SSU, Rohnert Park secure grant to support Copeland Creek Trail project
ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – Sonoma State University (SSU) will bring new life to the stretch of Copeland Creek Community Trail that traverses campus, with help from a $50,000 Hometown Grant from T-Mobile.
The project draws on diverse expertise from across the SSU academic community; the Department of Kinesiology led development of the successful proposal, in close collaboration with peers in the Center for Environmental Inquiry and ecopsychologist Dr. Mary Gomes. Planned enhancements, including interactive QR-coded trail markers and shaded picnic tables and seating in the SSU Kenneth Stocking Native Plant and Butterfly Garden, are designed to spark curiosity and encourage Rohnert Park residents of all ages to connect with the natural environment – and with one another.
The project plan also envisions a Walking Buddy program, pairing older adults with SSU students – primarily kinesiology majors – for regular walking sessions. The evidence-supported program grew out of research on the long-term benefits of intergenerational exercise for participants’ physical and mental health.
“The Copeland Creek Community Trail and Garden Project will transform a public trail and garden into a living lab that supports health, learning, and reflection,” said Dr. Poram Choi, lecturer in the SSU Department of Kinesiology and one of the grant proposal’s authors. “Our goal is to connect people with nature and to foster meaningful connections across generations, disciplines, and sectors within our community."
The Copeland Creek project is the pilot program in the broader SSU-led Creeks in Common initiative, a collaborative regional effort encompassing local government partners, non-profits, and schools that is developing and implementing innovative solutions to real-world environmental challenges in urban watersheds.
Since 2021, T-Mobile has invested more than $19 million in Hometown Grants, funding 425 projects that empower small towns to invest in community spaces and other initiatives to strengthen communities.
To learn more about the exciting changes to come along Copeland Creek, join Sonoma State for a community event next month:
Thursday, October 9, noon–1:30 p.m.
Trione Courtyard | Green Music Center
1801 East Cotati Avenue
Rohnert Park CA 94928