Dawn Ranch is dedicated to supporting our communities and safeguarding our planet. In line with this commitment, we’ve joined forces with Kind Traveler and their “Every Stay Gives Back” initiative. Through this collaboration, $1 from each night spent at Dawn Ranch will be contributed to Russian Riverkeeper, a nonprofit devoted to the preservation and well-being of the Russian River.

The Lodge at Dawn Ranch

About Russian Riverkeeper

Located in Healdsburg, California, Russian Riverkeeper inspires and educates the community to protect the Russian River through education, citizen action, scientific research, and expert advocacy. This community-based organization preserves, protects and keeps the river flowing from Ukiah to Jenner, where the river dips directly into the Pacific Ocean (in the spring the seals pups love to sunbathe here). The focus is regenerating the health of the Russian River and its wildlife by restoring over 80% of river and wetland areas lost over the last 100 years to mining, agricultural and urban development. Preserving the Russian River makes our community and its wildlife resilient to the effects of our changing climate.

How do they do it?

Since 1993, Russian Riverkeeper has been protecting the river and its surroundings by actively pursuing conservation and protection of the river (watershed and tributaries) through public education, stewardship, research, and activism. Originally known as the Friends of the Russian River, the founders addressed pollution and the decline of the annual salmon and steelhead runs (a site to check out on a winter visit). A conference in 1994 resulted in an agreement that the Russian River basin needed a master plan for restoration and enhancement. That vision has since been put into action with so much involvement from the local community.

The Russian Riverkeeper launched in 2001 as the 65^th member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an international grassroots advocacy coalition of over 250 Waterkeeper organizations.  While Healdsburg is known as a wine and food mecca, its historic lure was the river. A summer haven for bay area residents and locals since the late 1800’s. A place to relax, swim, kayak, float, fish, decompress and take in the local beauty. Waterkeeper member’s sole purpose is to preserve those rights to fishable, drinkable, swimmable pollution free waterways.