Our mission is to celebrate the Petaluma River through education and stewardship; because every great River needs a true Friend.

All Programs
Green Heron Nature Camp
Nature, Camp, Immersion
Green Heron Nature Camp
Nature, Camp, Immersion

Friends’ summer camp gives kids a chance to spend the day outside in nature, connecting with their environment through play and curiosity.

Campers spend the week paddling on the Petaluma River, exploring the unique habitats of the Petaluma Marsh and Creeks, learning earth skills.

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Nature, Camp, Immersion
Watershed Classroom
Nature, Immersion
Watershed Classroom
Nature, Immersion

Friends’ Watershed Classroom program brings the Petaluma Watershed to life for students, getting them out of the classroom, engaging in hands-on activities that give them a deeper understanding of their local environment, how their actions affect their environment, and how they are a

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Nature, Immersion
Nature Immersion Camps
Nature, Camp, Immersion
Nature Immersion Camps
Nature, Camp, Immersion

Friends’ Nature Immersion Camps run for 8 months, giving youth an opportunity to deepen their connection with nature as they learn about seasonal changes in the Watershed through imaginative play and curiosity.

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Nature, Camp, Immersion

Our Programs

Our Mission

We envision the Petaluma River as our community’s largest park; a vital ecosystem with rich biodiversity; an outdoor classroom for youth and adults to learn about our unique wetlands and marshlands; a resource to lessen the impacts of climate change and rising seas; and the link between those that have tended these lands before us and those that will come after.

All River News
Protecting our Upper River
Protecting our Upper River

The upper stretch of the Petaluma River, from the lynch Creek Trail to Corona Road, is largely undeveloped. This reach is a window into the River’s past, with ancient oak trees, seasonal wetlands and abundant wildlife. Join Friends in permanently protecting this fragile ecosystem by creating a ‘Greenway’ along the upper Petaluma River.

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Lower Adobe Creek
Lower Adobe Creek

Sediment is becoming an increasingly precious resource for maintaining baylands along the shoreline around San Francisco Bay. As sea level rises, sediment needs to deposit on baylands to allow them to rise in elevation and continue to provide vital ecosystem services. Friends is working with the San Francisco Estuary Institute and several regional and local partners to

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River News

Recent Events

All Events
Rivertown Revival @ Night
Jul 19
Rivertown Revival @ Night
Transhumance Festival
May 11
Transhumance Festival
Lower Adobe Creek Vision - Community Meeting
Feb 28
Lower Adobe Creek Vision - Community Meeting

Quotes from our Community

Quotes

This program is so incredibly positive, inclusive, educational and emotionally and spiritually fulfilling….Thank you for not only offering this program, but doing it with such care, authenticity and creativity.

– Happy Parent