Our Recent Work and Fellowship

This year 2025 marked a transition for Abuelitos from planning to practice. We began hands-on field work, launched our first Fellowship, and deepened partnerships centered on creek and watershed health in Napa County.

Below is a snapshot of what we’ve been working on and what we’re learning along the way.

Conn Creek Land Lab

The Conn Creek Land Lab is Abuelitos’ first demonstration project, developed in partnership with Element 28. Located along Conn Creek, the site serves as a place to test, observe, and share simple, low tech approaches to creek and watershed restoration.

The work focuses on slowing and spreading water, reducing erosion, improving soil and riparian function, and better understanding how small, thoughtful interventions can support healthier creek systems over time.

Just as important, the site is a living classroom. It provides a place for shared learning among landowners, practitioners, agencies, and community members interested in practical, place based restoration. Insights and learnings from the site will be documented and synthesized into a practical field guide, offering other communities a clear, adaptable pathway to adopt similar restoration practices in their own ecosystem environments.

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Structures built

Ecosystem Restoration Fellowship

In November 2025, Abuelitos launched its first Ecosystem Restoration Fellowship to support hands-on learning and field-based experience for early-career practitioners.

Ellis Allen joined us as our inaugural Fellow. Working closely with partners and mentors, Ellis has played a meaningful role in advancing the Foundation’s mission — contributing to fieldwork, monitoring, documentation, and coordination at the Conn Creek Land Lab in ways that directly support Abuelitos’ restoration priorities and learning goals.

The Fellowship is designed to pair real work on real land with observation, reflection, and shared learning. It is intentionally small, grounded, and focused on developing practical skills alongside thoughtful care for place.

Looking ahead.

As we progress into this year, our focus remains on careful implementation, learning from what we observe, and strengthening the partnerships that make this work possible.

We see this as long term work, built through consistency, humility, and attention over time.

We welcome you.

We’re grateful to everyone who has been part of this work, whether through partnership, conversation, guidance, or simple curiosity.

If you’d like to stay connected as the work continues, we welcome you. Let’s create something meaningful together.

As the year begins, we invite you to reflect on the people, places and efforts that quietly sustain our communities.