Check out a short preview video of our upcoming Native Plant Sale!
Visuals by Kate Berlin. Music by the Lake Merritt Ramblers.
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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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FOSC Native Plant Sale and Open House
Event Details and Plant List
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It's finally autumn, and nearly time for the FOSC Native Plant Sale and Open House. This is the first year since the COVID-19 pandemic began that we are returning to an in-person event, and we are excited to provide the community with on-site plant expertise, activities, demonstrations, and live music by local experts and artists. We hope you'll join us!
Activities, Demonstrations, and Tips:
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Water Conservation and Regenerative Landscaping with Kristin Bowman of EBMUD.
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Photography with Native and Invasive Plant Developers and Process Demonstration by Oakland-based environmental land artist, Beatrice Thornton.
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Local Wildlife Activities for Kids with artist Kerstin Fermin of Wildlife Lens.
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The plant list and shop are now available on our website so you can browse our inventory ahead of the in-person sale. After the in-person plant sale, FOSC will offer any left over plants during an online sale November 5-7. |
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Explore the Watershed
Why the Crimson Columbine?
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At FOSC we have a tradition of nominating an iconic native plant for our annual plant sale. So why the crimson columbine? Why now?
FOSC is dedicated to preserving the diversity and genetics of the plants in our watershed. While the crimson columbine grows across the west coast, it has become quite rare along Sausal Creek. To our knowledge, there were only a few plants growing in the entire watershed. Over 10 years ago, FOSC collected a few seeds from these plants when they flowered. When we returned, the plants were gone, and the species had completely disappeared from our watershed. For years since then, we've been growing out seeds descended from those original plants. We let them flower in our nursery, carefully collect their seeds, and propagate more generations of this genetic line specific to our watershed.
This year, with over a hundred columbine plants in our nursery and thousands of seeds preserved in our seed bank, we are excited to offer a few columbines at our plant sale. We have begun reintroducing columbines back into the watershed, and will plant dozens more this fall. Take a hike through the Fern Ravine restoration area to check out this conservation success story.
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Above: A blooming crimson columbine at the FOSC nursery. Photo by Kate Berlin. |
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Kudos Corner
Creek to Bay Day Volunteers
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Thank you to the 100+ volunteers who came out to five sites over two weekends of Oakland Creek to Bay Day and California Coastal Cleanup activities in the Sausal Creek Watershed.
Mayor Libby Schaaf warmed up the crowd at Dimond Park before volunteer crews dispersed up and down the creek to pick up trash, clear debris, and remove invasive vegetation.
We had a small but mighty group at Josie de la Cruz Park, picking up litter alongside the new Carmen Flores Recreation Center Director, Margarita Rodriguez, who has great vision for this community park with a special focus on youth empowerment.
Fire mitigation volunteers at Beaconsfield Canyon cleared out an entire 20 cubic yards worth of overgrown vegetation and brush from the canyon.
Weirdest Litter Award goes to the young trio (pictured below) who found a ski. Most Adventurous Award goes to the crew who pulled over 750 golf balls out of the creek, deep in Dimond Canyon.
The overwhelming majority of the items cleared out of the creek and parks were plastic bottles, wrappers, lids, and other single-use packaging. Removing and preventing debris from entering our waterways is half the battle of reducing waste's harm to our communities and the environment. Perhaps the more challenging step is influencing and holding industry accountable to extract fewer resources for packaging and produce less waste. Recently passed legislative item SB54—the Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act—establishes targets for industry to reduce single-use packaging and improve circularity. More information on landmark efforts around California land and marine pollution can be found here: The Nature Conservancy, Ocean Protection Council, California Coastal Commission.
We are grateful to our site leaders and the Friends of Dimond Park for their dedicated leadership out there in the field. Thank you also to La Farine-Dimond and Peet's Coffee & Tea-Dimond for generously donating delicious pastries and coffee to sustain the volunteer force at the Dimond sites.
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Above: Photos from Dimond Park, Dimond Canyon, and Josie de la Cruz Park. |
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Above: Creek to Bay Day Video by Tom Coroneos |
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Upcoming Event
Volunteer Appreciation Picnic
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You're invited! Volunteers are the core of what makes FOSC so impactful. Join us at the FOSC Native Plant Nursery Friday, November 4, 4-6 p.m. to meet volunteers from across the watershed, and celebrate 25 (+1) years of accomplishments.
Charcuterie will be provided. You are welcome to bring a favorite cheese, dish, or dessert to share but this is not required. You will also get to take home your own native plant!
If you want, bring a natural fiber garment or fabric (cotton, linen, silk) to experiment with natural dye made from invasive eucalyptus bark and leaves. We will provide the materials and guidance to create interesting patterns.
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Community Partnerships
Merritt College Environmental Center Student Garden
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In late September, we teamed up with Merritt College's Natural History and Sustainability Program (NHS) students and faculty to plant 50 native plants donated from our FOSC nursery to support the ecosystem and student community at the program's Environmental Center. Program Director, Benjamin Nelson shares with us the history and future vision of this gathering space:
"Part of the rejuvenation, we discovered, was to build upon these native plants and make it into a native plant exposition (or native plant garden). Why? If our students are going to be prepared to tackle the environmental issues of the current era they will need to know the yellow pages of the forests, meadows, and chaparral of the Bay Area. I often mention in my courses that I want students to begin to read the ‘street signs’ of natural spaces: Where does water run? Which hillside faces south? What can plants tell you about an area? What can birds teach you about what’s coming around the bend?"
