SEPTEMBER  |  OCTOBER 2015   
  


In This Issue (Links)
Friend of the Month
Sausal Creek Restoration Project
Rainbow Trout Relocated
Explore the Watershed
Summer Internship Reflections
Kudos Korner
Events of Others




Upcoming Events
For locations, see event calendar


FOSC NATIVE PLANT SALE & OPEN HOUSE
Sun., Oct. 25
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
FOSC Native Plant Nursery


MEMBER MEETINGS

 Gardening and Birds
Pat Bacchetti
Wed., Sept. 16
7-9 p.m.
Dimond Branch Library

Bat Talk
Jill Miller
Wed., Sept. 30
7-8:30 p.m.
Dimond Branch Library

Bat Walk
Jill Miller
Fri., Oct. 2
6:30-7:45 p.m.
Bridgeview Trail


PARENT-CHILD AQUATIC INSECT FIELD TRIP
(RSVP for location)
Sun., Sept. 6
10 a.m.-Noon

CLEAN UPS

Dimond Canyon
Sun., Sept. 6
10 a.m.-Noon

Fruitvale Bridge Park
Sat., Sept. 19
9 a.m.-Noon

Jingletown
Sat., Sept. 19
9 a.m.-Noon

Nomadic Press
2926 Foothill Blvd., #1
Sat., Sept. 19
9 a.m.-Noon

 
RESTORATION WORKDAYS
 
Barry Place
Sat., Sept. 19
9 a.m.-Noon 
 
Beaconsfield Canyon
Sat., Sept. 19, Oct. 31    
9 a.m.-Noon
  
Bridgeview Trail
Sun., Sept. 13, Oct. 11  
10 a.m.-Noon
 
Bridgeview Trailhead Native Bee Garden
Sun., Sept. 20, Oct. 18 
10 a.m.-Noon
 
Marj Saunders Park
Mon., Sept. 7, Oct. 5
11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 19
9 a.m.-Noon

Montclair Railroad Trail
Sat., Sept. 19, Oct. 17   
9-11 a.m.
   
Wood Park
Sat., Sept. 19, Oct. 17  
10 a.m.-Noon
 
 
TRAIL STEWARDSHIP
Locations TBD
Sun., Sept. 27, Oct. 4  
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
    
 
 COLLECTION HIKE
Location TBD
Fri., Sept. 11
10 a.m.-Noon
 
 
 NURSERY WORKDAYS
FOSC Native Plant Nursery
Joaquin Miller Park

Sat., Sept. 12 & 26,
Oct. 10 & 24 
1:30-4:30 p.m.
 
Sat., Sept. 19
9 a.m.-Noon
 
Fri., Oct. 23
10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 24
10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
 
 
MONITORING

Bird Monitoring
Sequoia Arena Gate
Joaquin Miller Park
Sat., Oct. 3 
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
 
Water Quality Monitoring
(email Kathleen for location)
Wed., Sept. 9, 16, & 23
8:30-11:30 a.m. 
  

BOARD MEETING
Wed., Oct. 14  
7-9 p.m.
Park Blvd. Presbyterian Church
   
 
For more information:
 
Restoration & Nursery Manager
(510) 325-9006

Executive Director
(510) 501-3672
 




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Photo Credits:

J. Scott Altenbach
California myotis bat

Patricia Bacchetti hummingbird

Max Bouvatte
Chris Boswell portrait

Jeff Ebner
field trip students

Laura Hanson
honeysuckle fruits

Kristin Hathaway
Dimond Park project

Michelle Krieg
honeysuckle vine

Rob Leidy
rainbow trout

Jill Miller
summer intern program

Eric Ullman
in-the-creek crew


Illustration Credit:
Vi Strain 

 
Editors:
Richard Kauffman
Kimra McAfee
 
FOSC logo
If you haven't visited Dimond Park yet to see the construction that is now underway on the daylighting project, go now! A good view is available from the tot lot near the Scout Hut--what a treat for kids and adults. Creek to Bay Day and all volunteer activities in Dimond Park and Canyon will be staged a little differently in coming months, as detailed on our event calendar. We couldn't be more excited for this stretch of creek to be restored to a more natural state.  
 
