Sarah Stierch

I'm a journalist, opinionist, photographer and polymath based in northern California.

I am currently on leave from my journalism work as I explore where I see my future in the world of information and sharing. More soon on what the future holds.

I write about wildfires, food, beverage, travel, history and the local culture of regions in Northern California. I also photograph a lot of these subjects.

Most recently, I contributed to Bay City News and The Mendocino Voice. I am the former Food & Wine Editor of the Sonoma Valley Sun and beverage and travel writer for Sonoma Magazine. I have contributed to North Bay Woman, the Press-Democrat, the North Bay Bohemian, Huffington Post, Wine Enthusiast, the Sonoma Index-Tribune, and NorthBay Biz.

My wildfire work was called "groundbreaking" by KQED Forum's Michael Krasny in 2017. In my wildfire coverage, I have appeared on KQED Forum, WNYC's The Takeway, the Weather Channel, KPFA, KSVY, KSRO and in the Washington Post, St. Helena Star, SF Gate, San Francisco Chronicle and ABC Weekend Nightly News.

My photography has been published by The Washington Post, Utne Reader, Motorburn, Nature World News, the Christian Post, Buzzfeed, KNPR, KQED, Thrillist, Frommers, Lonely Planet, the Financial Observer, Country Queer, ROAR, WAMU, the National Park Service, California State Parks, the NBA, Joie de Vivre Hotels, PETA, Hilton and more.

You can contact me at sarahstierch at gmail.com and find me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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The Mendocino Voice •

Legislators introduce bill in Congress to fund research on the effects of wildfire smoke on winegrapes • The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA

MENDOCINO CO., 3/27/25 –  A new bill in Congress proposes to use federal funds to research the impacts of wildfire smoke exposure on grapevines and vineyards, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said when the bill was introduced earlier this month.  The Smoke Exposure Research Act requests $32.5 million to fund the U.S. Department of Agriculture to work with University of California, Davis, Oregon State University and Washington State University to research the effects of smoke exposure on viticu...
Local News Matters •

DOGE targets Bureau of Land Management field office in Ukiah with closure by August - Local News Matters

A Bureau of Land Management field office responsible for overseeing hundreds of thousands of public acres in Northern California is scheduled to close by this summer, a casualty of federal government efficiency cuts, a Bay Area congressman recently announced.The proposed closure of the BLM Ukiah Field Office by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was disclosed last month by Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael. It is part of a nationwide Trump administration initiative helmed by billio...
The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA •

Mendocino Dance Project presents an evening of contemporary dance to inspire resiliency during challenging times   • The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA

MENDOCINO CO., 3/11/25 – An exploration of complex and challenging times is the theme of “Surface Tension,” a new performance by the Mendocino Dance Project.   The contemporary dance troupe, led by Artistic Director Kara Starkweather, will perform the new show for one night only at the Willits Community Theatre on Saturday and two nights at the Matheson Performing Arts Center in Mendocino, Mar. 28-29. The project has a history of relevancy with its performances and this new show is no excepti...
The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA •

Photographer Geraldine LiaBraaten invites intimacy with the mundane in new exhibit in Elk  • The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA

MENDOCINO CO., 3/5/25 – Mendocino Coast-based artist Geraldine LiaBraaten wants to remind us that what we see is not always what we get, at least when it comes to the photographic mind games she hopes to play with art enthusiasts at her new exhibit “Pictures at an Exhibition.”   The show, which opens Saturday in Elk, features a self-curated collection of LiaBraaten’s semi-abstract photographs. Up-close and personal is her modus operandi in many of the photos, whether it’s her camera lens lookin...
The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA •

Sheriff's office identifies man who died after arrest in Ukiah • The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA

UKIAH, CA., 3/4/25 – The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday identified a man who died after being arrested by deputies.   Emil Redzic, 29, of Ukiah, died after a possible medical emergency during his arrest on Wednesday.   Deputies responded to a 911 hang-up call from an apartment complex in the 300 block of Brush Street in Ukiah. They spotted Redzic fleeing the area on foot after seeing them, the Sheriff’s Office said.   Video footage shows Redzic arriving at the apartment complex...
Local News Matters •

He's a 'designated survivor': Napa Valley Dem has vital role in Trump's address to Congress - Local News Matters

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, has been named a designated survivor for Tuesday night’s joint address to Congress by President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.Thompson is a Democrat whose district includes Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties and has served in Congress since 1999.Thompson said he was selected by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, to serve as the Democrats’ designated survivor for the House of Representatives. The designation means that Thompson wi...
CBS San Francisco •

Petaluma police arrest man on suspicion of assault after fight in downtown

A Sonoma man was arrested for allegedly assaulting an individual in downtown Petaluma on Friday evening, police said. A fight was reported at the Keller Street Garage in downtown Petaluma late Friday night. Petaluma police officers arrived around 11:50 p.m. and found the victim with a bruise on their face from allegedly being kicked in the head, according to the Petaluma Police Department. The suspect fled the scene in a car. A vehicle in the area matched the described getaway car and officers...
The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA •

Ukiah man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder Thursday • The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA

A man was arrested Tuesday morning on suspicion of attempted murder in Ukiah, according to police. A woman called dispatch at 4:49 a.m. Tuesday reporting that her brother stabbed her boyfriend at a home in the 200 block of Irvington Drive in Ukiah.  Upon arrival at the scene, officers found the victim, a 28-year-old man from Ukiah, standing in front of the home. The victim was covered in blood and holding the left side of his face. Deputies from the Mendocino County Sherif...
Local News Matters •

Break out the marshmallows: Campfires are allowed again in Mendocino National Forest - Local News Matters

It’s OK to gather around the campfire on a cool autumn night in the Mendocino National Forest once again, after the U.S. Forest Service lifted fire restrictions there this week.As of Wednesday, the Forest Service will now allow campfires, fuel stoves, lanterns and heating devices on forest land. Valid campfire permits are required for visitors to have open campfires or camp stoves outside of designated campgrounds.Wet weather, longer nights and cooler temperatures, all which reduce wildfire risk...
The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA •

“Dear America ‘24” art exhibit explores the upcoming election, nation’s challenges • The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA

In his first inaugural speech in 1789, George Washington called democracy “an experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”  That experiment has led America to one of the most consequential times in its history, specifically the Nov. 5 election, during which voters will choose between polar opposite candidates with different visions of what the country is and what the future may hold. To address and explore this grand experiment known as democracy, the upcomin...
The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA •

Point Arena nonprofit falls victim to catalytic converter theft leaving coast seniors without vital transportation services  • The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA

A Point Arena nonprofit has fallen prey to catalytic converter thieves, who left the organization with the inability to provide older adults living on the Mendocino Coast with free transportation to and from medical appointments.  According to Coastal Seniors, a Point Arena-based nonprofit that provides programs and services to older adults and individuals with disabilities living in bicounty, Mendonoma, three buses owned by the organization had catalytic converters...
The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA •

Psychological thriller “The Whisperer” world premiere in Willits, starts Friday  • The Mendocino Voice | Mendocino County, CA

Spooky season is in full swing, and the Willits Community Theatre is embracing it with the world premiere of “The Whisperer” on Friday.  The play centers on Lena Patrick (Zoe Robertson), a teen newly released from a mental hospital where she received electroshock therapy, which renders her unable to remember why she was hospitalized in the first place.  Prescribed pills to address her health issues, Patrick spirals into sleeplessness filled with terrifying nightmares. Ev...
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