STORIES FROM THE WILDLANDS CONSERVANCY
Five Years After the Fire: Restoration and Renewal at Whitewater Preserve
This past August marked five years since a wildfire swept through Whitewater Preserve, transforming its lush riparian habitat into charred earth. In the immediate aftermath, the damage felt overwhelming. Today, the landscape tells a different story. Beneath the new growth of sugar bushes, mesquites, and catclaws, blackened branches remain as quiet reminders of the past — but the land has largely been renewed.
Through the dedication of volunteers, staff, and generous supporters, thousands of hours went into planting trees, removing invasives, and rebuilding essential infrastructure.
Today, Whitewater Preserve is once again alive with flowing water, birdsong, and students exploring the outdoors. This recovery is a testament to community stewardship and ecological resilience — proof that when people come together to care for the land, nature responds.
Building Wildfire Resiliency on the Sonoma Coast
Due to climate change and other contributing factors, California wildfires are only growing in severity, and the wildfire season persists for longer. As of August 6, a total of 4,886 wildfires have burned a cumulative of 791,432 acres. Year-to-date, the number of wildfires and the number of acres burned are higher than the five-year average. For this reason, The Wildlands Conservancy welcomes innovative approaches to forest management in order to bolster wildfire resiliency at our Sonoma Coast preserves and throughout the state.