What is a biota?
“Biota” simply means all the living things in a particular region—plants, animals, fungi, even tiny microbes. Together, they form the web of life that makes an ecosystem thrive.
Read what local botanists found on the Southeast Greenway.
Biodiversity
At first glance, the Southeast Greenway may look like a blank canvas—a stretch of open land waiting for trails, trees, and picnic tables. But if you stop and look closely, you’ll see signs of something much more alive: birds rustling in the brush, coyote tracks in the soil, and the quiet persistence of native plants trying to reclaim their place. The Southeast Greenway is home to an impressive variety of habitats right in the middle of Santa Rosa.
Biodiversity—everything from native plants and pollinators to fungi and birds—keeps ecosystems healthy and resilient. Years ago, retired botany professors Steven Barnhart (Santa Rosa Junior College) and Chris Kjeldsen (Sonoma State University) created a detailed biota of the Greenway, documenting the plants, animals, and fungi living on the land. What they found was impressive: a diverse ecosystem that once supported a classic valley oak savannah with native grasses and seasonal wildflowers. The soil, they noted, still remembers that landscape—and could support it again. That matters not just for the beauty of our new park property, but for the survival of countless species.
Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium bellum Watson, better known as Blue-eyed Grass, is not a grass at all but a petite member of the iris family. This California native dots meadows, open woodlands, and even backyard gardens with starry blue-violet flowers that bloom in spring. It provides nectar for native bees and other pollinators, and it’s wonderfully drought-tolerant—making it both ecologically important and a delightful splash of color in our Sonoma County landscape.
Western Fence Lizard
Or consider Sceloporus occidentalis, the Western Fence Lizard. Perhaps you have seen these quick little reptiles sunning themselves on rocks. They’re common across California. Did you know their blood actually kills the Lyme disease bacterium carried by ticks? That means ticks that feed on these lizards are less likely to transmit Lyme to humans. So, in their own small way, these lizards help keep us healthy—while entertaining us with their push-up displays in the sun.
These and many more species currently live on the Southeast Greenway, which is now protected as open space for all to enjoy.