World College West

The Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) is an American non-profit parapsychological research institute. It was co-founded in 1973 by former astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the Moon, along with investor Paul N. Temple and others interested in purported paranormal phenomena, in order to encourage and conduct research on noetics and human potentials.The Institute conducts research on topics such as spontaneous remission, meditation, consciousness, alternative healing practices, consciousness-based healthcare, spirituality, human potential, psychic abilities, psychokinesis and survival of consciousness after bodily death. The Institute maintains a free database, available on the Internet, with citations to more than 6,500 articles about whether physical and mental health benefits might be connected to meditation and yoga.Headquartered outside Petaluma, California, the IONS is situated on a 200-acre (81 ha) campus that includes offices, a research laboratory and a retreat center (originally the campus of World College West). Researchers associated with it include Dean Radin and Rupert Sheldrake.

Rancho Olómpali was a 8,877-acre (35.92 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day Marin County, California given in 1834 by governor Manuel Micheltorena to Camilo Ynitia, son of a Coast Miwok chief. The name Olómpali comes from the Coast Miwok language and likely means southern village or southern people. The land grant is between present-day Novato and Petaluma. A part of this land now comprises the Olompali State Historic Park.

Neils Island (sometimes called Neil Island) is a former island in Sonoma County, California, close to (and formerly surrounded by wetlands of) the Petaluma River, upstream of San Pablo Bay (an embayment of San Francisco Bay). Its coordinates are 38°11′27″N 122°34′41″W, and the United States Geological Survey measured its elevation as 82 ft (25 m) in 1981. It appears in a 1954 USGS map of the region.

Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve is a nature reserve in Marin County, California, United States, within the San Francisco Bay Area. It is managed by Marin County Parks. Mount Burdell rises 1,558 feet (475 m) above sea level. Hidden Lake, a seasonal pond located about halfway to the top, is home to frogs, salamanders and other creatures during the wet season. The Marin County Open Space District, with the help of local residents, purchased the 1,627-acre (658 ha) preserve in 1977.Certain portions of the preserve are grazed by small herds of domestic cattle during spring which helps to reduce non-native grasses.

The Battle of Olómpali was fought on June 24, 1846, between a rebel group supporting an independent California Republic and a Mexican army force under the command of Joaquín de la Torre. It was the only battle of the Bear Flag Revolt. The encounter took place in present-day Marin County, California at a site that is now part of the Olompali State Historic Park.

Olompali State Historic Park is a 700-acre (2.8 km2) California State Park in Marin County, California. It is constituted of the former Rancho Olómpali and was the site of the famed Battle of Olómpali during the Bear Flag Revolt. Rancho Olómpali was purchased by the Californian government in 1977, which turned it into a public park.

Olompali (Coast Miwok:Õlõmpõ'llï; Spanish: Olómpali) is a former Native American settlement in Marin County, California. It was located 5 miles (8 km) south of Petaluma.Its site now lies within the Olompali State Historic Park.

Adobe Creek is a southward-flowing stream in Sonoma County, California, United States, which flows past the historic Rancho Petaluma Adobe on the creek's 7.5-mile (12.1 km) course to its confluence with the Petaluma River. It has also been called Casa Grande Creek.

Haystack Landing is a historic property in Sonoma County, California, now owned by Dutra Materials. Haystack Landing was a passenger and freight connection on San Francisco Bay via the Petaluma River and San Pablo Bay. The landing is currently the site of a historic steamer dock, a railroad bridge, and of a planned asphalt production and storage facility. Haystack Landing was featured in then-congressman Frank Riggs' election campaign in the 1996 California First Congressional District race, when his ties to the property drew criticism.

Shollenberger Park is a 165-acre (0.67 km2) wetland park located in Petaluma, California. Together with the 80-acre (320,000 m2) Alman Marsh, and 260-acre (1.1 km2) Ellis Creek which opened to the public in July 2009, a total of 505 acres (2.04 km2) are accessible to the public. The entirety is referred to as the "Petaluma Wetlands". Named after Richard Shollenberger, a park chief, the park is part of one of the last wetlands of its kind in the country. It is a bird watching paradise, attracting 231 species of birds, according to the last survey, including threatened species. The Audubon Society has ranked Shollenberger Park as an important birding site, and the San Francisco Chronicle ranks it as a top destination for nature-lovers. The park is home to rare animal and plant species, such as the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse. The park attracts 150,000 visitors annually and serves as an outdoor classroom for children as well as a wildlife research location. The Petaluma Wetlands Alliance, a 501(c)(3) environmental and educational nonprofit, does habitat restoration, gives bird and wildlife tours, and provides a third grade educational program consistent with California Educational curriculum. Point Blue Conservation Science, a non-profit wildlife conservation and research organization, is located adjacent to the park. The area was formerly known as Cader Lane Ponds.

The Buck Institute for Research on Aging is an independent biomedical research institute that researches aging and age-related disease. The mission of the Buck Institute is to extend the healthy years of life. The Buck Institute is one of nine centers for aging research of the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research.The institute, a nonprofit organization located in Novato, California, began its research program in 1999, making it the world's first institute founded primarily to study intervention into the aging process. It is named for Marin County philanthropists Leonard and Beryl Hamilton Buck, whose estate funded the endowment that helped establish the institute, and the Buck Trust currently contributes approximately $6 million annually to support the institute's work. The campus of the Buck Institute was designed by architect I. M. Pei.In May 2007, the institute established a cooperative agreement with the University of California's Davis and Merced campuses to coordinate stem-cell research.

Marin County Airport or Gnoss Field (IATA: NOT, ICAO: KDVO, FAA LID: DVO), formerly O56, is a public airport two miles northeast of Novato, California, United States. It covers 90 acres (360,000 m2), and has one runway and one helipad.Most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, but Marin County Airport/Gnoss Field is DVO to the FAA and NOT to the IATA (which assigned DVO to Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City, Philippines). A plan was unveiled in 2014 to extend the length of Gnoss' runway by 1100', to 4400'. The FAA's final recommendation in 2016 called for a 300-foot extension, which would make Runway 31/13 3600 feet. Public commentary, especially from aviators, was negative. Many pilots contended that the FAA has underestimated the level of activity at Gnoss Field.