Fires, Forests, Microbes, Hope

As we hopefully approach the end of fire season, the Oakmont Democratic Club meeting on Thursday, October 28th will feature two linked presentations about the challenges we face with the Climate Crisis and some opportunities to begin healing our planet.

Maya Khosla is a wildlife biologist and writer. She has documented ways to be wise about wildfire-as it relates to forests- through the lenses of fire scientists and firefighters. Her presentation will focus on how we are managing California’s forests, what we are doing well, and how some public policies might actually be making our region more dangerous. Maya’s work has taken her across coastal India, Kenya, and the United States. Maya’s concerns for the natural world have led her through the wild, to the page, and to the screen. Her acclaimed first film, Searching for the Gold Spot is about the wilds of the American West after wildfire. She is currently working to assess the forests and rivers of California. Maya is the Poet Laureate of Sonoma County (2018-2020). Her first book of poetry, Keel Bone, won the Dorothy Brunsman Poetry Prize.

Anne Jaccopetti has taught every grade from first through twelfth, and finished as Education Director at Woodland Star, the Waldorf inspired charter school just down the road from Oakmont. She helped to found 350 Sonoma and has been on the Steering Group for 15 years. She believes in working in coalition and that social equity and a way of life that is sustainable for everyone and for the planet must be our shared vision and intention. Her area of special interest is regeneration of soil, of our agricultural production and of our forest lands. She is currently working with a publisher about her book, “Trust Children: Natural Learning for Twenty-First Century Students”.

Anne’s area of study is regenerative agriculture using BEAM – a high microbial compost that is great at sequestering carbon. Reducing carbon in our atmosphere is a key element in the fight to reduce the impact of the climate crisis. Both presentations will look at steps we can take to heal our planet.

At our last meeting, we had some tech issues that have been resolved so we hope this will be smooth sailing either by zoom or in person. For the in-person meeting on Thursday October 28th at the East Rec, We will have a Social starting at 6:30 PM and the program will begin at 7:00 PM.