A new building on a historic old farm west of Santa Rosa is home to the long-planned Laguna Environmental Center, which officially opens tomorrow.

For most of the past five years, the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation has been focused on building their new home, at the corner of Sanford and Occidental Roads. With the offices, and now the learning center, completed, Executive Director David Bannister says they can now devote more energy to educational efforts, including raising general public awareness of the Laguna itself.

David Bannister, Executive Director of the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, stands before the new interpretive sign array that greets visitors to their Education Center

The Great Blue Heron Hall is the central feature of the new Education Center, seen her from the side, across the pond, from the viewing platform at the back of the Foundation's home on the historic Stone Farm west of Santa RosaBecause the new Environmental education center is situated at the edge of the Laguna itself, Bannister says it can use that location to offer lessons that vary with the seasons.

One of the many hazards that awaits unwary travelers on Lichau RoadThe hundreds of potholes that jar travelers Sonoma County's roads should not be seen as a result of insufficient funding, a new advocacy group argues, but a direct consequence of inappropriate budgetary choices.

Michael Troy (left) and Craig HarrisonThe multitude of potholes and stretches of degraded pavement are not just a problem for motorists, notes SOS Roads co-founder Michael Troy. And he doesn't buy the argument that a rural county isn't able to maintain its roads.

While SOS Roads was formed with an eye toward affecting the dialog in the current electoral season, co-founder Craig Harrison says they are looking beyond June and November to see their issue through.

The county has prepared detailed maps of all the roads it is responsible for maintaining, color-coded to indicate the condition of each. How do the ones you regularly travel on rate?

Biologists are trying to bring Coho Salmon back from near extinction in the Russian River. The breeding program at the core of this effort just got an upgrade.

Biologist Francis Hourigan inspects the young fish in one of the tanks at the new hatcheryCritics complain hatcheries are bad for wild fish populations, diluting the genetics of wild stocks. Senior biologist at the California Department of Fish and Game, Eric Larson, explains what is different about the Russian River Coho Salmon Captive Broodstock Program.

Congressman Mike Thompson wields the symbolic scissors at the ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the new coho hatchery at Warm Springs DamBen White, fisheries biologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who oversees daily operations at the hatchery, talks about the building's inhabitants -- nearly a quarter million young coho.

Arlie Haig checks new growth in a community garden at Julliard ParkMore and more, people are turning to community gardens to grow their own fresh fruit and vegetables. And in Santa Rosa, that's just gotten a little bit easier.

In Julliard Park the community garden sits on former bocce ball courts. In other parks, some residents would like to replace under-used horseshoe courts with new gardens. That's not allowable under the new guidelines, explains Lisa Grant of Santa Rosas Recreation & Parks Department. After all, you never know if horseshoes, are set to make a big comeback in popularity.

iGrow is a local non-profit group, supported by Health Action, teaching and organizing community gardens in Sonoma County.