Giving Tuesday--a global day of giving in response to growing commercialism around the holidays--is November 27. Keep an eye out for FOSC's end-of-year letter in your mailbox. You can support your local creek group by mailing in a check or by donating
online on November 27 or anytime!
We ask that you please consider also donating to our For the Future endowment fund--our long-term, predictable funding source for protecting the watershed far into the future. Our endowment can also accept donations from IRA required minimum distributions (RMD) or legacy gifts via wills and trusts.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to our local ecosystem.
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Missed Native Bird Connections at the Native Plant Sale?
That's OK! There is another opportunity to learn about raptors in the watershed.
We are excited to welcome naturalist Mike Moran from East Bay Regional Park District at our November member meeting for
Birds of Prey in the East Bay. If you were able to catch Native Bird Connections at the sale, this is your opportunity to expand your raptor species knowledge and further develop your identification skills.
Birds of Prey in the East Bay
Dimond Library, 3565 Fruitvale Avenue
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018,
7 p.m-9 p.m.
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Shooting the 'Shed for FOSC Fundraiser
Watershed resident and photographer Andrew Aldrich spends mo
r
e time than most
hovering over a rock, watching a leaf float downstream, or pondering the reflection
of trees in a pool. You might have seen some of his iconic photographs documenting his wanderings in the watershed in past FOSC newsletters or mailers.
Andrew has donated three of his images to FOSC to help with our year-end
fundraiser. For a donation of $300, you can choose one of these stunning, signed, fine art prints. For more details, go to the
Andrew Aldrich Page of our website.
Whether you choose a photo or not, we hope you can help this season with whatever amount is appropriate for you. It's been a tough year for the environment in general, but FOSC is always fighting back with boots on the ground and hands in the dirt, committed to keeping our corner of the planet green and healthy. Our website will show you a variety of giving options. Gifts are tax deductible, and every one makes a big difference.
Thank you!
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At this year's native plant sale,
705 native plants found new homes throughout the watershed and beyond. Thank you to the 275 visitors and the volunteers who made this event possible, the buyers who purchased almost $6,000 in plants, and to the sponsors and donors who added almost $2,800 in support. This year's attendees particularly enjoyed basket making, face painting, and the live raptor display from Native Bird Connections.
We appreciated the company of the folks
from Native Bird Connections, Friends of Joaquin
Miller Park, Dimond Library, StopWaste, and Oakland Trails who, along with EBMUD's Water Conservation division, spread their knowledge and enthusiasm all day long. And no
FOSC plant sale is complete without the talented Harlan James Bluegrass Band.
We cannot recognize each of the many volunteers who made this day possible, but thank you to everyone for the months of sowing, growing, and good times.
A very special thank you to the native plant volunteers who worked the sales floor and continued the festive tradition of wearing monarch butterfly capes!
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Explore the Watershed
A Shriek in the Night
Common Name: Barn Owl
Scientific Name:
Tyto alba
After dark, a shriek carries in the still of the night. A passing wraith? No a foraging barn owl. This year is a banner year for barn owls. A bumper crop of rodents fed their large litters, and many juveniles have come to the Bay Area. Our barn owl box in the nursery has not had any takers, but farmers put those boxes up to attract these rat-eating pest controls. That's why we advocate owls over pesticides, as rodenticides carry up the food chain and poison our best defense against rodent infestations.
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Mark Rauzon
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FOSC Friend of the Month: May Woo
May has lived in the Bay Area for over two decades and in Oakland for almost five years. She's grateful to live within walking distance of Sausal Creek, which she hikes along every morning. During the week she works as a product/ux designer for a data analytics company, and on weekends she can be found riding her bike, hiking with her dog Banjo, and propagating new plants in her backyard.
Thank you, May, for volunteering many hours of your time over the last few years to our graphic design needs. Most recently we'd like to thank you for your design of our new
My Sausal Creek Watershed
map. The map has been a huge hit with students on field trips this fall, and we are very grateful for your donation of your time, talent, and creativity!
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Schedule Your Field Trip Today
We are still accepting applications for field trips for this school year. Visit the
Field Trips section of our website to learn about where we go, what we do, and how your class can join the fun. Please contact us as soon as possible before our schedule fills.
Many funders make it possible for us to offer free field trips for students at underserved schools. A huge thank you to current and last year's funders: the Bill Graham Supporting Foundation of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund, the Clorox Foundation, the
Strong Foundation for Environmental Values and the California State Coastal Conservancy for
supporting our environmental education programs.
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Transparency is the Gold Standard
We were recently recognized for our transparency with a 2018 Gold Seal on our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile.
GuideStar is the world's largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. More than 8 million visitors per year and a network of 200+ partners use GuideStar data to grow support for nonprofits.
We're shining a spotlight on the difference we help make in the world. Check out our
GuideStar Nonprofit Profile and tell us what you think
.
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Event Calendar
RESTORATION WORKDAYS
Beaconsfield Canyon
(last Saturdays)
Sat., Nov. 24, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Bridgeview Trail
(2nd Sundays)
Sun., Nov. 11, 9 a.m.-11 a.m.
Bridgeview Trailhead Pollinator Garden
(1st and 3rd Sundays)
Sun., Nov. 18 & Dec. 2, 9 a.m.-11 a.m.
Dimond Park Native Plant Demonstration Garden
Sat., Dec. 1, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 3, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Montclair Railroad Trail
(3rd Saturdays)
Sat., Nov. 17, 9 a.m.-11 a.m.
Wood Park
(3rd Saturdays)
Sat., Nov. 17, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Trail Crew
El Centro Trailhead
(Last Sundays)
Sun., Nov. 25, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
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Chabot Space and Science Center
Sat., Nov. 10, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
FOSC Native Plant Nursery
Joaquin Miller Park
(2nd and 4th Saturdays)
Sat., Nov. 10 & 24, 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
NOVEMBER MEMBER MEETING
Dimond Library
Wed., Nov. 14, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.
Mike Moran,
Birds of Prey in the East Bay
Save the Date
QUARTERLY CREEK CLEANUP
Dimond Park
Sun., Dec. 9, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Save the Date
KING TIDES WALK ALONG THE WATERFRONT
Fruitvale Bridge Park
Sun., Jan. 20, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
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Our new round logo gifted by Olivia Offutt
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Get Involved
Our mission is to restore, maintain, and protect the Sausal Creek Watershed. We educate future generations, involve the community in local environmental stewardship, and collaborate with agencies and other nonprofits to have a positive impact on the local ecosystem.
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FOSC needs your support --
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Contact:
Nicki Alexander
Education and Outreach Coordinator
510-853-3533
Anna Marie Schmidt
Executive Director
510-501-3672
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Photo Credits: Karen Paulsell, Jeff Stephens, Nicki Alexander, Alan Tong, Alex Mohktari-Fox
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