—Benjamin AA Nelson, M.S.
Natural History and Sustainability Program Director at Merritt College
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Above: NHS students Alejandro Gomez, Mayela Saldana, and Tea Parker-Essig break ground in the Environmental Center native plant garden.
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Student Opportunities
Kids Crafts and Dog Watchers for the Plant Sale
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Attention high school and middle school students! Got an artistic streak? Good with dogs? We could use the help of a few student volunteers at our Native Plant Sale on Saturday, October 29, 10 am-3 pm to host nature-based arts and crafts inside the event, or to dog-sit right outside the nursery gate while pet owners shop. If this interests you, email Kate at fosceducation@gmail.com by October 15.
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Youth Takeover Newsletter - Fall Edition |
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Calling youth of all ages! We want to hear your voices in our Fall Youth Takeover Newsletter. We invite you to write an article, conduct an interview, or create some "Arts in the Watershed". Tell us what concerns you or inspires you about our local environment. For example, do we have any young readers who participated in the march against climate injustice on September 23? If this interests you, email Kate at fosceducation@gmail.com by October 20.
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Contests and Challenges through the California Coastal Commission
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Behind the Scenes
FOSC Board and Staff Retreat
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The FOSC board of directors (back two rows) and staff (front row) convened at Joaquin Miller Park in late August to reflect on the previous year's successes and learnings, and discuss future focus areas.
The best kind of meeting is a hiking meeting, of course. We took the Fern Ravine trail from the lower meadow up through the redwood forest to the Fern Ravine sub-basin, stopping along the way to discuss priorities for expanding the habitat enhancement and topsoil protection efforts that Rob Leidy and Tim Vendlinski have been spearheading for over a decade with the help of volunteers and Eagle Scouts. Here at the headwaters of the creek, the team has been working to restore the native redwood understory, wetlands, and riparian zone; as well as reduce erosion of trails that results in the loss of topsoil and elevated sedimentation of the creek. If you haven't been recently, come take a hike on the Fern Ravine trail to see the progress that's been made in restoring the understory in this tranquil setting—home to over 60 species of birds, numerous mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, and 50 species of native plants. With the nourishing winter rains (fingers crossed), we'll do more planting of natives from our nursery, thus enhancing native biodiversity and the habitat support provided by plant cover.
We then hiked over to the pallid manzanita colony at Chabot Space and Science Center where Ella Matsuda walked the team through the latest restoration measures the pallid crew has been taking to protect the 100+ young plants—a terrific success given that when active management at this site began in 2015, only three mature pallid manzanitas were present and the population was trending toward extirpation. A small but dedicated crew of volunteers has helped Ella clear the area of competing and invasive shrubs like French broom, and reduced ladder fuel loads by limbing up shrubs and trees.
A hike back over to the nursery gave us a chance to share what each of us is passionate about and how we envision spending the next year channeling those passions into fruitful, meaningful work in the watershed: Environmental and social justice issues that affect our watershed community, focus on policy and protection at the headwaters, empowering and lifting up voices of the youth who will be the next generation of stewards.
If you'd like to know more about what the board and staff are working on, you are welcome and encouraged to attend our bimonthly board of directors meetings. The next one is coming up Wednesday, October 12, 7-8:30 p.m. (TBD via zoom or at Park Blvd. Presbyterian Church.) Please email Anna Marie at coordinator@sausalcreek.org for details and agenda.
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To keep our community safe, please come prepared to wear a mask and social distance. |
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Bridgeview Trailhead Workday
Sundays in October, 9-11 a.m.
Bridgeview Pollinator Garden
Native Plant Nursery Volunteer Drop-In Hours
Wednesdays in October, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Saturday, October 8 and 22, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Friends of Sausal Creek Native Plant Nursery
Restoration Workday in Dimond Canyon
Saturday, October 8, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Meet at the Scout Hut in Dimond Park.
Erosion Control Site Maintenance: FOSC maintains several erosion control projects in Dimond Canyon which stabilize slopes, reduce erosion, and enhance habitat for the creek's native rainbow trout. Help us remove invasive species from these sites to make way for native plantings this winter.
FOSC Board of Directors Meeting
Wednesday, October 12, 7-8:30 p.m.
Park Blvd. Presbyterian Church, 4101 Park Blvd., Oakland or via Zoom. TBD.
Restoration Workday in Joaquin Miller Park
Saturday, October 22, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Meet at the Ranger Station on Sanborn Drive.
Beaconsfield Canyon Restoration Workday
Saturday, October 29, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Beaconsfield Canyon, Montclair
17th Annual Native Plant Sale and Open House
Saturday, October 29, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Friends of Sausal Creek Native Plant Nursery
Sausal Creek Trail Stewardship Crew
Sunday, October 30, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Meet at the Scout Hut in Dimond Park.
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(Above) Arise 9th graders spent a damp September morning pulling invasive ivy and blackberry and picking up trash in the creek. Thank you Arise! |
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We need volunteers in the watershed now more than ever!
Join us for one of our many workdays this October.
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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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Contact:
Anna Marie Schmidt
Executive Director
510-501-3672
Ella Matsuda
Restoration and Nursery Manager
510-325-9006
Amaya Griego
Education and Outreach Manager
Kate Berlin
Communications and Operations Manager
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Photo Credits: Anna Marie Schmidt, Ella Matsuda, Kate Berlin, Carl Nelson
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