Russell Research Station in saklan/Lafayette

We restore and steward 312 acres of oak woodland, highland chaparrel and riparian corridors on land where our forebears lived in old-time villages long before colonization.

In this historic partnership with the University of California, Berkeley’s Forestry Department, and the ‘ottoy Initiative, we clear out dangerous overgrowth that leads to wildfires andrestore the landscape with four intentional Native plant gardens for pollination, culinary and medicinal purposes, and basketry materials that encourage biodiversity.

Together with our partners at Berkeley’s Forestry Department and CalFire, we have removed hemlock and eucalyptus stands and now use a bio-char kiln to turn invasive plant material into nutrient-dense soil for restoration.

In mid-2026, we will implement cultural burns here in coordination with CalFire.