Hood Mountain Regional Park & Preserve
Here at Kenwood, we value the connection with the land and believe in maintaining the wilderness that makes Sonoma County so unique,” said Zeke Neely, winemaker at Kenwood Vineyards. “The fires have been difficult for all of us, and we want to help the community heal. We’re excited to partner with the Sonoma County Parks Foundation and help our parks continue to thrive even if faced with more fires." |
In January 2021, Kenwood Vineyards announced a $10,000 challenge grant to help restore fire-scarred Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve.
Beloved Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, which experienced significant damage from the 2017 Nuns Fire, was assailed again when the Glass Fire roared through this 2,000-acre wilderness park in September 2020. While much of the vegetation will recover naturally, the park man-made infrastructure will need significant support. Signs, trail markers, picnic tables, wooden steps and retaining walls – features that make the park safe and enjoyable for human visitors – were all damaged in the Glass Fire. Kenwood Vineyards will match the first $10,000 raised from Parks Foundation donors. Funds from this effort will benefit the Hood Mountain Fire Recovery Campaign of the Bill and Dave Legacy Fund. This fund honors Bill Myers and Dave Chalk, leaders of popular hikes in Sonoma County for 20 years. Your donation will aid in the recovery and future fire preparedness for this popular park. Acknowledging that climate change is producing longer, hotter summers and conditions that promote future wildfires, Sonoma County Regional Parks is at the forefront of designing climate adaptive parks. At Hood Mountain this means replacing wooden retaining walls and foot bridges with stone or metal; replacing plastic culverts with metal; enhancing trails so that they can accommodate firefighting vehicles; and introducing features that help support firefighting efforts, such as water catchment systems and tool storage at park bathrooms.” The Parks Foundation looks forward to supporting the fire recovery and resiliency efforts at Hood Mountain Regional Park thanks to the generosity of Kenwood Vineyards and our donors. |
New Legacy Fund launched to benefit Hood Mountain
After organizing "Bill and Dave Hikes" throughout Sonoma County for two decades, intrepid hikers Bill Myers and Dave Chalk retired in May 2020. They built a community of hikers who deeply appreciate our local parks, enabling them to safely explore new trails, enhance their health and create new friendships. The Parks Foundation has created a new fund in their honor that will accept donations from the public. This Legacy Fund will focus on park expansion and trail construction and maintenance at Hood Mountain and the SugarHood Complex, comprised of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and Hood Mountain Regional Park & Open Space Preserve. MORE INFORMATION...