Walking the trails in Garber Park became just a little easier–and safer—thanks to the wonderful turnout and hard work for our rst ever Earth Week, April 18-22. That’s right! Our activities extended over nearly a week, not just a single day.
Oakland’s Draft Vegetation Management Plan Doesn't Go Gar Enough, by Sue Piper (with help from Jon Kaufman)
Sue Piper's opinion editorial appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on July 16, 2018 (click here for a link to the article). For the full article (the link is truncated) please continue reading below).
Trail Map at Domingo and Claremont Avenues, by Jon Kaufman
Building and maintaining trails in Claremont Canyon is the Conservancy’s way of inviting area residents to experience the joy of living in the wildland-urban interface. We think it will help remind people that responsibility comes with the pleasure of living here. We need to care for our environment by making our wildland accessible and by removing invasive plants and keeping it as firesafe as possible.
Conservancy's response to Oakland's Draft Vegetation Management Plan (click below to read full document)
May 6 bird walk—an ode to spring, by Kay Loughman
Especially with spring birding trips, our walk was as much about listening as seeing. We identified 29 species (see list below), many by sound alone. Resident singers, American Robins were among the first species we heard. Newly-arrived Swainson’s Thrushes announced their presence with single chips–they’ll be producing their spiraling ethereal song in another week or so. Then the “what peevesyou?” call of a distant Olive-sided Flycatcher let us know it too had completed its northward migration.
Living up to our commitment, by L. Tim Wallace
The Conservancy is busy on several fronts—living up to our commitment to be vigilant about wildfire safety while encouraging a healthy native environment in Claremont Canyon. Unfortunately, wildfire danger continues to be a major issue as fire season is becoming a year round concern. Public agencies are unable to devote the financial and human resources necessary to address it.
Early history of Claremont Canyon, by Karen Faircloth
This charming piece of Claremont Canyon history is excerpted from “A Proposal for the formation of Claremont Canyon Park,” the 1973 document that brought about the eventual formation of the Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve. Reprinted here with permission from the author and the Claremont-Elmwood Neighborhood Association.
UC in mediation with FEMA to recover funds, by Jerry Kent
The Conservancy has previously reported its full support of UC Berkeley’s efforts to recover funding granted in 2015 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The grants were to reduce fire danger on UC's hill campus in Claremont and Strawberry canyons by removing stands of hazardous trees.
New trail signs installed, by Jon Kaufman
With thanks to Tom Klatt we now have a new trail marker where the Gwin Canyon Trail meets the Willow Trail just down the steps from Signpost 29. We installed the trail marker during our January stewardship day. We are hopeful that the Park District will add a trail sign of their own at the other end of the Gwin Canyon Trail where it meets Norfolk Road. Conservancy volunteers continue their work to make the trail easier to traverse by installing more steps and water bars and making a part of the trail less steep. We also will be installing logs along the edge to reduce erosion. Finally, the University has just improved the area just outside the gate at Signpost 29, making it safer to pull over and park.
December 9, 2017 Bird Walk, by Kay Loughman
Last month's bird walk, led by Dave Quady and me, was a quiet affair—only fourteen species were observed over six hours of birding (minus 90 minutes for breakfast). That's an all time low for our winter bird walks, likely due to lack of rain (only one significant rainfall since spring) and strong dry winds the preceding week. Nevertheless our group of birders—four for the early morning owl walk and six for the after breakfast bird walk—enjoyed each others' company while we waited . . .
Outing with the Park District trails managers
Conservancy members recently hosted a tour of Claremont Canyon with planners from the East Bay Regional Park District's Trails Development team, including trails manager Sean Dougan and Ward 2 Board Member Dee Rosario. We hiked up the Conservancy's new Gwin Canyon trail connecting Park District and UC lands, then headed over to the Stonewall-Panoramic Ridge Trail to assess its steepest section just below Panoramic Way. We are hoping the Park District will build switchbacks on this degraded section of trail for increased safety and accessibility to hikers. We'll keep you informed as progress develops.
City of Berkeley Proclamation, read by Mayor Jesse Arreguin and Council Member Susan Wengraf
The Garber Park interpretative brochure journey, by Shelagh Brodersen and Lech Naumovich
Several years ago, Garber Park Stewards and Golden Hour Restoration Institute first tossed around the idea of creating an interpretative brochure that would enrich the experience of visiting Garber Park. We wanted to create a document that was engaging and informative for all park users—first timers as well as regular visitors.
The wonders of Garber Park, by Nancy Mueller
if you haven’t delved into the wonders of Garber Park, you need to know about it! You will find a delightful native oak woodland with native fern grottoes, giant coast live oaks, California buckeyes, California big leaf maples, and a fascinating old defunct replace from old boy scout days of the 1920’s! All this is within walking distance from the intersection of Ashby and Claremont avenues.
Cal Berkeley Project Day
Thank You CAL Students: More than 20 UC Berkeley students joined us on October 28th to celebrate Berkeley Day working on trails in Claremont Canyon. Together we cleared trails, pulled French broom, widened the narrow portions of the new Gwin Canyon Trail and began installing steps on the steeper portions. Lots was accomplished and the trails are in great shape. Berkeley Day happens twice a year and the Conservancy has had students involved in these efforts for several years. Claremont Canyon is an example of how teamwork pays off. Thank you to the students, the Eagle Scouts and to all our volunteers for their past and present efforts.
Making a difference, Conservancy President Tim Wallace
Tim Wallace considers himself a “Yes man”—not a person that caves into other people's demands, but the kind that says, “Yes” to life.
Tim just celebrated 15 years (on and off—mostly on) as president of the Claremont Canyon Conservancy, "Working with volunteers we have helped make the canyon more fire-safe, more natural, and more accessible by trails.”
Tim has been involved with natural resources all his life: first as rancher and logger, then later in academics. He has been at UC Berkeley since 1963. "I've worked at the White House on agricultural matters and was Director of California's Department of Food and Agriculture. I've done consulting abroad in Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Far East, and New Zealand and Australia."
Grizzly Peak and ridge fire potential, by Jerry Kent
The legacy of Ralph Samuel
Saturday, May 18, 2002 was the dedication of the Ralph Samuel bench at the Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve. Ralph was the District’s Land Acquisition Specialist from 1979 to 1986. Hulet Hornbeck, Land Department Chief, originally hired him to acquire the privately owned lots that were included in the Claremont Canyon Preserve.
Big Cats in Claremont Canyon, by Janis Bankoff
A new study conducted by the East Bay Regional Park District reveals the presence of mountain lions (“Big Cats”), an elusive apex predator utilizing the wilderness ridegtop above the Caldecott Tunnel to transit between the open spaces north and south of the tunnel. The study, expanded earlier this year to include the Caldecott Tunnel Corridor, is led by veteran Park District wildlife ecologist and science consultant Steve Bobzie
Annual Meeting Speaker Robert Doyle, General Manager of the East Bay Regional Park District
Robert Doyle, General Manager East Bay Regional Park District
General Manager Robert Doyle began his park career over 40 years ago as a member of the East Bay Regional Park District’s eucalyptus crews, following the big freeze of 1972. He went on to serve in several eld, planning, and administrative positions before becoming Assistant General Manager for Land Acquisition and Planning in 1990. For the next 21 years he led the District’s expansion of parklands to serve the rapidly growing populations of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. In 2010, he was appointed General Manager by the Park District’s seven-member, elected Board of Directors to oversee 70 regional parks totaling 124,000 acres, 1,200 miles of interconnecting trails, and a staff of 1,000 employees.
