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Wise Acre Farm in Windsor is home to over 1,000 pasture-raised chickens, a few goats, and Buddy the farm dog. They offer free farm tours to guests from March to October, during which they share their love for eggs and sustainable farming. The tours are usually once a month – more details can be found on their Facebook page. 631 Arata Lane, Windsor. (Kent Porter)
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The monster truck at Wise Acre Farm in Windsor is a popular spot to hang out on a sunny day. (Courtesy of Wise Acre Farm)
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Pet’s Lifeline in Sonoma is a shelter for dogs and cats. Every Saturday (9am-11am), they open their doors to kids and adults who want to connect with and read to the animals. They also encourage visitors to come by anytime to socialize with the dogs, cats, and kittens in their two community rooms. 19686 8th Street East, Sonoma. (Erik Castro)
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The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County hosts a monthly speaker series called Science Sparks for young scientists. Speakers come from local places like All About Owls and NorCal Bats, and sometimes they bring animal guests! On Saturday, March 21 The Bird Rescue Center in Santa Rosa will bring two non-releasable birds of prey for an age-appropriate presentation on birds. 1835 W. Steele Lane, Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of BASE Landscape Architecture)
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The Wildlife Rescue of Sonoma County in Petaluma offers a special opportunity to meet the wildlife that calls the rescue center home, including foxes, coyotes, raccoons, bobcats, skunks, opossums, wolf-dogs and a mountain lion named Nicole. The purpose of the center's tours is to diminish any fear of wildlife and teach visitors about native species and how they contribute to our local ecosystem. Public guided tours are held most Saturdays (private tours are available, as well). 403 Mecham Road, Petaluma. (Crista Jeremiason)
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Nicole, a mountain lion at the Wildlife Rescue of Sonoma County in Petaluma. (Cristina Pascual)
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Redwood Hill Farm, also known as Capracopia, in Sebastopol is open for private farm tours during spring and summer. Visitors can experience the cheesemaking process firsthand while learning about sustainable farming. If you just want to cuddle with a baby goat, you can do that, too. Check the schedule and make a tour reservation online. 5440 Thomas Road, Sebastopol. (Alvin Jornada)
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Ceasar's Tropical Fish store in Santa Rosa is as close as you get to a real aquarium in Sonoma County. With over 150 tanks filled with tropical, saltwater and freshwater fish, corals, invertebrates and plants, there's plenty of opportunity for kids (and playful adults) to press their faces against the glass and shout "I found Nemo!" 1648 Piner Road, Santa Rosa. (Courtesy photo)
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The Bird Rescue Center in Santa Rosa makes for a great outing for any kid (or adult) who loves feathered friends. The rescue center is open to the public on the first Saturday of every month, and visitors can meet raptors and learn more about the wild birds up close. 3430 Chanate Road, Santa Rosa. (John Burgess)
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Traintown in Sonoma is an amusement park open year-round. The 4-acre train ride takes visitors through caves, past waterfalls and mini villages, and stops at a petting zoo and Old Western town for kids to play in. The zoo has chickens, goats, and alpacas that you can feed. Daisy the alpaca comes running when the train stops at the petting zoo because she knows it means snack time. 20264 Broadway, Sonoma. (Courtesy photo).
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At Quivira Winery in Healdsburg, animals contribute to sustainable practices: pigs are fed from the garden waste, cows graze in the vineyards and provide manure for the preparations, and nine breeds of chicken enhance the estate's biodiversity while providing eggs for the employees. There are beehives as well; the bees encourage pollination of the winery's open-pollinated produce varieties. An Estate Tour ($40) offers a comprehensive overview of the property, as well as a flight of estate wines paired with estate-raised charcuterie. 4900 W Dry Creek Rd, Healdsburg. (Erik Castro)
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For those looking to sip some wine while petting a cat, Preston Farms & Winery in Dry Creek Valley is the place to visit. Their large outdoor winery has cats, chickens, and sheep roaming the grounds. In fact, their livestock helps nurture the soil in the vineyards and gardens. Pick up provisions and a bottle of wine at their farm store and enjoy a picnic with nature. 9282 W Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg. (Alvin Jornada)
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At DaVero Farm and Winery in Healdsburg, guests can book a "Discover the Farm" tasting ($45), which includes a tour of the estate vineyards and gardens where you will meet the farm animals that reside here, including pigs, sheep and chickens. After the tour, taste the wines, estate olive oils and balsamic vinegar the winery produces. 766 Westside Rd, Healdsburg. (Courtesy photo)
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The Humane Society of Sonoma County is one of the largest animal organizations in the area, and cares for a variety of animals. The organization has a few different youth programs, including Forget Me Not Farm (not open to the public) which provides animal-assisted and horticultural therapy services for at-risk youth, and Summer Day Camps that are open for children in grades 2-7, If you simply want to play with the bunnies or read to the dogs, the Humane Society has an extensive events calendar for all ages. 5345 Highway 12 West, Santa Rosa. (Alvin Jornada)
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Sonoma County is home to variety of wild and domesticated animals, including exotic African animals at Safari West in Santa Rosa. The 1000 animals that reside on the property were miraculously saved by owner Peter Lang as the Tubbs Fire threatened to engulf the 400-acre preserve in October 2017. The wildlife preserve welcomes visitors to explore "Sonoma Serengeti" via jeep tours; you can also extend the adventure with an overnight stay in a glamping tent. School field trips are also available - underfunded schools are encouraged to apply for the "Discover Africa Scholarship." 3115 Porter Creek Road, Santa Rosa. (John Burgess)
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At Taylor Mountain Regional Park in south Santa Rosa you can commune with cows. The property was historically used for ranching and cattle grazing continues in the park, which began in February this year. We got pretty excited when we saw this Mama cow with her calf on a visit to the park. Visitors are encouraged to keep their distance from the cows, and need to keep dogs on a leash at all times. 3820 Petaluma Hill Road, Santa Rosa. (Alvin Jornada)
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Sonoma County Farm Trails host their annual Blossoms, Bees & Barnyard Babies farm tour May 2-3. During this weekend, adults and kids are invited to visit local farms (more information here) and participate in activities such as tours, demonstrations, animal petting, games and crafts for kids, tastings, cooking demos, and flower arranging. There are bunnies, chickens, cows, goats, horses, sheep, and water buffalo along the trail. Many stops will offer snacks, lunches and picnic sites. Farm stands will be open for fresh-from-the-source purchases. (Stock photo)