In-the-Creek Litter Cleanup
Sunday, September 6, 10 a.m.-Noon
El Centro Trailhead
"Just a note to say that we had fun picking up 128 pounds of trash." "I had a great time, and I look forward to the next one." These are quotes from first-time, "in-the-creek" volunteers from the March cleanup. And then there was the hiker who called FOSC recently to tell us about the garbage bag full of golf balls he had just picked up and wanted to know what to do with them. The trash and golf balls just keep coming. So RSVP now to coordinator@sausalcreek.org and we'll reserve a pair of boots for you. This event is not suitable for small children--eight and older only, please.

Gardening and Birds
Wednesday, September 16, 7 p.m.
Dimond Branch Library
3565 Fruitvale Ave., Oakland
Gardens in urban areas are an important piece of habitat for birds, particularly during our prolonged drought. Birder, gardener, and past FOSC board member Patricia Bacchetti will talk about several features that you can include in your garden to attract birds year-round. She will also describe the seasonal birds that can visit your garden, where they spend their summers and winters, and why it matters. Download a flyer. This talk is sure to make you eager for our annual native plant sale and open house on Sunday, October 25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Creek to Bay Day Workdays
Saturday, September 19
Sure, this annual event is part of International Coastal Cleanup Day, but opportunities to help are not limited to the coast or even to creeks. Find a Creek to Bay Day workday near you on the FOSC event calendar or the city's website. If you are interested in being a crew leader or have a group interested in volunteering at a FOSC location, please contact Michelle Krieg. All volunteers under 18 must bring City of Oakland and FOSC waivers signed by their parent or guardian.

Bats in the Urban Watershed
Talk: Wednesday, September 30, 7-8:30 p.m.
Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale Ave.
Walk: Friday, October 2, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Bridgeview Trailhead
You've seen them in the movies and on TV, but have you seen them in Oakland? Like humans, bats are able to thrive in nearly every kind of extreme environment including our own. Join urban bat enthusiast Jill Miller for a two-part bat talk and walk in which we explore what our nocturnal neighbors have to teach us about living a balanced life in the hectic city. The slide show at Dimond Library will introduce the fascinating bats of the Sausal Creek Watershed and the world. Bat-pollinated snacks will be provided! (No tequila, sorry.) The ¼ mile Bridgeview Trail walk will offer a chance to observe some of our amazing flying friends as they forage for insects on the wing. Inclement weather cancels the walk. For more information, please contact Jill Miller.

Native Plant Sale and Open House
Sunday, October 25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
FOSC Native Plant Nursery
Fabulous native plants, raptors, live music, face painting, and informational booths on urban homesteading, native gardening, bees, and other wildlife--we love hosting this family-friendly event! Come out and meet your neighbors, find drought resistant and slope stabilizing native plants for your garden, and support habitat restoration and environmental education programs in the watershed. The lineup and list of available plants will be on our website soon. Your purchases and your donations make everything that we do possible.
Friend of the Month:
Chris Boswell 
   
It's not every day that we find a volunteer who is willing to help with absolutely anything. With an engineer's mind and eagerness to learn, Chris Boswell has provided extraordinary assistance with many different FOSC programs and projects for the past two years. A regular at the nursery, Chris always jumps in wherever help is needed, supporting other volunteers and making sure every task is done to the highest quality. Always with a smile on his face and a friendly, positive attitude, Chris will fix a wheelbarrow tire, install a new door on the nursery greenhouse, prune the willows, and transplant a bunch of ferns with ease. He is the type of volunteer you can ask to do pretty much anything, no matter how difficult, and he'll figure out a way to get it done. He even jumped in during our last native plant sale to talk with customers about the plants and help clean up after the sale had ended.

Chris is also a member of the FOSC Hydrology Committee where he participates in meetings to discuss watershed erosion issues. He has also hiked various trails in the watershed to assess erosion damage and make recommendations for future projects.

