A very wet great horned owl during a recent storm in Dimond Canyon.
Photo by Mark Rauzon.
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Friends of Sausal Creek is a volunteer-based, community organization. We appreciate your support of our education, monitoring, and restoration programs in the
Sausal Creek Watershed.
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Upcoming Event - State of the Watershed
Global Issues, Local Responses
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Coming soon!
Be on the lookout for an invitation to the live virtual viewing in February on our website and in the next newsletter.
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Explore the Watershed
A Volunteer Finds Her Niche
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After much reflection, 2021 was the year I worked up the courage to shift gears from a career that had defined me for a decade and a half. The question in every introduction was always, “What do you do?” And my answer was always the same. The opportunity to pivot slightly didn’t scratch the itch. No, I’m not meant to be here anymore, but where DO I belong?
I had some ideas. I intended to follow a path more aligned with my passions and values. I wanted to work outdoors, to protect nature, to support my community.
But where to start?
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Native plant nursery Volunteers Welcome sign in Sanborn Triangle Garden at Joaquin Miller Park. |
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Kudos Corner
Restoration Volunteers in December
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Many thanks to the intrepid volunteers who joined us for the Annual Solstice Planting and other December restoration workdays, planting over 300 native plants, just in time to benefit from winter rains! Solstice volunteers from Friends of Dimond Park, buildOn, and FOSC worked diligently in Fern Ravine, Dimond Park, and Dimond Canyon. Our parks and green spaces are healthier and more beautiful thanks to your efforts.
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Dedicated volunteers in Fern Ravine (left) and Dimond Park (right).
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Friend of the Month
Kristin Hathaway
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On this 25th--year anniversary of Friends of Sausal Creek, we want to spotlight the stories of some of the founding members and their vision for the future of the watershed.
Kristin Hathaway manages the Watershed and Stormwater Division in the Bureau of Design and Construction in the City of Oakland Public Works Department.
Kristin was kind enough to share her recollections of the early days of Friends of Sausal Creek.
Friends of Sausal Creek (FOSC): What were you doing in your life when you first became involved with Friends of Sausal Creek, and what inspired you to be a part of this organization?
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Kristin Hathaway (KH): I was working for a nonprofit organization called the Aquatic Outreach Institute, now known as The Watershed Project. They were consulting with the volunteers of Friends of Sausal Creek to help set up the first meetings. Soon after, I joined the City of Oakland's Watershed Program and continued working with FOSC in my new role.
FOSC: What projects or events in FOSC's history have been important or memorable for you?
KH: FOSC has done so much incredible work in the watershed, it's hard to pick just one. I was really appreciative of FOSC's great partnership on the 2016 creek restoration and daylighting project in Dimond Park, for which I was the project manager. FOSC was critical in engaging the community in design and ongoing stewardship work.
FOSC: Do you have a favorite place to visit in the Sausal Creek Watershed? If so, what makes it special for you?
KH: I love Dimond Canyon. I always take out-of-town visitors there for hikes. It's such a lovely stretch of the creek and feels very peaceful in the midst of the city.
FOSC: What are your hopes for FOSC and/or the watershed looking forward for the next 25 years? What challenges and opportunities do you see on the horizon?
KH: I'm excited to see FOSC continue all of their critical restoration work throughout the watershed and hope there will be more opportunities to support restoration and enhancement work in the lower section. The city is enthusiastic to continue supporting the Friends and looking for future partnership opportunities.
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Welcome New Interns, and Best Wishes to Elizabeth and Satoko!
