Calendar of Events

Every Tuesday

Join Friends of Five Creeks Weekday Weed Warriors, 10 am - noon, followed by coffee and chat.Meet at varied East Bay restoration areas -- including others' projects -- for a couple of hours' outdoor work, followed by coffee. Email f5creeks@aol.com to be notified of locations.

Mar. 1 (Monday) 7-9 p.m.

East Bay Reservoirs: Curse or Blessing? EB MUD ranger Bob Flasher (speaking as an individual) shows spectacular slides and videos of the history and current environmental effects of the reservoirs that support urban life in the East Bay. Flasher, who also teaches on parks and ecology at San Francisco State University, covers engineering disasters and triumphs and the reservoirs' varied effects on wildlife, with spectacular photos including rare species and a virtual helicopter flight over the big lakes. Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin (at Masonic). Free, all welcome, refreshments.

Mar. 11 (Thursday) 9 - 11 a.m.

Walkers age 50+: Enjoy the Albany Bulb in spring. Albany's landfill peninsula always has something new -- wildlife, art, Bay views. Wear shoes with good traction and bring sticks if you use them; hills are gentle but some trails may be slippery. Meet at the "big bird" sculpture at the west end of Buchanan St. (AC Transit: 52L to Pierce & Buchanan; walk west 10-15 min.) Information: f5creeks@aol.com, 510 848 9358. Free, but numbers are limited. Register with Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic, 510 524 9122, or Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin, 510 524 9283.

Mar. 14 (Sunday) 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Please help rebuild the trail on Cerrito Creek at El Cerrito Plaza. A group that scheduled this volunteer event has cancelled, but prep work has already been done. Please help us spread, level, and tamp decomposed granite, making the trail wheelchair accessible. Wear clothes that can get dirty and closed-toed shoes with good traction. Meet at the north end of Cornell Avenue, south edge of El Cerrito Plaza (opposite Trader Joe's, Internet maps 400 Cornell, Albany). AC Transit 72, 52L, or 79; El Cerrito Plaza BART station; easy bike or walk on Ohlone Greenway. Tools, gloves, and snacks provided.

Mar. 20 (Saturday) 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

First Day of Spring! F5C Work Party in Eastshore State Park near mouth of Schoolhouse Creek. Help control invasives, with light and heavy tasks for all. Tools, gloves, and snacks provided. From the small turnout on West Frontage Rd. between University and Gilman, walk west on the service road and follow signs. (Internet maps West Frontage Rd. and Virginia, Berkeley, but there is no real Virginia there.)Because parking is limited, best access is to park at Sea Breeze Deli, 598 University, just west of I-880/580, and walk 5 minutes north of Bay Trail. AC Transit 9 also stops at Sea Breeze.

Mar. 22-27 (Monday-Saturday) 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Different restoration opportunity each day during UC Berkeley's Spring Recess! Tools, gloves, and snacks provided. Sign up at f5creeks@aol.com.
*Monday, Mar. 22, see a restored creek along a major pedestrian-bicycle corridor, with nearby frog ponds and Native American petroglyphs. Remove invasives at Baxter Creek "Gateway," Ohlone Greenway at Conlon. By car, enter from Key Route at Conlon or Conlon end east of San Pablo. Bus, AC Transit 7 or 72. BART, from El Cerrito del Norte walk north on Ohlone Greenway. Great bike ride on Ohlone Greenway!
*Tuesday, Mar. 23, discover beautiful Codornices Creek and the Berkeley Rose Garden in the hills. Remove ivy on Codornices Creek at Codornices Park, Berkeley, east of Euclid and south of Eunice, opposite Berkeley Rose Garden (AC Transit 65). Follow the service road down to the park and walk east along the trail into the redwoods, to the second bridge.
*Wednesday, Mar. 24, see UC's beautiful 11-acre Blake Garden estate in Kensington, with sweeping views, and dig roots of invasive evergreen thornless blackberries, freeing small creeks. 70 Rincon Rd., Kensington. (AC Transit 7 -- get off at Arlington & Rincon, walk down Rincon to signed gate, enter garden through parking lot.
*Thursday, Mar. 25, learn about Bay history and ongoing restoration as you help turn former garbage dump into wildlife-rich Eastshore State Park. Meet at the beach at the mouth of Strawberry Creek, behind Sea Breeze Market, 598 University (just west of I-880/580 freeway). AC Transit 9 stops across the street.
*Friday, Mar. 26, discover Berkeley's century-old network of paths in the hills and help build one. Location t.b.a.

April 5 (Monday) 7-9 p.m.

April 22 (Thursday) 6-8 p.m.

Explore Albany Hill on a spring evening, celebrating Earth Day, on a hike co-sponsored by Friends of Five Creeks and Transition Albany. We'll ford Cerrito Creek and climb Albany Hill, enjoy refreshments, and return at dusk. Wear hiking shoes and long pants (poison oak) – bring sticks if you use them. Meet at Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Ave. From Central Avenue between I-880 and San Pablo, turn south toward Albany Hill on Santa Clara, which ends at the park. (Mapping programs 3499 Santa Clara Ave.) AC Transit: take 72 on San Pablo to Carlson, opposite entrance to El Cerrito Plaza. Walk west on Carlson past Peets and Old West Gun Room. Where Carlson curves north, walk south on short stub to creekside walkway. Follow creekside walkway two short blocks west to Creekside Park.

April 24 (Saturday) 9 a.m. to noon

F5C Work Party on Cerrito Creek followed by lunch at El Cerrito Community Center, for El Cerrito's Earth Day! Celebrate Earth Day at our largest restoration effort! Note early start and end, so that we can join other volunteers from all around El Cerrito at lunch at the El Cerrito Community Center, 7007 Moeser. Wear clothes that can get dirty and closed-toed shoes with good traction. Meet at Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Ave., El Cerrito. From Central Avenue between I-880 and San Pablo, turn south toward Albany Hill on Santa Clara, which ends at the park. (Mapping programs: search for 3499 Santa Clara Ave.) AC Transit: take 72 on San Pablo to Carlson, opposite entrance to El Cerrito Plaza. Walk west on Carlson past Peets and Old West Gun Room. Where Carlson curves north, walk south on short stub to creekside walkway. Follow creekside walkway two short blocks west to Creekside Park.

See short descriptions and slide shows of our projects.