In fond and grateful memory of Henry Treadway, who designed and led painting of our mural in El Cerrito's Creekside Park as part of earning Boy Scout Eagle rank. A wonderful young man and a loss to the world.

Spring weeding -- Friends of Five Creeks Weekday Weed Warriors removed mountains of weeds on lower Codornices Creek in May -- as well as at other sites.

Above, long socks help protect against poison oak at our Earth Day "broom bash" in the El Cerrito Hillside Natural Area. Below, counting tiny rare lillies in this 90-acre gem, where we now have found close to 100 species of native plants.

Click here for more on these and other projects.

Helping nature in the East Bay – Hands On

Friends of Five Creeks is an all-volunteer group working hands-on for clean water and healthy watersheds. We protect and restore natural areas that welcome both wildlife and people on the urbanized east side of San Francisco Bay. See map and slide shows of some of our restoration projects.

Please join us in:

Work parties restoring native vegetation and wildlife habitat, lessening erosion and flooding, providing trails and green corridors.
Free guided walks and talks open to all.
Tuesday morning "weekday weed warriors" in varied natural areas.
Outreach and public education including signs, publications, web applications, appearances at festivals, and more.
Advocating, participating in political processes, and partnering with agencies and other groups.

For information or to arrange a work party for your group, contact F5Creeks@aol.com or (510) 848-9358. Click here to subscribe to our e-newsletter. Click here to donate or join!

New:

Our plant list for the El Cerrito Hillside Natural Area now has more than 100 native plants! See our slide show on the wildflowers of the amazing "island" of oak forest, grassland, and coastal prairie surrounded by city.

Help us learn What Lives in the El Cerrito Hillside Natural Area and What Lives on Albany Hill and Cerrito Creek!. Share photos and sightings. building up knowledge that will help in managing this wonderful oasis of wild land in the city. Tell us where you saw the animal or plant and what it was doing. Don't worry if you don't know the exact species -- iNaturalist will help you identify it, and you'll help build a worldwide database on animals and plants.

Find more ways to help the environment while enjoying the outdoors on our new Citizen Science page. Projects for everybody!

See our new, 12-minute video, The Shorebird Diner at the Mouth of Schoolhouse Creek. Then go see for yourself – fall through spring is the time to enjoy the amazing variety of migrating and winter birds along the Bay! Our projects at the mouths of Schoolhouse and Strawberry Creek are great for bird watching.

About Us

Friends of Five Creeks, founded in 1995, is a citizens group operating under the fiscal sponsorship of Berkeley Partners for Parks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. Our decisions are governed by bylaws and made by a board drawn from our volunteers.

Meetings: Our meetings are open to all. Generally, we meet on first Mondays 7-9 PM at Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin; board meetings alternate with public presentations. However, check the events calendar for details.

Mission: Friends of Five Creeks believes that the health of creeks and watersheds supports the health of urban environments.

Friends of Five Creeks mobilizes volunteers of all ages to restore, maintain, and enjoy the creeks and watersheds of the East Bay from North Berkeley to Richmond. In year-round work parties, we help revitalize creeks, improve habitat and water quality, eliminate invasive plant species, and increase public access and stewardship.

We prune, weed, dig, plant, and remove trash from creek sites and their watersheds. In collaboration with like-minded civic organizations, we assist and advocate for restoration projects, and build and maintain paths. To increase public understanding of environmental processes, we publish and post information, design and install interpretive signs, and host speakers and events.