Rosa Nelson and Kate Berlin
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A warm send-off to Elizabeth Boegel and Satoko Mills who both started as interns with FOSC back in May 2021. Grateful for their many talents and invaluable contributions to the FOSC team, we're also thrilled to see them continue onto new ventures in environmentalism here in the Bay Area. Elizabeth will be teaching an urban agroecology course at Merritt College this semester and Satoko will be leading water quality monitoring and restoration at The Watershed Project. Thank you both for your contributions to FOSC. |
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Rosa comes to us during her final year at Saint Mary’s College of California where she is majoring in environmental studies. Rosa’s primary field of study is coastal wetlands focusing on blue carbon sequestration. However her work in coastal wetlands ignited a passion and interest for watershed health and native plant restoration. Rosa is excited to work in the lower watershed on community outreach. Rosa is also looking forward to working on water quality monitoring and data collection across the Sausal Creek Watershed. When Rosa is not in school or with us, she loves to hike Mt. Diablo and explore the greater Bay Area. Rosa also has a passion for sustainability and loves upcycling clothing. |
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Kate first joined FOSC as a volunteer in the native plant nursery as she sought out ways to connect more to nature and her community. She was inspired by this experience to pursue a new path exploring and protecting the ecology of Oakland's wild spaces through a FOSC internship and as a new student in Merritt College's Natural History and Sustainability program. Excited to get outside and support FOSC's restoration and nursery projects in the watershed, she also looks forward to the opportunity to enrich the volunteer program that stoked her own fire. Kate has a B.S. in fashion design from the University of Cincinnati. Her personal design work is focused on natural fiber and plant-dyed textile arts.
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Restoration Planting Opportunity
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Week of Service
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Join us January 16-23 as we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. for a full week! Several native plant and restoration opportunities are available in the Bridgeview Pollinator Garden, at the FOSC Native Plant Nursery, and in Shepherd Canyon.
Check out our event calendar below, or go to our website for details.
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Image Credit: The King Center |
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FOSC 25th Anniversary t-shirts are still available
Questions? Leave a message on our t-shirt hotline: 510-845-5178 ext. 4.
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End of Year Appeal Match
Goal Surpassed!
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A heartfelt THANK YOU for the generous donations from our FOSC community.
You helped us not only meet the year-end $12,500 matching goal but surpass it. FOSC can now access the full $25,000!
If you did not have a chance to donate, your donations are appreciated all year long. Visit the donation page anytime.
Happy New Year!
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King Tides and Estuary History community talk with guide Dennis Evanosky at Fruitvale Bridge. (Jan. 2022) |
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Image credit: Inga Nielsen |
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We included this photo to help draw attention to our annual solstice planting event; soon after, David Ahle contacted us to let us know that we had credited the image incorrectly. This image, which actually has nothing to do with the solstice, was created by a German artist named Inga Nielsen. If you'd like to learn more about this artwork, you can check out this article. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, David!
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To keep our community safe, please come prepared to wear a mask and social distance.
Native Plant Nursery Volunteer Drop-In Hours
Wednesdays in January 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 8 and 22, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Friends of Sausal Creek Native Plant Nursery
Restoration Workday in Dimond Canyon
Saturday, January 8, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Meet at the Scout Hut in Dimond Park
Oak Tree Rescue
Sunday, January 9 and 23, at 9 a.m.
Bridgeview Pollinator Garden
Shepherd Canyon Restoration
Monday, January 17, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Escher Meadow in Shepherd Canyon Park
Restoration Workday in Joaquin Miller Park
Saturday, January 22, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Location TBD
Beaconsfield Canyon Restoration Workday
Saturday, January 29, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Beaconsfield Canyon, Montclair
Sausal Creek Trail Stewardship Crew
Sunday, January 30, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Location TBD
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Solstice plants being loaded up to go out into the watershed.
(Dec. 2021)
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We need volunteers in the watershed now more than ever!
Join us for one of our many workdays this January.
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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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Amazon Smile purchases donate 0.5% to FOSC --
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Contact:
Anna Marie Schmidt
Executive Director
510-501-3672
Jay Cassianni
Restoration and Nursery Manager
510-325-9006
Rosa Nelson
Outreach and Stewardship Intern
Kate Berlin
Communications and Restoration Intern
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Photo Credits: Kate Berlin, Bob Roat, Jay Cassianni, Kristin Hathaway, Rosa Nelson, Elizabeth Boegel
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