Codornices Creek and nearby hill projects
Codornices is our area's most intact creek, with a population of rainbow trout and at least occasional ocean-going steelhead (these two are the same species). Watch this video of steelhead in Codornices Creek. Friends of Five Creeks is involved in several projects along the creek.
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| Mortar Rock and North Berkeley Hill Projects |
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| Codornices Creek at Live Oak Park, Berkeley |
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| Codornices Creek at Ohlone Greenway |
Long-term plans for restoration of the creek below San Pablo Avenue to the Union Pacific railroad tracks are slowly being carried out. Two phases of this major restoration have been completed, from the Union Pacific railroad tracks to Sixth Street. A third, reaching Eighth Street, is underway.
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| Lower Codornices Creek |
Friends of Five Creeks has worked along lower Cerrito Creek since 2000. Our aims are:
The cities of Albany and El Cerrito have adopted a plan for the trail. Segment by segment, it is becoming reality.
At the Ohlone Greenway, Friends of Five Creeks removed blackberries and ivy that were choking the creek, planted natives, and installed seating rocks.
Between Talbot and Kains Streets, the creek was little better than a degraded concrete ditch. Friends of Five Creeks helped advocate for adequate restoration as part of Plaza remodeling. With a grant from the Coastal Conservancy, in 2003 the city of El Cerrito had the parking lot moved back; a new, more meandering channel dug and planted with natives. Friends of Five Creeks contributed amenities such as signs and litter cans, and does ongoing maintenance and fill-in planting. Click the photo below for pictures, slide show, and map (Picasa.com..
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| Cerrito Creek at El Cerrito Plaza |
West of San Pablo Avenue, in July 2005, Friends of Five Creeks volunteers began revitalizing Cerrito Creek from Adams Street (one block west of San Pablo) downstream. Here is a slide show of our work from Adams Street to Creekside Park.
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| Cerrito Creek, Adams Street through Creekside Park |
In summer 2008, as part of this project, Girl Scouts of Berkeley-Albany Troop 427 turned the street-end barrier at Adams Street into urban art. In summer 2009, Boy Scouts of Albany Troop 14 revitalized a graffitti-scarred corner of Creekside Park by painting a spectacular mural. See the slide show:
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| GS 427 |
Here is a slide show of our work at Albany's and El Cerrito's Creekside Parks, where we are gradually replacing invasive, flood-causing blackberries with varied natives.
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| Cerrito Creek at Creekside Park |
West of Creekside Park, Friends of Five Creeks restored the north bank of the creek, adjacent to Pacific East Mall, as our major project from 2001 to 2005. Click below to see map, photos, and slide show (Picasa.com).
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| Cerrito Creek at Pacific East Mall |
The mouth of Strawberry Creek, now part of Eastshore State Park, is important habitat for shorebirds. Friends of Five Creeks volunteers control perennial pepperweed that could take over the mudflats shorebirds use, and also remove other invasives, particularly ice plant. Varied natives are coming on their own or being planted. The small beach has become popular for dog-walking, birding, and relaxed picnicing. See the slide show:
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| Strawberry Creek mouth |
In 2007-9, Friends of Five Creeks' Weekday Weed Warriors, as well as youth volunteers from elementary to college age, levered out the 400' wall of broom that had invaded the Nature Area and blocked Bay views in Berkeley's Shorebird Park. Click the photo below for a slide show.
Shorebird Park
In 2008, Friends of Five Creeks began helping in the Berkeley Meadow, an amazing urban wildlife refuge on old refuse landfill, just north of the mouth of Strawberry Creek. This part of Eastshore State Park is being restored in stages. Click the photo below for a slide show.
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| Berkeley Meadow |
Friends of Five Creeks' long-term goal is bringing Schoolhouse Creek out of its culvert at its mouth in Eastshore State Park. This would create a small salt marsh. In the meantime, volunteers work to control invasives and make the area friendly to people and wildlife. Check out our slide show by clicking the photo below.
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| Schoolhouse Creek mouth |
In 2007, Friends of Five Creeks' volunteers began planting drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly natives along the Santa Fe Right of Way, which connects with the Ohlone Greenway to provide a pedestrian-bicycle route from Berkeley to Richmond. Besides serving as a demonstration of environmentally friendly planting techniques, the landscaping has greatly reduced litter and vandalism along the trail. Check out our slide show by clicking the photo below.
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| Santa Fe Right of Way |
Friends of Five Creeks' Weekday Weed Warriors group meets weekly for a couple of hours' hard work followed by coffee. The group goes to many sites, not just F5C projects. A couple are shown in these photos and slide show (Picasa.com).
In summer 2009, Friends of Five Creeks volunteers used Global Positioning System technology to map perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium)along the East Bay shore from the San Mateo bridge to Pinole. This weed, which covers large areas just above the tide line, excluding natural diversity and providing only poor habitat, is the second most serious along the Bay shore. See photos below.
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| Surveying Invasive Perennial Pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) |
Friends of Five Creeks volunteers use a variety of small grants to place interpretive signs where "our" creeks cross the Bay Trail and in restoration projects. Click below for photos and slide show (Picasa.com).
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| Signs |
Friends of Five Creeks has sponsored several "Art to Action" programs with local environmental artist Zach Pine. Groups of high-schoolers, seniors working with younger children, homeless children and their families, and the general public have gathered to make outdoor art with natural materials. See photos on Zach Pine's web site.
Each year, Friends of Five Creeks visits another part of the Bay Area to learn about restoration efforts. Our 2006 trip took us to the Delta with Jeff Hart of Hart Restoration and Delta Ecotours. In 2007, we toured the Guadalupe River Parkway through downtown San Jose. Click below for photos and slide show(Picasa.com).
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| F5COutings |
F5C volunteers lead walks, give talks, and distribute information at public events including Earth Day fairs, the Albany and El Cerrito July 4th fairs, Solano Stroll, and others.
