Thanks to Kids for the Bay and Ms. Souza's wonderful third-grade class from Harding Elementary School, El Cerrito, for the weeding, seeding, and mulching at El Cerrito’s Creekside Park on Thursday, Feb. 28. A really fun day!

Very excited about working on the Bay shore with Berkeley's Project Peace tomorrow, Mar. 1. The following weekend launches a new partnership with East Bay Regional Park District, working with two more volunteer groups on the Berkeley waterfront in Eastshore State Park.

Board meeting Monday, Mar. 3
Friends of Five Creeks will set our spring schedule, among other business, at our board meeting 7 pm Monday, Mar. 3, at Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin (at Masonic). All welcome!

Work parties return to Cerrito Creek
For our next two general work parties, Saturday, Mar. 29 and Apr. 26, we’ll return to Cerrito Creek north of Albany Hill, working especially to remove more of the evergreen thornless blackberry. Despite heavy rains this winter, Creekside Park and adjacent El Cerrito saw no flooding – I can't help thinking it's because the channel was clear. Our native plants are flourishing – it's a great time to be in this beautiful spot. Meet at 10 am at Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Street, El Cerrito. (We ford the creek from there.)

Helping the environment at home: against weeds...
As part of your spring gardening, please try to curb the spread of invasive weeds in your yard and neighborhood. Three fast-spreading targets are broom (Genista, Cytisus, or Spartium spp.), bursting into yellow flower now; flat-topped, yellow-green oblong spurge (Euphorbia oblongata); and twining, smothering cape ivy (Delauria odorata) with its shiny, bright green leaves. All three are serious threats to wild areas. Wear gloves if you deal with spurge - its milky sap can irritate skin and is a real threat if it should get into eyes. Cape ivy won't hurt you, but a node can start a new plant. Carefully bag all parts, and don't put them in home compost.

...and against Sewage

You probably have read or heard the news about big sewage spills in the North Bay. These seem to be less likely in the East Bay, partly because EB MUD has reasonably adequate capacity, and partly because Berkeley and Albany over the past 20 years upgraded their sewer mains and passed ordinances requiring inspection of sewer laterals when homes are sold.

But that doesn't mean we don't need to pay attention. In our geologically active area, small quakes and shifting ground can shatter pipes any time. Baykeeper (www.baykeeper.org) has launched a political and legal campaign to curb these major spills. Here is some advice it offers to residents to help avoid sewage pollution:

1. Minimize water use (such as clothes washing or dishwashing) during big storms, to lessen the burden to sanitary systems. (Broken pipes do let rain into the sewer during storms.)

2. Make sure your sewer cleanout cap is on and works to keep rainwater out of the sewer.

3. Have your lateral line (the pipe from your house to the sewer main, usually in the street) inspected; repair it if needed.

4. Think about your lateral line when landscaping - the roots of trees and shrubs planted near it are one of the most common causes of sewer-line problems.

5. If you home has downspouts or sump pumps connected to the sanitary sewer, these probably are illegal and should be disconnected. However, some are needed to prevent flooding, so proceed with caution.

Albany Bulb walk Mar. 6
The second of three walks for folks age 50+ exploring Albany's natural treasures will explore the wild, wonderful Albany bulb, from castle to art to wildlife. Free but numbers are limited -- Register with Albany Senior Center, 510 524 9122, or Albany Community Center, 524 9283. Meet at 9 am at the big heron sculpture at the foot of Buchanan Street. Wear sturdy walking shoes; dress in layers. Mostly level, but short stretches are steep or have poor trails.

Thanks for reading!