What’s the antidote to gangs, unemployment and juvenile crime? In part, it’s the newly rechristened Conservation Corps North Bay.

Marilee Eckert, the organization's Executive Director, explains that their expansion into Sonoma County was begun in early 2009, with the support and encouragement of many local leaders.


Looking ahead, Eckert sees a busy future for the Conservation Corps North Bay, doing more of what they are already working on.

The Conervation Corps was  featured previously on the North Bay Report when they launched their Sonoma County operations in January, 2009.

When native wildlife in the North Bay runs afoul of humankind, it’s almost always the animal that comes out second best. That’s when Sonoma  County Wildlife Rescue steps in.

Even after more than 25 years of doing this, there are still surprises, says Executive Director Doris Duncan, including two species that each appeared  there for the first time earlier this year.

 Although she has been caring for all kinds of native animals throughout the organization's 18 year history, Duncan says each one is different.

Whenever possible, the treated creatures are released back into the wild, as close as possible to where they came from.

"I'm ashamed" was how one Sonoma County elected official felt  after viewing the first segment in the PBS four-part series called Unnatural Causes:  Is Inequality Making Us Sick?

 I was part of a small but committed group of elected city officials in Sonoma County who attended  an event sponsored by the Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy on Saturday, March 28, 2009. We were warmly welcomed by the Project Team members who wanted to provide us with information on the connection between economic policy, social standing, and our health. 

Before dimming the lights to watch "In Sickness and in Wealth", Public Health Officer Dr. Mary Maddox-Gonzalez presented us with some local statistics on the health, socio-economic standing and levels of education among Sonoma County residents. These numbers took on new meaning in the context of what we were about to learn in the next hour.  

In the documentary we were exposed to compelling evidence:  our economic policies have led to great divisions in the social classes.  As a result, your life expectancy has more to do with where you can afford to live, shop, and attend school than your ability to access quality  health care. Did you know that the United States ranks at the bottom when it comes to life expectancy among all the industrialized nations? That is the shame we need to address.

When the lights came back on, the air of gravity in the room was palpable. But then there was a sense of synergy as people began to talk about policies that could help address the level of  inequality among neighborhoods in Sonoma County. It will require some re-thinking of the role of the elected city official. It also speaks to the need to work with other elected officials, including school boards. Every aspect of our lives are intertwined in ways that aren't always obvious.