5 Special Ways to Have a More Rewarding Trip to Sonoma County

Have fun, do good! Take a break, feel better! Travel to Sonoma County for any of the reasons people visit – the wine, the coast, the redwoods, the adventure – and help others while going along on your merry way! 

Now how’s that for a souvenir? 

If you love the idea of making a difference in the places you visit, as you plan your trip to Sonoma County, consider signing up for a voluntourism opportunity while you’re here. (Voluntourism, by the way, is a combination of “volunteering” and “tourism.”) Lending a hand in our special part of the world can be a deeply rewarding experience you’ll remember forever. And it could be as easy as enjoying an incredible meal! 

Here are five wonderful ways you can give of yourself while receiving a special sense of fulfillment in Sonoma County. 

Give a Shelter Dog a Day (or Weekend) Out

Dog lovers, rejoice: Sonoma County Animal Services’ new Dog Day Out program allows visitors to take shelter dogs on day trips! These Friday and Saturday outings come with the use of a backpack full of supplies, and enable the shelter pups to enjoy the dog-friendly trails, parks and beaches in Sonoma County, or any other dog-friendly spot you plan to visit, right along with you. While you get to bring some joy to your day-trip doggo, the Animal Services’ staff gets valuable feedback about his or her personality outside the shelter, making it easier to find them the perfect forever home. And who knows, you may just find your perfect forever-travel buddy!  

If one day doesn’t feel like enough time with your shelter pup, and you’re staying in dog-friendly lodging, consider the Weekend B&B foster program. You might simply want to add a four-legged friend to your vacation. Or better yet, you could end up happily adopting a beloved new family member to your very own home. Come for the wine, leave with a BFF – named Chardonay perhaps? 

Get Your Hands Dirty & Your Footprint Clean

The Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation is committed to conserving the Laguna de Santa Rosa, a 30,000-acre freshwater wetlands complex that’s critical to Northern California wildlife, water quality, and flood control. To support its conservation efforts, the foundation maintains a native plant nursery and gardens that grow thousands of locally sourced trees and plants for habitat-restoration projects. When you sign up for Native Plant Nursery Volunteer Days (held the first Friday of each month), you might do some planting, weeding, or general site cleanup; training is provided, and there are picnic spots and a pond to enjoy.   

Volunteer gleaning with Farm to Pantry usually means spending about three hours on a local farm or in an orchard or garden (often incredibly gorgeous and sometimes private settings), harvesting fruits and veggies that would otherwise go to waste. Sometimes you’ll even get to drop off the produce with one of the partner organizations, including wineries like Kendall-Jackson and Trattore Farms, Healdsburg’s Big John’s Market, Sebastopol’s Golden State Cider, and Santa Rosa restaurant The Spinster Sisters, bringing your hard work full circle by seeing exactly where the goods are going. To glean with Farm to Pantry, be sure to sign up here. 

Visit Wineries That Give Back

Landmark Vineyards is lauded for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and since 2014, its Landmark Community Grants foundation has funded almost 200 projects for K-12 schools and community nonprofits like the Jewish Community Free Clinic and the Sonoma Community Center.  

And while Rodney Strong Vineyards has been making premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay since 1959, the winery has also made annual donations to Sonoma County organizations like The Luther Burbank Center for the Arts and the Redwood Empire Food Bank.   

Now that’s a reason to order the bottle! Cheers to doing well! 

Eat With a Purpose

Plan your foodie adventure with a purpose in mind, like Black Cod Month, which makes a splash in Sonoma County in October, originally for one special week but now for the entire month.

In recent years, Sonoma County’s fishing community has been impacted by a shortened commercial Dungeness Crab season and a cancelled Chinook Salmon season. But in October, this vital industry gets a boost from another local delicacy: Delicious and delicate local Black Cod. 

Throughout the month, about 50 Sonoma County restaurants will offer a Black Cod dish, including the three-Michelin-starred SingleThread, Bodega Bay’s waterside Tides Wharf Restaurant, and Downtown Santa Rosa’s lively Bird & The Bottle. By using the Sonoma County App, you can easily find all of the participating restaurants by following the Black Cod Trail. Or if you’d rather make your own Black Cod creation at your vacation rental, rest assured that the fish will be stocked at local markets.  

Make Your Hotel Stay Count 

Several Sonoma County hotels have partnered up with Kind Traveler, a socially conscious “Give and Get” hotel booking platform that offers exclusive rates and perks in exchange for a $10/night donation to a local charity.  

“Kind Hotels” in Sonoma County include Hotel E, The Gables Wine Country Inn, and Vinarosa Resort & Spa (all in Santa Rosa); The Stavrand Russian River Valley, Mine + Farm, The Highlands Resort, and boon hotel + spa (all in Guerneville); The Sea Ranch Lodge (on the northern Sonoma Coast); and The Madrona and Wildhaven Sonoma (both in Healdsburg). 

While you enjoy a comfortable stay at any of these properties, you’ll be simultaneously supporting Sonoma County-based charities like Charlie’s Acres Farm Sanctuary, Sonoma Land Trust, and Russian Riverkeeper, benefitting local animals, people, and ecosystems.  

More Ways to Feel Good About Your Stay  

Looking for even more ways to make a positive impact while having a great time here? Check out these special volunteerism opportunities, and visit our Sustainable Travel Guide to Sonoma County! 

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Written by Melanie Wynne