N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2
This special edition of the FOSC newsletter features articles and contributions from a
few of our incredibly talented and environmentally active young community members,
as well as outreach and leadership opportunities designed for youth.
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. 
Success and Thank You!
FOSC 17th Annual Native Plant Sale and Open House
A huge thank you to all you FOSC supporters and native plant lovers who came out in droves to buy local, native plants from our nursery last Saturday which resulted in record-breaking attendance and sales that help support our restoration, education, and nursery programs.

Thank you to the Lake Merritt Ramblers who provided the soundtrack for the afternoon, and to the artists and experts who shared their work and knowledge with visitors. Your demonstrations and activities spanning plant-based film development, entomology, wildlife arts, water conservation, and native plant gardening really enriched the experience. For more information on these presenters, please check out their websites below:

And finally, a huge thanks to our amazing volunteers and board members who spent hundreds of hours propagating, preparing plants, setting up, staffing, and cleaning up after the plant sale—they made it all happen.

Whether you missed our in-person native plant sale or just decided you are in need of more natives, this weekend will be your last chance! Our web shop (online only) will open Saturday, November 5 at 10 a.m. through Monday, November 7 at 5 p.m. Curbside pickup will occur on Saturday, November 12 at the FOSC Nursery in Joaquin Miller Park.
New Student Board Members
Hattie Bradshaw and Amba Beattie
FOSC is pleased to welcome two student board members for the 2022-23 school year. Hattie Bradshaw and Amba Beattie are juniors at Oakland Tech High School who attended the recent Creek to Bay Day volunteer event in Dimond Park and joined us at the FOSC Native Plant Sale and Open House just last weekend. Welcome Hattie and Amba!
Hattie has lived in Oakland her whole life and first volunteered with FOSC as a middle schooler. She is involved with the youth climate justice movement and hopes to bring this background to her work with FOSC. As a student board member, she is most interested in taking an active role in
restoration and outreach to involve more youth with the organization.

Amba is new to FOSC but is excited to get involved. As a teaching assistant and a tutor for elementary and middle school students, she has developed a knack for working with youth and would love to tie this to her passion for the environment. Amba is looking forward to connecting Oakland communities to the natural environment by planning events and promoting awareness.
Oakland Youth Movement
Climate Justice March
What's on the minds of our Oakland youth? New student board members Hattie Bradshaw and Amba Beattie reflect on a recent youth-led and -organized Climate Justice March they participated in this September:

On Friday, September 23, hundreds of elementary to high school students took to the streets to protest coal in Oakland. Protesters rallied at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza and then marched through the streets of downtown Oakland chanting, “No coal in Oakland, yes to life!”
Kudos Corner
Youth in the Watershed
The watershed has been lively this fall with youth and students from all over the Bay Area lending a hand to learn about and protect their environment. Here are some highlights.

We're excited to embark on a full-year partnership with Civicorps—a program that strives to create long-term, upwardly mobile career opportunities for young people underrepresented in the green economy and engage them in critical conservation projects. Restoration and Nursery Manager Ella Matsuda, had the pleasure of working with three Civicorps crews that cleared invasive species and worked on wildfire remediation projects in Dimond Canyon and Joaquin Miller Park while learning plant identification skills. "It's rare that FOSC gets to work with such a large team of trained professionals, and I am amazed by how much we accomplish in a single workday. We are so grateful for this partnership and look forward to working with Civicorps on projects throughout the watershed."

FOSC board member and Adopt-A-Spot leader, Rob Leidy, also worked with one of the Civicorps crew in Fern Ravine to remove nonnative, diseased vegetation at the edge of the redwood forest. This will reduce fire hazard, increase native understory shrubs and forbs, and increase soil moisture and nutrient availability for the native redwoods.

Since 2018, the U.C. Berkeley Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM) 50 class has sent students to FOSC. The students partner with a community organization to work 25 service hours over the semester and learn about natural or cultural resource management firsthand. Ella Matsuda shares, "Our workdays have been flooded by U.C. Berkeley students recently! These students have been so energetic and passionate and have so many thought-provoking questions and insights on conservation. They have been a huge help in preparing sites for winter plantings and setting up for our plant sale."

In addition, local middle schools and high schools have sought out our environmental education field trip offerings this fall, bringing students to Dimond Park for a morning of hands-on experiential learning and restoration in the creek. Amaya Griego, our education and outreach manager, led restoration-focused field trips for ARISE High School 9th graders and Julia Morgan School for Girls 8th graders, demonstrating the importance of clean, healthy creek habitats and the interrelated nature of our lands, creeks, and oceans. The students then picked up litter from the creek and removed invasive ivy and blackberry from the banks, preparing space for winter planting. Amaya remarks, "These students were engaged, motivated, and brought great energy for the day. It is a privilege to help contextualize some of the natural world for young students."

From middle school students to young adult conservation corp trainees, these youth have helped FOSC accomplish so much in the span of a few months by participating in protecting the watershed. Thank you for all your efforts!
Eagle Scout Projects in the Watershed
Fence Building and Map Box Construction
Several Eagle Scout candidates completed projects this fall that will benefit the ecosystem and park users for years to come. Graham Wootton of Golden Gate Troop 203 completed 75 feet of fencing at Fern Ravine, a FOSC Adopt-A-Spot site in Joaquin Miller Park that is a fundamental focus of FOSC as a critical sub-basin at the headwaters of Sausal Creek. This salvaged wood fencing is designed to limit the overuse and trampling of the forest floor, allowing the regeneration of the native plant communities in the redwood understory, stream, and wetland habitats. Graham shares some reflections of undertaking his project:

"It really helps to have a plan in place and then talk to people about the plan so that it becomes better. As a leader, I had to work with lots of different kinds of people as I planned the project, bought supplies, recruited people to participate and raise money. I was also very grateful for everyone's help and generosity. A lot of things had to go right for this project to work. Being able to finish the work under the time we expected was in part because we had a good plan and course of action."

