Shelagh Brodersen is honored with a proclamation read by Oakland Councilmember Dan Kalb at “Fireplace Plaza.” Nancy Mueller (left), Shelagh Brodersen (center), Dan Kalb (right)—Photo by Chris Johnson, April 30th
“When Shelagh and Bob Brodersen moved into their home on Evergreen Lane, adjacent to Garber Park, they found the park in a state of disrepair, overgrown and with limited access, with great potential for improvement.”
That’s the first sentence of a City of Oakland proclamation read on April 30 by Councilmember Dan Kalb to honor Shelagh for her 12 years leading restoration activities in the park. The proclamation detailed the many improvements brought about by Shelagh through the Garber Park Stewards, a group she founded in 2010 to encourage the flourishing of native plants in the park and to repair and maintain the Loop Trail and its connector segments to the once forgotten park.
For the commemoration, about 25 people, including members of Conservancy, the park’s regular volunteers, and others, gathered at “Fireplace Plaza.” The Conservancy’s president Jon Kaufman presented a brass plaque for the recently restored stone bench (photo above). Lech Naumovich, ecologist and botanist, followed-up the celebration with a workshop for volunteers.
Shelagh plans to continue her participation with the Garber Park Stewards but is passing on the reins to Wyllie Clayson and Ruby Soto Cardona of The Everything Company LLC. They will be organizing workdays, recruiting volunteers, and writing the bi-monthly newsletter. Wyllie and Ruby have assisted Shelagh since 2021 in the 13-acre park at the base of Claremont Canyon, which has truly become a native plant oasis.
Shelagh Brodersen and Lech Naumovich (top row) pass on the reins of the Garber Park Stewards to Ruby Soto Cardona and Wyllie Clayson. Photo by Nancy Mueller, April 30th
