Neils Island

World College West was an undergraduate liberal arts college in Marin County, California. Founded by Dr. Richard M. Gray, it offered a program that integrated a grounding in the liberal arts with work-study and a required two-quarter "World Study" in a developing country. It opened with its first seven students on September 17, 1973.

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.

Lakeville is an unincorporated community in Sonoma County, California, United States. It is located near the Petaluma River about 4 mi (6 km) southeast of Petaluma. The main thoroughfare is Lakeville Road, which passes north–south through Lakeville on its way from State Route 116 to State Route 37. The rear gate of Sonoma Raceway empties onto Lakeville Road and can cause traffic delays on race days. Lakeville's name refers to Tolay Lake, about 2 mi (3 km) east of the town. Lakeville has a fire department with one station, established in 1973. It is located east of the intersection of Lakeville Highway and Stage Gulch Road.

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.

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.

Burdell Island (or Mira Monte) is a former island in the Petaluma River, upstream of San Pablo Bay (an embayment of San Francisco Bay). While it was previously surrounded by water and swampland, it is now surrounded mostly by dry land (although it remains much higher than surrounding land). It is part of Marin County, California. Its coordinates are 38°09′22″N 122°33′17″W, and the United States Geological Survey gave its elevation as 52 ft (16 m) in 1981. It appears in a 1954 USGS map of the region.

Alvarado Street Bakery is a worker-owned bakery located in Petaluma, California that produces certified organic whole grain breads and bagels. Alvarado was featured in the 2009 Michael Moore documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story.Alvarado is organized as a worker cooperative and each employee receives one share in the cooperative. The shares grant each employee an equal vote on business matters, including employee benefits, salaries and the reinvestment of profits. As of 2009, more than half of the employees had been with the company for over 15 years and the average worker earns between $65,000 and $70,000 a year.

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.

Terra de Promissio (English: The Land of Promise) is a family owned and operated vineyard that grows Sonoma Coast pinot noir grapes. The vineyard is located in the Sonoma Coast AVA, outside Petaluma, California in Sonoma County.

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.