On several occasions Chris has gotten his friends and colleagues involved as well, inviting them to FOSC public nursery programs and coordinating a workday with his co-workers for Creek to Bay Day last September.

Thank you, Chris, for your outstanding help and support!
The Sausal Creek Restoration Project is Underway!
 
On August 17, construction began on the daylighting of the lower stretch of Sausal Creek in Dimond Park. The project will restore 745 linear feet of natural creek channel to improve water quality and flood control, create habitat and passage for native rainbow trout, improve safety, and create recreation and educational opportunities at the creek. The majority of the grading and off-hauling will be concentrated during the summer and early fall in order to complete in-channel work before the rainy season. The contractor will take all steps to minimize the disruption to the community because some weekend and extended hours work will be required. Dimond Avenue will be the primary delivery and off-haul construction route for the project.

While the majority of channel work will be completed in the fall, construction will continue through summer 2016 to complete other site improvements including native plant landscaping along the channel, a new creekside pathway, landscaping around the Scout Hut, and a new restroom. The fenced-off work area will be closed to the public, however the Dimond Recreation Center, Lions Pool, picnic areas, and other portions of the park will remain open during construction. Detours are in place at the Dimond Avenue and Wellington Street park entrances to reroute pedestrian traffic into the park.

Thank you for your patience while the project is underway. The City of Oakland and FOSC are looking forward to opening a new and improved stretch of Sausal Creek in 2016!

For more information about the project, visit www.oaklandcreeks.org.

--Kristin Hathaway, Sausal Creek Restoration Project Manager 
Rainbow Trout Get a Temporary Home
 
FOSC Board Member Dr. Robert Leidy teamed up with fishery consultant and salmon expert Jeff Hagar to move the rainbow trout that were in the Sausal Creek Restoration Project area in Dimond Park in preparation for the dewatering of the creek bed. (See above.) Rob is an expert on San Francisco Estuary stream fish, and he lends valuable expertise on our native rainbow trout and their habitat needs to FOSC's project planning. On August 20, Rob and Jeff electrofished the 520-foot reach in question. Electrofishing is a common fisheries sampling method that transmits a mild electrical pulse through the water column, causing fish to be pulled toward dip nets for capture without harming them. Following electrofishing, pools were slowly drained with a small screened pump, allowing for the safe capture of all the remaining fish. In total, 45 rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were successfully captured and relocated to appropriate permanent pools upstream and downstream. Relocated trout will be able to recolonize the restored reach once stream flows return following fall-winter rains. The trout ranged in length from 3-12 inches. All the trout were in very healthy condition, and no fish were injured or lost during collection and release. Temperature, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen data were collected on each Dimond Park pool.

 Juvenile rainbow trout, entering second year of life 
For more information on Sausal Creek's rainbow trout, see FOSC's rainbow trout fact sheet. You can help protect the fish by reminding others that it is illegal to fish in Sausal Creek. The fact sheet contains several tips on how to protect this unique watershed inhabitant by choices you make in your daily life.
Explore the Watershed
Pollinator Candy
 
Common name: California honeysuckle
Scientific name: Lonicera hispidula
 
It's a chameleon, its berries ripening from opaque green to a translucent red, looking like small holiday lights as they catch the sun. A small, unremarkable member of the redwood and oak understory, California honeysuckle can also be a great arching and leaping vine that scrambles over the coastal scrub without shading out its supporters.

Lonicera hispidula is one of the few native vines in the watershed. While the plants that spend their lives in deep shade never bloom or flower, the species sports clusters of pink flowers in summer sun, which are visited by hummingbirds; other birds will consume the red berries. The berries are edible by humans, too, but allegedly bitter. Deer don't seem to bother it. If you want it in your garden, plant it near shrubs to support it or against a fence or trellis if you're putting it in a sunny spot. Under oaks or redwoods, mix it with western sword fern, wood mint, starflower, huckleberry, or coffee berry.

