Cooper's Hawk spotted during FOSC quarterly bird monitoring led by Mark Rauzon
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FOSC is a volunteer-based, community organization. Your donations go directly to support our projects and programs in the Sausal Creek Watershed. Help us kick start our End of the Year 2019 campaign by donating early!
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Check out
the multiple ways to support FOSC, including contributions to our
For the Future
endowment fund.
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Community Talk
Wildfire to Wildflowers: Restoring California Lands for Climate Justice
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Ildiko Polony, native plant nursery manager for Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ) in the Bayview District of San Francisco, will discuss the nexus between California climate policy, the global carbon cycle, and community based habitat restoration. She will showcase the success of LEJ’s work restoring habitat in the environmental justice community of the Bayview.
LEJ has been recognized across the Bay Area for their dedication to youth
environmental
education
,
community stewardship, and urban greening along the Candlestick Point region of South San Francisco.
Friends of Sausal Creek Community Talk
Wildfire to Wildflowers: Restoring California Lands for Climate Justice
Wednesday, November 20, 7- 9 p.m.
Dimond Library Branch, Fruitvale Ave
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Explore the Watershed
Could it Happen Here? A Response to the Codornices Creek Trout Kill
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On April 3, 2019, around 10:00 a.m., a recycling truck in Berkeley filled with cardboard caught on fire. First responders acted accordingly and put out the fire using a fire retardant surfactant foam. This action put into motion what ended up being a catastrophic kill of over 100 fish. The surfactant foam drained into the neighboring storm drains, which dump directly into Codornices Creek, home to rainbow trout and steelhead populations. It is still uncertain whether these populations can recover.
Could it happen to the Sausal Creek Watershed? Actually, FOSC has seen two
fish kills
in its recent history. In 2008, the illegal dumping of paint solvent down a storm drain resulted in the loss of 11 rainbow trout. Then, in 2010, EBMUD discharged water previously used to disinfect a newly installed drinking water pipeline into the storm drain without testing for residual chloramine. The result was the loss of 25 rainbow trout in Sausal Creek.
In light of the recent Codornices incident and our own history of trout kills, FOSC reached out to Kristin Hathaway, watershed manager for the Oakland Public Works, Watershed and Stormwater Management Division (WSMD).
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14th Annual Native Plant Sale and Open House
Over 1,000 plants sold!
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At this year's native plant sale, 1,052 native plants found new homes throughout the watershed and beyond. Thank you to the 316 visitors and 40+ volunteers and tablers who made this event possible, the buyers who purchased over $8,600 in plants, and to the sponsors and donors who contributed almost $4,000 in support of FOSC programs! Attendees were able to enjoy basket making, face painting, Karen Paulsell's propagation workshop, and the Harlan James Bluegrass Band.
We appreciated the extensive knowledge and enthusiasm shared with the community by the folks from Friends of Joaquin Miller Park, The Plant Exchange, pollinator experts May Chen and Kathleen Harris, U.C. Master Gardeners, and EBMUD's Water Conservation Division.
This lovely day was supported by local artist Stephanie Law, who illustrated the plant sale flyer for the fourth year in a row; La Farine--Dimond, Peet's Coffee & Tea--Montclair, and Noah's Bagels--Montclair who kept our community well fed.
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Finally to the nursery volunteers who offered their expertise and countless hours of work to make this day happen, and to our restoration and nursery manager, Jay Cassianni; thank you for the months of sowing, growing, and prepping for good times!
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Thank You to Our Native Plant Sale Sponsors
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Meet Our Fall Intern
J
ackie Van Der Hout
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Give a warm FOSC welcome to our fall intern, Jackie Van Der Hout. She will be helping in our environmental education program as well as volunteer workdays.
