History

Our story begins in 2008 when a local homeschool family began organizing a group of kids to get together and explore the hills and gullies of Sienna Ranch and our neighboring Briones Regional Park, with a few enthusiastic naturalists as their mentors. This was the birth of our Explorers program.

Before we began our stewardship journey this land had a deep history that we honor and celebrate today:

Geological History: A Journey Through Time

Millions of years ago this land was once the bottom of a shallow ocean. As time and tectonic activity lifted this land upward, the muddy ocean floor and all of the creatures settled into fossilized sedimentary rock. Today those fossils can be found in rock outcroppings throughout our hillsides.

Hundreds of years ago our gigantic Valley oaks were just sprouting from their acorns. Today our land looks quite different from a few hundred years ago. It’s fun to imagine what the world will look like when the acorns sprouting on our hills this year are grown into grandmother oaks, and to ask ourselves: What do we want the world to look like?

Indigenous Peoples: Stewards of this Land

We acknowledge that we are standing on the ancestral lands of the Saclan people of Lafayette, and the Bay Miwok and Ohlone people of the wider East Bay. They are the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and live. They stewarded this land throughout the generations and we recognize their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We at Sienna Ranch are grateful to share and connect to this natural environment and are inspired to provide nature immersion programs that create a deep sense of place and nature connection in the next generation of global stewards.

The Ranching Era: A New Chapter

Fast-forward to the mid-19th century, when European settlers, driven by the promise of fertile land, arrived in California. The state’s landscape, rich in natural resources, attracted ranchers and farmers who sought to establish homesteads.

In the 1840s, following California’s annexation by the United States, the land that is now Sienna Ranch was part of large tracts of land granted to early ranchers under the Mexican land grant system. The land was initially used for grazing cattle, which would become a dominant industry in the region. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Sienna Ranch became a working ranch, used primarily for cattle and sheep farming. The traditions of ranching, passed down from Spanish and Mexican settlers, continued into the 20th century as families in the area continued the agricultural lifestyle.

The history of ranching in the area is steeped in the pastoral traditions that defined much of Northern California. Farmers and ranchers carved out a life from the rugged land, raising livestock and cultivating crops. The original barns and ranch houses that still stand on the property today are reminders of the region’s deep agricultural history.

Today and Tomorrow! Celebrating A Legacy of Stewardship

The ranch has transitioned into a space dedicated to environmental education, outdoor adventure, and sustainable agriculture. Programs like youth camps, equestrian lessons, and nature exploration allow visitors to connect with the land in meaningful ways, continuing the tradition of stewardship that stretches back thousands of years.

Each chapter of Sienna Ranch’s story represents a connection to the land—a deep bond that continues to inspire those who live and work there today.