NEWS RELEASE

Sonoma County Regional Parks and Coastwalk invite you to take a leisurely guided hike of the future Tolay Lake Regional Park on Saturday, September 27 from 9am to noon. This special event is part of Coastwalk’s “Walks With a Poet” series, when a writer reads from works created about the particular park, with the goal of inspiring participants about the landscape and all it supports.

Walk with Sonoma County poet and naturalist Maya Khosla, who will read from her works at four stops along the hike. She is the author of Heart of the Tearing (Red Dust Press 1995) and is the recipient of the Dorothy Brunsman Award for her collection Keel Bone (Bear Star Press 2003). She is also the author of a creative nonfiction book about salmon, Web of Water. Her work is influenced both by her background in biology and her childhood spent in various countries--England, Algeria, Burma, Bhutan, India, and Bangladesh. Ms Khosla has been a writer-in-residence with the California Poets in the Schools program. As a biologist, she has worked in the fields of wildlife and conservation biology for eight years. She is now working to expand "Notes from the Field," which is about the Bay Area's endangered species.

Please note:

1. The tours will be moderately strenuous. 
2. Although children are welcome on the tour, please note that the terrain on the walk is too rugged for most strollers. Please, no pets.
3. Please bring adequate water and food for your party, as these will not be provided. A restroom will be available at the starting location of the hike.
4. Remember to dress appropriately for the weather: hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, layered clothing with long sleeves and long pants, and sturdy shoes.

Contact hike leader Zeno Swijtink at swijtink@sonoma.edu to RSVP, or if you have any questions. Directions will be sent after RSVP is received. More information on Sonoma County Regional Parks can be found at www.sonoma-county.org/parks or by calling 565-2041.