7 Other events CFL hosted
3/28/26: CFL staffed a table at the City’s Climate-Ready Fair at the SMART station.
John Dell’Osso and John Savage created handouts, Judith and Jenny created a posterboard, Maria, Jenny, Judith and Megan set up and staffed the table on the day.
4/18/26: Maria Alvarez led a bioblitz, using iNaturalist for a citizen science project to record as many species as we could observe in an iNaturalist project that spanned 2 days. According to iNaturalist we had 11 observers who recorded 107 different species. We hope to repeat these events more frequently in the future.
The bioblitz was followed by a visit to the beautiful native plant habitat garden at University Elementary, generously hosted by UELF Garden Coordinator Sandra Knoy.
5/5/26: We had a table at SSU’s Green Resources Fair, met SSU staff and students and added several names to the mailing list, opening the way for future collaboration with SSU groups and classes.
Collaboration with the City of Cotati
A huge shout out to the City of Cotati Public Works Department for all their amazing and critical support. We are collaborating with the City for the long-term maintenance and health of the Laguna in Cotati, and are very grateful to them for everything from hauling away the debris to working with us on a long-term maintenance plan.
• The City supported four of the Creek Stewardship days by reserving parking space, providing bins for trash, recycling and green waste from Recology, and providing a truck and staff time for hauling away debris. • 2/19/26: Maria and Jenny completed a walk-through along the trail from Elderberry/McGinnis bridge to Ladybug Park with Public Works Director, Craig Scott, and Trevor Brown, Superintendent of Public Works, to discuss the City mowing along the trail.
8 • In general, it was agreed that the City would mow only approximately 3 ft on either side of the trail, and that CFL would flag native plants with blue (protect) and non-native invasives with orange (remove). Later the PW team carefully avoided damage to the blue-flagged plants including basket sedge growing right up to the edge of the trail.
• Maria & Jenny drew up a draft document with Craig Scott, (Habitat Restoration & Maintenance of Laguna de Santa Rosa in Cotati, & Cotati Creek, Collaboration between City of Cotati & Cotati Friends of the Laguna) outlining City and CFL responsibilities and tasks. This document now needs to be updated.
Jenny has been in communication with City staff, Carla Duncan and Autumn Buss, in connection with their Climate & Sustainability events and newsletter. They have created a new City webpage https://www.cotaticity.gov/1724/Laguna-deSanta-Rosa and have taken CFL comments and feedback into account.
Thank You for the critical collaboration with the following other organizations:
• Cotati Historical Society has provided a meeting space. • The Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation has lent us tools for Stewardship Days; and helped with some outreach.
• Rotary Club of Rancho Cotati: Robert Leys and George Malkemus have been very supportive, brought other volunteers on board, and offered future help in other ways, e.g. with publicity and possible funding. • Rotary Club of Rohnert Park Cotati: Gina Belforte has expressed interest in supporting an interpretive signage program in Rohnert Park, help with trash removal as needed, and possible funding.
• University Elementary at La Fiesta (UELF): Sandra Knoy, school garden coordinator, who joined us for our Stewardship Day on 3/14, and hosted the CFL tour of the habitat garden on 4/18, is applying for a grant from NOAA for habitat restoration. There are plenty of overlapping interests and potentials for collaboration including for Creek Week, and habitat restoration projects along the Laguna in Rohnert Park.
9 • Conservation Corps North Bay (CCNB): Greg Sitter contacted Jenny about “litter abatement” possibilities in Cotati. He organized trash removal along parts of the Laguna west of Hwy 101 behind Helman Lane, and at the culvert near Liman Way. He has offered future help with trash removal wherever needed.
• Russian Riverkeeper: Ariel Majorana, Community Engagement Manager, has expressed an interest in organizing trash removal.
Outreach & Publicity
In addition to our mailing list, City announcements, and Rotary Club announcements, a newspaper article was published in the Community Voice on May 22, 2026, based on the wording on interpretive signs along the Laguna trail.
On May 29, a response by Jenny was published, to fill in more detail and bring readers up to date.
Scheduling of Future Stewardship Days
As a result of a discussion between City Manager Damien O’Bid and Council member John Savage, it was suggested that we create a more routine schedule with advance notice, e.g. 5 stewardship days per year with City support, including for Creek Week in September.
• Usually on 3rd Saturdays: Creek Week 9/19 OR 9/26 (TBD), 10/17, 11/21, 12/19; 1/16/27; 2/20/27; 3/20/27.
o Nov and Dec to be confirmed by Sept 21.
o Jan, Feb, Mar to be confirmed by Dec 21.
o There would be no City staff support for 10/17, 12/19.
On the Horizon for the Cotati Friends of the Laguna
We have had an incredibly successful year caring for and learning from each other and our hands-on efforts in the Laguna. We also look forward to addressing the following topics and challenges in the coming year.
