The Petaluma Wetlands consists of seasonal ponds that hug the Petaluma River, a tidal slough which snakes its way from the San Pablo Bay, about 40 miles north of San Francisco, into Sonoma County. This area is a rich wildlife habitat which attracts 230 species of birds throughout the year. The tidal cycles, along with seasonal rains, continually fill and drain these ponds, revealing wonders.
Spending time on the walking trails alongside these ponds renews our collective connection to nature that spans the beginning of time. Witnessing the seasonal changes, along with the tidal flows, teaches us important lessons about how we are guests on this planet, merely renting temporary quarters on her property while we are alive. As the tides and winter rains flood the ponds, life-giving water restores nutrients to a parched landscape. The ponds seem as tiny oceans with unseen depths. And, as the water recedes, a remarkable topography emerges, laced with graceful channels and canyons etched in the mud. Migratory waterfowl descend and feast upon the nutrients revealed in this hidden terrain. Over and over this cycle repeats, day after day, season after season, eon after eon. How can we not be humbled by the clockwork precision of this design? Without our intervention, these cycles of nature sustain and renew our natural resources… and us. Yet we dare to intervene, reshaping the land to suit our industrial needs. We use these ponds as dumping grounds for discards and waste. Rivers clog with sediment from urban development. Toxic chemicals seep into groundwaters. The list is long.
We must return to watching the tides. We must mind the elemental flows lest we get evicted from this planet we call home.
Fine art prints made from a subset of images in this gallery can be purchased in the print store.
