Update 7-13-2007
TALK ON HORMONE DISRUPTORS IN BAY AT AUG. 6 F5C MEETING
The talk will cover not only their recent research, but also what we can do to reduce exposure. Please join us at 7 pm Monday, August 6, at Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin (at Masonic) -- free and open to all.
JULY 21 WORK PARTY ATTACKS INVASIVES
NEW F5C PROJECTS; VOLUNTEER HELP WANTED
If you can help research ways to get this flyer to folks who work with landscaping and wildlands - or if you can help with mailings later - please let me know.
UC GRANT RECEIVED: More good news: The University of California Berkeley's Community Partnership Grants again funded Greening Berkeley Hands On, another partnership we organized. This one provides both funds for materials for hands-on groups like ours. as well as a UC Berkeley student intern to recruit student volunteers. The volunteers have really boosted what we get done -- and they're such fun to work with! This year, funds will support planting natives along a path in the upper Codornices watershed, a joint project with Berkeley Path Wanderers Assn.
WANTED: "LITTER MAN" COSTUME, YOUTH(?) GROUP TO PAINT RAILING: To highlight the problem of trash in waterways, we'd like to have a "litter man" (or woman) parade costume. If you'd like to make one, or help, please let me know!
We're also looking for a youth group, school class, or other group that would like to decorate the galvanized street barrier at the Adams Street stub (location of our July 21 work party) with appropriate designs or pictures. This can be done with water-based paints. Take a look and get in touch if you're interested!
ENVIRONMENTAL GARDENS SOUGHT FOR TOURS
If your garden is more than half native plants, you may also want to apply for the May, 2008, Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, which also extends to Contra Costa County. Go to www.bringingbackthenatives.net for information and application forms.
Alameda County StopWaste also will offer its class in Bay Friendly Landscape Maintenance, leading to certification for professionals, starting January 2008; as well as its Master Composter Training from February to May, 2008, with college credit and a stipend for teachers. For information go www.stopwaste.org or call 510 444 SOIL.
EL CERRITO SEEKING STEWARDS
Thanks for reading; hope to see you soon!
Many of you probably saw the SF Chronicle's page-one story on how chemicals that disrupt hormones are reaching San Francisco Bay through common products and sewage. We're delighted that our August 6 meeting features key experts on this topic: Jennifer Jackson of EB MUD and Rebecca Sutton of Environmental Working Group, both authors of the report that led to the headlines. (Becky, we're proud and grateful to say, has for years been our volunteer webmaster.)
Next week, July 17-23, is Invasive Weed Awareness Week. Invasives destroy habitat, harm wildlife, and cost billions of dollars each year. F5C members know this first hand - most of our work is fighting invasives. All too often, these are plants that someone thought would be pretty or useful - like the evergreen thornless blackberry that took over, hid, and all but blocked Cerrito Creek.
To mark the week, we'll focus on thornless blackberry at our July 21 work party, 10 am Sat., July 21, on Cerrito Creek at Adams Street. This is one block west of San Pablo near El Cerrito Plaza. Adams is the stub jutting SOUTH from Carlson just past the Old West Gun Room and Tulip Floors. (Apologies, my last bulletin said north.) By AC Transit, take the 72 on San Pablo and get off at Carlson. It's also a short walk from the El Cerrito Plaza BART.
DODDER BROCHURE OUT: Also just in time for Invasive Weed Awareness Week, we have begun distributing our new brochure on the threat of Japanese dodder, a bright yellow parasitic vine that threatens parks and wildlands and spreads rapidly, especially near water (see www.dodder.org). The brochure, in English, Hmong, Mandarin, and Spanish, is a partnership with California Invasive Plant Council and Friends of Sausal Creek, funded by the San Francisco Estuary Project.
Alameda County StopWaste is looking for Bay-friendly gardens for its April 27, 2008, free garden tour, showcasing gardens that build healthy soil, protect our local watersheds, create wildlife habitat, and conserve water. Native plant enthusiasts, wildlife gardeners, urban food growers, and other natural gardeners can share their accomplishments. Host gardeners receive a compost bin, tote bag, t-shirt and other garden gifts; landscape professionals get valuable recognition. For more information contact Jeanne Nader at jnader@stopwaste.org or 510-891-6500. Apply BY AUGUST 3 at www.bayfriendly.org, or call 510-444-SOIL to receive an application.
The City of El Cerrito has a number of outstanding volunteer individuals and groups taking care of public places (F5C is one of these). The city's Public Works Department is considering grants to plant and help maintain fragrant and colorful native plantings to demonstrate Bay Friendly gardening techniques like integrated pest management, water conservation, and composting in public places. If you have expertise maintaining this type of garden and are interested in volunteering your time to maintain the plantings once they are in, please contact the El Cerrito Maintenance Division at 510-215-4369.
Susan Schwartz