The preserve has an agreement with Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University to use the site for field studies.
[1] Pacific Gas and Electric installed a microgrid at the site to allow it to remove above-ground power lines.
[2] Pepperwood has a Mediterranean climate that includes cool wet winters (November–April) and hot dry summers (May–October).
Pepperwood's geology is complex with exposures of Glen Ellen sediments, Sonoma volcanics and Franciscan metamorphics.
Wetlands are composed of riparian forests, springs, marshes, ponds, and vernal pools.