Wyllie and Ricardo clearing debris behind the stone fireplace.
This summer was a success as the Garber Park Stewards welcomed back many new and returning volunteers to the heavily wooded, 14-acre, City of Oakland park at the bottom of Claremont Canyon. Our volunteers showed up full of energy and ready to help out with ongoing efforts during this drought year to make the park more firesafe, especially near residences.
On our regular twice-a-month work days and all through Creek-to-Bay Month in September, we removed invasive plants, poison hemlock, Italian thistle, and Cape ivy. Our hardier volunteers raked and shored up the Loop Trail, replacing deteriorating foot bridge panels to provide safer, more enjoyable hiking and support evacuation readiness. Our work culminated in a wonderful Cape ivy removal workshop spearheaded by one of our long-time volunteers, Mark Seaborn, as we made more areas of the park available to native plants. Through all of this work we filled an entire bin with debris to be hauled away by the City of Oakland at the end of Creek-to-Bay Month!
Thanks to funds from the Claremont Canyon Conservancy, we were also able to turn our attention towards Fireplace Plaza, which will be restored in honor of Shelagh Brodersen’s founding of the Garber Park Stewards and her longtime dedication to the Garber Park. The fireplace opening will remain covered with metal mesh, as it is now, and not available for fires, but missing stones will be replaced and the damaged left-side bench, an integral part of the turn-of-the-last century stone structure, will be restored.
Persons at all levels of fitness are wanted and needed for volunteer work in Garber Park. If you would like to help us outside of volunteering, please consider donating noting that you would like your donation to go to the Garber Park Stewards. We hope to see you this season in Garber Park!