Jackie grew up in San Francisco and is a graduate of The Evergreen State College. She is passionate about all things water and people and loves exploring creeks and learning about plants. Jackie has a background in water quality chemistry, stream ecology and community organizing. Last year, she was a member of the Watershed Stewards Program and completed her California Conservation Corps AmeriCorps term at the San Francisco Bay Water Board conducting stream surveys and bioassessments and organizing restoration events. As an intern at FOSC, she is looking forward to learning more about local watersheds, engaging students, and helping with restoration projects.
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Kudos Korner
Bishop O'Dowd Students and Old Canon Safe Haulers
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Kudos to the 10 ninth-grade Bishop O'Dowd students who reached out to FOSC this fall to fulfill their community service hours. They worked Creek to Bay Day or spent the weeks prior to the plant sale, mulching, labeling, and tidying up the native plant nursery and helping with the gate and dog sitting during the sale. Go Dragons!
FOSC board member Ricky Jacobs was determined which she used to haul out a safe from the Old Canon trail to the El Centro trailhead. Luckily for Ricky, she had a fellow good Samaritan, Stewart (Sorry, Stewart, we didn't catch your last name), come by and help her lug this dense distraction out of the park. It is no secret that dumping has been an ongoing issue for this trail, but we are so grateful to have dedicated volunteers like Ricky and Stewart who are willing to step up and take action. Thank you!
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FOSC Friend of the Month
Tom Coroneos
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This month we would like to acknowledge Tom Coroneos for his dedicated video documentation that captures FOSC volunteers in action and the ecological splendor of Sausal Creek Watershed.
Check out Tom's Videos:
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"I have enjoyed doing many videos during events, following the creek
down to smaller daylightings and to the outlet at the Fruitvale bridge and showing the volunteers and their work.
My first acquaintance with the creek and park came in 1975, when I was teaching a class of special education students at McChesney (now Edna Brewer) Middle School. We walked to the park almost weekly ... Once we got far enough up the creek to collect lots of golf balls and eat lots of ripe blackberries. I worked the Park Patrol with Stan Dodson and his volunteers, planting the directional plaques. Nowadays, I park at the Greek Orthodox church
on Thursdays and walk up to Joaquin Miller Park, checking the nursery, with a rest stop at the Abbey."
--Tom
Thank you Tom, for your support!
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RESTORATION WORKDAYS
Beaconsfield Canyon
(Last Saturdays)
Sat., Nov. 30, 9 a.m.-noon
Bridgeview Trail Restoration
(2nd Sundays)
Sun., Nov. 10, 9-11 a.m.
Bridgeview Trailhead Pollinator Garden
(1st and 3rd Sundays)
Sun., Nov. 3 & 17, 9-11 a.m.
Dimond Park Native Plant Demonstration Garden
(1st Saturdays)
Sat., Nov. 2 & Dec. 7, 10 a.m.-noon
Marj Saunders Park
(1st Mondays)
Mon., Nov. 4 & Dec. 2, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Montclair Railroad Trail
(3rd Saturdays)
Sat., Nov. 16, 9 a.m.- 12 p.m.
Wood Park
(3rd Saturdays)
Sat., Nov. 16, 10 a.m.-noon
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PALLIDS CREW
Chabot Space and Science Center
(2nd Saturdays)
Sat., Nov. 9, 9 a.m.-noon
PAL CAMP OPEN SPACE
10100 Skyline Blvd
(3rd Saturdays)
Sat., Nov. 16, 9 a.m.-noon
Save the Date
FOSC COMMUNITY TALK
Dimond
Library
Wed., Nov 20, 7 - 9 p.m.
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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 --
Amazon Smile purchases donate 0.5% to FOSC
--
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Contact:
Becca Sanchez
Education and Outreach Coordinator
510-853-3533
Jay Cassianni
Restoration and Nursery Manager
510-325-9006
Anna Marie Schmidt
Executive Director
510-501-3672
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Photo Credits
: Mark Rauzon, Tim Vendlinski, Beth Keer, Becca Sanchez, Andrew Aldrich, Jackie Van Der Hout, Richelle Jacobs,Tom Coroneos
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