Graham significantly exceeded his fundraising goal—the balance of which he very generously donated to FOSC to help continue the restoration efforts at Fern Ravine.

Tobin Cantrill of Piedmont Troop 1 completed 75 feet of fencing to protect a section of the pallid manzanita population at Chabot Space and Science Center, and George Stein of Piedmont Troop 11 constructed several new map boxes for the watershed, using mostly reclaimed wood, so park users can have access to clean, dry trail maps.

Thank you Scouts for your contributions to protecting the long-term health of the parks' natural resources and the diverse native plants, fish, and wildlife communities that depend on them.

Thank you also to the support team of mentors, project managers, and partners that make this possible: Rob Leidy, Tim Vendlinski, Dale Risden of Friends of Joaquin Miller Park, Dylan Nixon-Helms, and Nick Harvey of Bay Area Redwood.
Upcoming Events
Volunteer Appreciation Picnic - November 4
You're invited! Volunteers are the core of what makes FOSC so impactful. Join us at the FOSC Native Plant Nursery on Friday, November 4, 4-6 p.m. to meet volunteers from across the watershed and celebrate 25 (+1) years of accomplishments.

Light bites will be provided—gluten free and vegan options included. You are welcome to bring a favorite cracker topping, dish, or dessert to share, but this is not required. You will also get to take home your own native plant!

We will be experimenting with natural dye made from eucalyptus bark and will provide the materials and guidance to create interesting patterns on cotton tea towels.
Please RSVP to Ella at nursery@sausalcreek.org so we can plan accordingly.
Community Walk and Talk
Rainbow Trout Tour Two - November 19
We had such a great response and turnout to our first Rainbow Trout of Sausal Creek Walk and Talk this year, that we actually had to cap our attendance.

For those of you who were placed on the waiting list or missed the last event in August, we are happy to offer you an opportunity to hear Dr. Rob Leidy present Trout Tour Two on Saturday, November 19, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Please RSVP as we can only host 30 people maximum. Meet at the Wellington St. entrance in Dimond Park.
Student Opportunities
Student Stewardship and California Coastal Commission Challenges
Student Stewardship: Every year, FOSC benefits from incredible volunteer support from students of all ages. Whether for community-service-hour credit, personal interest, or career exploration, we aim to provide students with fun and rewarding experiences in the watershed. Student Stewardship is designed for middle school and high school students interested in learning more about the Sausal Creek Watershed and local environmental efforts through hands-on restoration work and mentoring by various site leaders, staff members, and other volunteers. The program guides students on a survey of watershed sites and learning activities to understand the creek's unique role in Oakland's urban environment. Students make connections with local scientists and restoration leaders and can put their participation on their college applications and resumés.

If you would like to become a Student Steward, email fosceducation@gmail.com.
Here are some fun challenges to enter through our partners over at the California Coastal Commission:
  • Coastal Art & Poetry Contest for K-12 students; submission deadline is January 31, 2023.
  • Climate Video Challenge for middle and high school students. Enter any time this school year, through May 31, 2023: Three-minute video responding to the question, “What is your vision for a thriving future?"
Event Calendar
FOSC prioritizes the health and safety of the community, monitoring Alameda County Public Health Department guidance on COVID-19 precautions.
Volunteer Appreciation Picnic
Friday, November 4, 4-6 p.m.
Friends of Sausal Creek Native Plant Nursery

Online Native Plant Sale
Saturday, November 5, 10 a.m.-Monday, November 7, 5 p.m.
Curbside pickup November 12. Choose your pickup time at checkout.
Pickup location: Friends of Sausal Creek Native Plant Nursery

Bridgeview Trailhead Workday
Sundays in November, 9-11 a.m.
Bridgeview Pollinator Garden

Marj Saunders Park Cleanup
Monday, November 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Marj Saunders Park, Chelton Drive and Ascot Drive

Native Plant Nursery Volunteer Drop-In Hours
*RSVP Required* for groups of four or more
Wednesdays in November (except November 23), 1-4 p.m. (note the time change!)
Saturday, November 12 and 26, 1-4 p.m. (note the time change!)
Friends of Sausal Creek Native Plant Nursery

Restoration Workday in Dimond Canyon
*RSVP Required* for groups of four or more
Saturday, November 12, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Meet at the Scout Hut in Dimond Park.

Community Walk and Talk | Rainbow Trout of Sausal Creek
Saturday, November 19, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Meet at Dimond Park, Wellington St. entrance

Beaconsfield Canyon Restoration Workday
*RSVP Required* for groups of four or more
Saturday, November 26, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Beaconsfield Canyon, Montclair

Sausal Creek Trail Stewardship Crew
*RSVP Required* for groups of four or more
Sunday, November 27, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Meet at the Scout Hut in Dimond Park.
We need volunteers in the watershed now more than ever!
Join us for one of our many workdays this November.
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. 
Connect with us:
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
Photo Credits: Anna Marie Schmidt, Beth Keer, Kate Berlin, Kerstin Fermin, Beatrice Thornton, Hattie Bradshaw, Amba Beattie, Ella Matsuda, Graham Wootton, Tobin Cantrill.