Ryan Berger
Sonoma Coast Preserves Manager, The Wildlands Conservancy

I have been a full-time resident of Sonoma County since 2015 and I have enjoyed much of the open space that the district has offered over the past decade. I am very grateful for the efforts to keep Sonoma County wild and the mental, emotional and physical benefits I receive from spending time in nature. In early 2022, I was fortunate to secure a position with The Wildlands Conservancy as the preserve manager living and working on the breathtaking Jenner Headlands Preserve. Not a day goes by that I take for granted this amazing opportunity. Through collaborative efforts including Ag + Open Space, these 5,630 acres were saved from commercial development.

I now have the responsibility of stewarding these lands and working closely with the district to ensure our practices align with our Conservation Easement and that the public we invite to experience this special place are also in line with our Recreational Covenant. We have much work to do in healing past mismanagement of the coastal grasslands, forests and watersheds but with the support of Ag + Open Space we have accomplished a lot already and are primed to continue to do so into the future. In a similar fashion we will soon be opening our 547-acre Estero Americano Coast Preserve to the public and we couldn’t have done it without the support of the district.

Thank you for your efforts and partnerships over the past 35 years and we look forward to continued conservation success stories in the future.