Calendar of Events
Every Tuesday, 10 AM - noon
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.
February 6 (Monday) 7 - 9 PM
"Bay Area Butterflies 101": Lepidopterist and illustrator Liam O'Brien presents "Bay Area Butterflies 101," slides and drawings illustrating an introduction to fascinating variety of Bay Area butterflies and the role these winged jewels play in our environment. He also will talk about his project to save San Francisco's rare Green Hairstreak butterfly by creating a corridor of native-plant habitat in homes. Don't miss it! Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin (at Masonic). All welcome, refreshments!
February 11 (Saturday) 10 AM - 12:30 PM
Help habitat in the Cerrito Creek/Albany Hill "ecological island" in the city. Albany Hill, rising alone by the Bay with Cerrito Creek at its foot, is a rare gem or green space and habitat in the city. Help us make and keep it welcoming for wildlife and people. This work party will focus on removing invasives in the area of the historic willow grove where Middle Creek flows into Cerrito Creek. Meet at El Cerrito's Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Ave., El Cerrito (Internet maps 3499 Santa Clara; AC Transit 25 or 72, near El Cerrito Plaza BART). Wear closed-toed shoes with good traction; dress in layers for all weather. Tools, gloves, and snacks provided. All welcome -- we will have easy and hard tasks, and the playground in Creekside Park is great for young children.We will work in a drizzle, but heavy rain cancels.
February 16 (Thursday), 9 AM - 11 AM
Walkers 50+: Explore Strawberry Creek and fascinating history on the UC Berkeley campus. Visit restored natural areas, a new native-plant nursery, hidden glades, and oldest to newest campus buildings -- even a log cabin. Meet at 9 AM at the Peet's Coffee inside downtown Berkeley BART (no BART ticket needed.) Friends of Five Creeks Vice President Shirley Jowell leads this easy, mostly level walk, Information: 510 525 7012, sjowell@sbcglobal.net. The walk is free, but please RSVP with co-sponsor Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic, 510 524 9122.
March 5 (Monday) 7 - 9 PM
Friends of Five Creeks board meeting, Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin (at Masonic). Free, all welcome, refreshments!
March 15 (Thursday), 9 AM - 11 AM
Walkers 50+: Cerrito Creek's grand canyon: Meet at 9 AM at Peet's Coffee, 1825 Solano Ave. (AC Transit 18) to explore Thousand Oaks rocks and paths on your way to Cerrito Creek's startling deep canyon. Friends of Five Creeks Vice President Shirley Jowell leads. The pace is leisurely, but the walk includes fairly long staircases. Information: 510 525 7012, sjowell@sbcglobal.net. The walk is free, but please RSVP with co-sponsor Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic, 510 524 9122.
March 24 (Saturday) 10 AM - 12:30 PM
Join Friends of Five Creeks and Grizzly Peak Fly Fishers for a conservation morning on Codornices Creek, ending with a walk to see different stages of restoration. Meet at 8th Street and the creek, on the Albany/Berkeley border, south edge of University Village, two blocks north of Gilman (AC Transit 25 or 72). Wear closed-toed shoes with good traction and layered clothing that can get dirty. We work in a drizzle, but heavy rain cancels. We supply gloves, tools, snacks, and water. All welcome -- light and heavy tasks for all.
April 2 (Monday) 7 - 9 PM
"Living shorelines": Chris Lim, head of The Watershed Project's effort to create reefs for native oysters, speaks on ways to to soften Bay shores, make them more welcoming to wildlife, and perhaps protect infrastructure as sea levels rise. Free, all welcome, refreshments! Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin (at Masonic).
April 19 (Thursday), 9 AM - 11 AM
Walkers 50+: What's springing on Albany Bulb? See what's new in Albany Bulb art, enjoy spring, and learn about the latest plans for bulb and beach on an easy walk led by Friends of Five Creeks President Susan Schwartz. Meet at the first bird-watching platform on Buchanan, just west of I-880/580, Albany (AC Transit 25). Information: 510 848 9358, f5creeks@aol.com. The walk is free, but please RSVP with co-sponsor Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic, 510 524 9122.
April 21 (Saturday) 9:30 AM - noon
For El Cerrito's Earth Day, help remove invasive, fire-prone French broom at El Cerrito's beautiful Hillside Natural Area! Meet at the service road entrance opposite 7500 Schmidt Lane, east of Navallier and west of the El Cerrito Recycling Center. If you come late, follow the service road, staying downhill. Dress in layers for all weather, with long pants and sleeves and closed-toed shoes with good traction. Tools, gloves, and snacks provided. All welcome, but young children and anyone uncomfortable on slopes or extremely sensitive to poison oak might want to skip this work party. We will work in a drizzle, but heavy rain cancels. Free lunch for volunteers afterwards at the El Cerrito Community Center.
Save the date: The 2012 "blitz" survey for Sudden Oak Death is set for Saturday, April 28.
Help track and slow this lethal invader, a major threat to our beautiful coast live oaks and the wild creatures that depend on them! Stay tuned!
For volunteer opportunities and nature-oriented events Bay-wide, including a clickable map of volunteer opportunities (formerly on F5C's web site) see the Bay Nature Calendar.