• Update the Interpretive signs: The three interpretive signs installed as part of the Cotati Creek Critters project in 2009 are in need of replacement. We are reviewing costs and how to work with the City’s budget cycle. 10 • Develop communication and collaboration over areas in Cotati that are under Water Agency jurisdiction.
o Prevent damage during maintenance efforts to native plants in the area north of E. Cotati Ave to Commerce Blvd.
o Control the invasive plants such as French broom and English ivy have been encroaching for a long time. Habitat restoration is needed here too but we need to explore permitting.
• Develop a shade solution for the benches in Pocket Park • Trail re-surfacing is a subject of ongoing debate.
• Develop a list of appropriate native plants for City projects and contractors.
Appendix 1
Background & history
Cotati Creek Critters: planted 2,000 native trees and shrubs along 1 mile of the Laguna in Cotati, 2006-12, and more later, downstream of Gravenstein Way. The trees and shrubs are mostly doing well, the basket sedge has spread beautifully, but invasive non-native plants such as Himalayan blackberry, broom, privet, and others are encroaching.
Cotati Historical Society (CHS): In November, 2024, CHS hosted a very successful event, Celebrating the Laguna, with a panel of speakers and several relevant table displays. Maria, Jenny, and Michael Knappman from Rohnert Park were very involved, with CHS volunteers, in putting together a complementary display in the museum, which was up for over a year. Now there is a beautiful binder, encapsulating the display, which is still available for anyone to look at. Many thanks to CHS for reviving interest in the Laguna, and to CHS volunteers for their invaluable support.
Letter to Cotati City Council: Jenny wrote to the City Council in January, 2025, expressing some concerns about the long-term care of the Laguna in Cotati.
When John Savage joined the City Council in February 2025, she brought up the 11 same issues with him. He engaged with the questions raised with the City Manager, and this helped successfully birth CFL! Many thanks to John Savage for all his help and support.
Appendix 2
Creek Work Accomplished 2025-2026
Creek Week, 9/20/25:
Over 40 volunteers worked on invasive plant removal, with a few focusing on trash removal.
• We had two starting points, at Pocket Park, and at Benson Lane. • 120 Himalayan blackberry plants (root crowns) + another ~250 sq ft of blackberry were removed
• 60 + privets were removed
• Two truckloads of vegetation were hauled by Susan from public works! 11/22/25:
Twentynine volunteers removed invasive Himalayan blackberries and French broom just downstream of “Elderberry bridge”/McGinnis bridge, the pedestrian bridge over the Laguna de Santa Rosa between McGinnis Circle and Lincoln/Loretto Aves.
This area had previously been cleared by the Water Agency (except for most of the broom stand), but blackberry and broom were beginning to sprout back, so we took the opportunity to remove as much as possible - by the roots. We followed up with planting native sedges, rushes, asters, and yarrow, and transplanted divisions of basket sedge from areas upstream where it has spread abundantly. These plants will provide ground cover to reduce soil erosion and support local pollinators, birds, and other wildlife.
• 29 volunteers: including 7 people in 3 generations from one family! • 400 linear feet x 20 = 8,000 sq ft or about 1/5-acre area worked over - removal of Himalayan blackberries and French broom.
• 6 Recology green bins stuffed tight with blackberry root and canes, and the City truck filled.
• 4 full buckets of trash and recycling
• 77 new plants planted! - sedges, rushes, yarrow, asters, and transplants of basket sedge.
12 12/6/25:
Downstream of “Elderberry bridge”/McGinnis bridge -Thanks to a small troop of 7 last-minute volunteers, the higher slopes were later mulched with cardboard and straw, to protect the tender new plants from weeds so that their roots will establish with the winter rains. This involved repurposing two bales of rice straw discarded from a local Halloween event! Another 44 plants were added, including yarrow and aster, green bog , and salt rush, and about 20 more basket sedge transplants.
1/24/26:
Under and upstream of “Elderberry bridge”/McGinnis bridge Nine volunteers removed 292 Himalayan blackberry crowns.
3/14/26:
Fifteen dedicated, experienced volunteers removed 423 Himalayan berry plant roots, mainly under the Elderberry/McGinnis bridge, freeing up the existing basket sedge. 38 privets were taken out on the east side of the channel, from that bridge to Benson Lane, and a few pyracanthas and Italian buckthorn plants were removed too. Some of the privets were tiny and pulled up easily by hand, others involved leveraging with a broom wrench, or sawing through 3-4-inch stems and peeling back the bark to below the soil surface. Two large sacksful of Panic veldt grass were also removed completely. This is a plant native to South Africa that has been spreading vigorously in parks throughout northern California and taking over native habitat.