Drive up Claremont Avenue east the rock chert on your left and pause at the gate at Sign Post 29 on your right. The vista from this point gives you a chance to see what the Conservancy has been doing to restore our canyon and make it accessible to stewardship volunteers and hikers alike.
Our volunteers have been working with the University which owns this upper part of the canyon. Note the new bench where you can sit and enjoy the view. Eucalyptus trees were cleared from this area eight years ago and native oaks, willows and bays, along with shrubs and grasses, have come back in this restored open space that extends uphill all the way to Grizzly Peak Boulevard.
Note also the trails which have been improved with trail markers, steps and creek crossings to make them more accessible for the less sure-footed among us. Additional steps are planned along with a map that we will post at the trailhead.
We look forward this year to approval from FEMA of an environmental impact statement which will release federal funds for removal of additional eucalyptus currently crowding out native vegetation on the opposite side of Claremont Avenue. Once these trees are removed, the Conservancy will continue its partnership with the University to restore and open up that area as well.
This work could not be done without the generous support of Claremont Canyon Conservancy members. Your financial contributions and your volunteer stewardship efforts are making this possible and ensuring that this last relatively undeveloped canyon on the western slope of the Oakland-Berkeley Hills endures for us and for future generations to enjoy.
