Update 3-21-2007
CERRITO CREEK WORK PARTY SATURDAY
Meet at 10 am at Creekside Park, south end of Santa Clara Street, El Cerrito (south of Central Avenue, between San Pablo and I-880). By bus, take AC Transit 43 marked El Cerrito BART to Pacific East Mall, 3288 Pierce St., and walk east along the creek at the edge of the parking lot, into the park. Wear closed-toed shoes with good traction; long pants and sleeves recommended if you plan to work on the blackberries.
We'll supply water and snacks for the work party, but you might want to bring your own picnic for the walk.
FROG-SURVEY TRAINING APRIL 2
THANKS
Thanks, too, to UC Berkeley Professor of Architecture Charles C. Benton for his series of kite photos of the restoration on lower Codornices Creek -- see the most recent photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kap_cris/sets/72157600007665227/, with links to older photos -- enjoy them as a slide show. (By the way, you can see slide shows of F5C restoration projects from our website, www.fivecreeks.org.)
NEWS FROM OTHERS
TALK ON EAST BAY GEOLOGY
UPCOMING WATERSHED-FRIENDLY GARDEN TOURS
Don't forget to register for the East Bay's two free tours showcasing watershed-friendly gardening, with a minimum of irrigation and chemicals:
For the April 29 Alameda County Bay Friendly Garden Tour, go to http://recycle.stopwaste.org/GardenTour/bfgt-signup.asp.
For the May 5 and 6 Alameda-Contra Costa County Bringing Back the Natives Garden tour, expanded with plant sales and other new features, go to http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/.
And whether or not you go on the tour, please try to minimize your use of pesticides containing synthetic pyrethroids -- generally compounds ending in "thrin." If you hire a landscaper or someone who controls pests, encourage him or her to learn and become certified about sustainable, Bay-friendly landscaping and integrated pest management. Don't assume that following label instructions protects water or aquatic organisms -- it does not.
Hope to see you soon!
Please join us at 10 am Saturday, March 24, as we continue liberating the historic willow grove at the confluence of Cerrito and Middle Creek from invasive non-native blackberries. The gnarled trees emerging as we clear the brush are amazing! Lots of other tasks, light and heavy, too. A little after noon, we'll hike to the top of Albany Hill for great views and talk about the area's fascinating history.
Learn to recognize the calls of local frogs and how you can help with our every-other-year frog survey by listening for frogs, at the F5C meeting 7 pm Monday, April 2, Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin. Amphibian biologist Krishna Feldman will also discuss threats to frogs. All ages welcome! More information on our website, www.fivecreeks.org.
Big thank-yous to UC Berkeley students from the Berkeley Project for help on Codornices Creek March 17, and to Peter Rudy and Big Chief Loggers for chips.
Doris Sloan, author of Geology of the San Francisco Bay Region, speaks on Highlights on San Francisco Bay Area Geology at the March meeting of the East Bay chapter of the California Native Plant Society, Wed., Mar 28, 7:30 pm at Orinda Public Library Garden Room, 24 Orinda Way, in Orinda Village, second floor, (not far from Orinda BART). Information at 510 496 6016.
California Native Plant Society also needs help to staff information tables at the May 5 and 6 Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour; contact Delia Taylor, 510 527 3912, deliataylor@mac.com.
Susan Schwartz