Copeland Creek trail and garden enriched by $50,000 grant-funded improvements, celebrated by campus
New QR-coded activities, garden enhancements, and student projects invite the SSU community to learn, move, unwind, and get some fresh air
Along Sonoma State’s Copeland Creek corridor, a familiar path to some and a hidden gem to others now offers more reasons to stop along the way and explore.
Students, faculty, staff, and community partners gathered Aug. 29 at the SSU Native Plant and Butterfly Garden to celebrate improvements to the Copeland Creek Community Trail, unveiling interactive educational activities, gathering spaces, and student-created projects that bring classroom learning into the outdoors.
The project grew from a $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant awarded in 2025. The Department of Kinesiology helped secure the grant alongside the Center for Environmental Inquiry (CEI) to beautify and refresh the trail and garden while connecting environmental education, health, and community engagement.
The improvements are part of CEI’s broader Creeks in Common initiative, which aims to develop the 13-acre campus corridor into an urban watershed demonstration site. Copeland Creek flows from Sonoma Mountain through campus toward the Laguna de Santa Rosa and the Russian River watershed, connecting the university landscape to a larger ecological system.
At the center of the project are 12 planned trail posts featuring color-coded QR codes that connect visitors to activities focused on physical fitness, mental well-being, water, and natural history. Eight posts were available during the celebration, offering experiences ranging from guided exercises and mindfulness practices to lessons on local wildlife and geology.
Designed for accessibility, the educational materials use approximately a fifth-grade reading level and include videos, audio recordings, and written resources for learners of different ages.
“A creek is not just a creek, and a garden isn’t just a garden,” CEI Director Kerry Wininger said.
That philosophy shaped an interdisciplinary endeavor, bringing together students and faculty from kinesiology, biology, geology, geography, psychology, cinematic arts, electrical engineering, art, and other fields to turn classroom projects into lasting educational resources.
Cinematic arts students filmed fitness activities developed with kinesiology students, while art students contributed botanical illustrations and wild-life inspired sculptures, including a life-size, multicolored dragonfly. Electrical engineering students developed a solar-powered pedestrian counter and survey station to gather information about trail use and well-being.
For junior Richie Cross, a photographer and film student, collaborating with kinesiology students brought a new perspective to his work as a digital content creator.
“We got to work with kinesiology students, and learn more about what they do because I'm not involved in kinesiology that much,” Cross said. “It was a really fun experience. I learned a lot.”
Business students are also getting involved. Through associate professor Naga Lakshmi Damaraju's Small Business Analysis course BUS 453, students will work with CEI as a consulting client, researching its needs and developing potential solutions to their inquiries.
The garden’s roots stretch back to 1973, with its butterfly component added through a student project in the 1990s. Today, visitors will find ADA-accessible tables, educational signage, a lending library and spaces intended for classes, studying, and quiet breaks.
“This is a space where everyone can learn, everyone can relax, everyone can exercise, and we want people to spend time here,” said Nicole Myers, M.S., CEI program and outreach specialist.
Rob Eyler, interim vice president for advancement, spoke on behalf of President Spagna and said the improvements build on something the creek corridor has long provided.
“For 31 years, this has been a place of respite and really reflection,” Eyler said of his time at Sonoma State. “Don’t make this your only time in this space. Please come back.”
There are many reasons to return or make a first-time visit to the evolving Copeland Creek trail. Ceramic animals created by art students are expected to eventually top trail posts, while CEI is exploring additional artwork, cultural educational activities, and the possibility of Wi-Fi access in the garden.
“This is not a done project,” Wininger said. “It is always a work in progress.”
With more projects taking root along the creek, Wininger encouraged visitors to return throughout the seasons and experience the changing landscape.
“Make sure that every time you’re here, you’re listening to nature,” Wininger said, “because it has a lot to say to us.”
Visitors can discover more about the Copeland Creek Community Trail, plan a visit, and explore an interactive map and other resources through the Copeland Creek Trail Educational Activities page.