Right now, especially along the Bridgeview Trail, you can see the berries ripening. There's one plant right above the metal bridge where they're close and easy to see. You'll also be able to find California honeysuckle at the Friends of Sausal Creek Native Plant Sale and Open House on Sunday, October 25, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Come by and pick up this enchanting vine for your garden!

--Karen Paulsell
My Experience with the FOSC Summer High School Internship  
  
As someone who has a genuine fascination with the environment around us, I knew that joining the Friends of Sausal Creek summer internship would be a perfect way to spend the month of July. I've always had an interest in environmental science, but I really started to become passionate about it last school year and decided to get more involved. I met a few people through my school at Oakland Tech's Green Club who had interned for Friends Of Sausal Creek and all of them had positive things to say about the program. I decided to go ahead and apply, and it turned out to be a great choice for me. I met so many passionate, like­minded people, learned a lot about the local environment, and now have an entirely new perspective on the world around us.

Read more... 
Kudos Korner: Thank You, Funders!

A watershed-sized THANK YOU to all granting and contracting entities who funded our projects and programs in our fiscal year that ended on June 30:

Alameda County Fish and Game Commission 
Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District 
Alameda Countywide Clean Water Program Community Stewardship
          Grant Program 
Bill Graham Supporting Foundation of the Jewish Community
          Federation and Endowment Fund 
Bonita Garden Club 
California Department of Water Resources Urban Streams
          Restoration Program (Proposition 84 grant)  
The Clorox Company Foundation 
East Bay Municipal Utility District 
Hillside Gardeners of Montclair 
JiJi Foundation 
National Oceanic & Atmospheric
          Administration Ocean Guardian
          School Program (procured by
          Joaquin Miller Elementary) 
Rose Foundation 
Thomas J. Long Foundation

And thank you to the City of Oakland for the myriad ways that it supports FOSC's work, including tools, debris pickup, nursery support, and collaboration on big projects like the Dimond Park and Dimond Canyon projects.

You can read details on all of our activities last fiscal year in our Annual Program Summary Report.
Events of Others

Learn about the bay at the Bay Currents talk series presented by Friends of Five Creeks. Dr. Rebecca Sutton will outline New Bay Pollutants--Meeting the Challenge on Tuesday, September 8 at 7:30 p.m., and David McGuire will give A Shark's-Eye View of the Bay on Tuesday, October 13, 7:30 p.m. at St. Alban's Parish Hall, 1501 Washington Ave., Albany.

Learn more about the soil pathogen Phytophthora from a panel on "plant destroyer" soil pests that can spread through nursery stock or wildlands on Wednesday, September 30, 7 p.m. at El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo. Speakers will be El Cerrito Councilmember Greg Lyman, habitat-restoration engineer for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission; Diana Benner, principal at the Watershed Nursery and a pioneer curbing the Phytophthora pathogens; and Susan Frankel, plant pathologist with the US Forest Service. All are welcome at this free public meeting sponsored by the El Cerrito Environmental Quality Committee and Friends of Five Creeks. 

After you get fired up for volunteering on Creek to Bay Day, find another volunteer event in Alameda County (or beyond!) through Coastweeks, the California Coastal Commission's annual celebration of the state's coastal and water resources. September 19-October 11.

Save the date for the premier of Stan Dodson's documentary TRAILHEAD - Discovering Oakland's Gateway to the Redwoods on Wednesday, October 7, 6-10 p.m. at the Chabot Space and Science Center. The film will screen throughout the evening while an event featuring film participants and sponsors will take place outside the theater doors on the center's main floor. Food and beverages will be served. For more information, visit TrailheadOakland.org.

Get empowered to remove your lawn by sheet mulching or to install a drip irrigation system by attending a Bringing Back the Natives fall workshop.

To subscribe to this e-newsletter, email
or call (510) 501-3672.

DONATION
Please help us maintain and expand our efforts in the Sausal Creek Watershed by making a donation today!

Donate online via PayPal or Network for Good, or mail this form with your check made payable to:
Friends of Sausal Creek, P.O. Box 2737, Oakland, CA 94602
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