A Long Game with an Incredible Payoff
Rivers run through Wendy Eliot’s life – and so does a passion to protect Sonoma land
The work of Friends wouldn’t be possible without volunteers – including some people who’ve donated critical expertise pro bono. Wendy Eliot recently retired from a career with the Sonoma Land Trust. She has worked for many years in land preservation and has helped Friends navigate the early phases of the Upper River project.
Wendy’s love of the outdoors started very early. “I was lucky to spend much of my childhood in nature, and that taught me a lot about myself and the world,” she says. She’s no stranger to rivers, having grown up in the Washington, D.C. area, close to 180 miles of protected land alongside the Potomac River. “I fell in love with the beauty of the natural world and how I feel when I’m in it.”
Wendy realized a conservation career would blend her love of nature with her desire to effect change. “If we had a family crest, it would read ‘leave the world better than you find it,’” she says. “Over time, we’ve discovered that people have a positive physiological response to being in nature, but not everyone has places to go. By protecting land, we help more people access the outdoors.”
Though people tend to think of the environmental conservationist out in the field with binoculars and a notebook, Wendy notes the day-to-day reality is quite different. “Much of the work is very technical, with papers and signatures,” she explains. “Above all, conservation is about people working with people to build trust and get things done – funders, landowners, the community. You need a high tolerance for delayed gratification because it’s slow work. It’s a long game, but with such a big potential payoff.”
For the Upper Petaluma project, Friends is working with landowners, an aspect of land preservation that Wendy knows well. “In my career, one of my favorite parts was talking with landowners and walking their land together,” she says. “I love the opportunity to meet people from entirely different worlds, sit at their kitchen tables, and listen deeply to their desires for the land. It’s a privilege to have that personal connection, and those relationships are how we make change happen.”
Although Wendy knows the local area very well, she was surprised by how little she knew about the Upper Petaluma. “The area has gorgeous oaks, patches of meadow, animals, fish. The potential is huge, and we can’t let the opportunity pass us by.”
A riverside park is unique because it is linear rather than a square or rectangle. “There’s something wonderful about a linear park, with the river flowing by you. While it’s valuable for recreation, it’s also vital to the functions and ecosystems along the Upper Petaluma watershed. Animals and plants need space to move and flourish. If we lose access to part of that river shore, we’ve broken the chain.”
While Wendy is well aware of the challenges associated with the Upper Petaluma project, she also sees a huge asset: our community’s commitment, with groups like the Open Space District, Land Trust, and Friends working closely. “Sonoma County is seen throughout our state and beyond as a leader in social and environmental issues,” she observes. “We do pathbreaking work, and the Upper Petaluma is one of those projects. We all know the old real estate expression about location, location, location. In conservation, it’s timing, timing, timing. Now is the time to protect and preserve the Upper Petaluma watershed.”
In the end, what’s best for the Petaluma River and its ecosystem is also what’s best for us as humans.
“People and nature aren’t separate. When we protect land, we’re protecting the foundation we rely on for our homes, well-being, and sustenance. With climate change, that’s more critical than ever.”