Paula Lane Open Space Preserve

History and Resources

The land was farmed until the 1960s. Since then, being one of the few remaining open spaces in this part of West Petaluma, the land has evolved to become a critical wildlife habitat n a heavily traversed wildlife corridor.

Among the wildlife here are about 100 avian species (identified to date), including many Special Status resident and migratory birds. Some are Allen's Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Yellow Warbler, Oak Titmouse, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Nuttall's Woodpecker, Long-billed Curlew, Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, California Gull, White-tailed Kite, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Caspian Term, and Cooper's Hawk. P.L.A.N. has documented avian life on the Paula Lane property and in our area since 2001. Biologist Dan Nelson of Sonoma County also compiled an avian study list in 2004 and recommended preservation of this special area.

Commonly seen can be White-tailed Kites, Sharp-shinned Hawks and/or Red-tailed Hawks foraging over the remaining open land, as the Paula Lane area is known for a high population of gophers, voles and mice. Screeching young are often heard in the eucalyptus and other tall trees.

A long-established Special Status Species mammal on the Paula Lane property is the American Badger, Taxidea Taxus. The badger has burrowed here for at least 90 years. A 2003 Badger Habitat Survey by biologist Kim Fitts of Bioconsultant LLC of Santa Rosa documented the extensive and active badget habitat (at least 9 of the 11.22 acres).

In Spring and Summer, visitors who come to walk, jog and walk with their dogs along the lane take a step back in time to Petaluma's History. Often seen in the remaining open space in small fields and on the land at Paula Lane and Sunset Drive are does with twin fawns and wild turkeys with their young. A common occurrence is a car driving down Paula Lane seen stopped, waiting for the deer or turkeys to cross the lane from one side to the other. Deer Crossing signs also alert drivers to, please, drive carefully.

Wetland plant species in the property's western swale include Junkus (Rush), Rumex crispus (curlydock), and Rumex pulhur (fiddle dock) (Rockwood, 2003). Among native and non-native grasses, especially in Winter and Spring, is an abundance of Miner's Lettuce (Montia perforliata).

Reptile, amphibian and insect populations are also integral elements of the sensitively-balanced Paula Lane ecosystem - including Pacific Gopher Snake, Garter snake, Southern Alligator Lizard, Western Fence Lizard and Western Skink (reptiles), California Slender Salamander, frogs and toads (amphibians), and insects, ranging from West Coast Lady Butterflies and Monarch Butterflies to Soft-Winged Flower Beetles and Daddy Long-Leg Spiders.

The history of the Paula Lane area is well known in Sonoma County. Five farmsteads with original farm homes, including one of the old Jewish chicken ranches, line the lane. With the John Pauli original farm home and land the oldest, others also date back to the early 1900s and 1950s.

A distinct rural and agricultural character can be felt in the Paula Lane area in West Petaluma. The area provides a noticeable transition from urban to rural life. The Paula Lane property, with its historic farmhouse, clustered trees, open grasslands, and swale with wetlands characteristics, is the mainstay of habitat and foraging area. The land and area are deserving of preservation.

Plans for Paula Lane Open Space Preserve

Paula Lane at Sunset Drive
Best Place to Watch a Sunset, 2005 Argus-Courier Best of Petaluma contest, runner-up in 2006

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