Your monthly EBRPD news & updates
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Join Us: 85th Anniversary Free Park Fridays
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Join us in celebrating the East Bay Regional Parks 85th Anniversary with
Free Park Fridays! Every Friday until the end of the year the East Bay Regional Park District is offering Free Park Fridays to mark its 85th Anniversary.
Free Park Fridays applies to park entrance and fees for day use parking, swimming, dogs, horse trailers, boat launching, and fishing permits will all be waived. However, fee waiver does not apply to special event permits/reservations, camping and associated fees, or state fees such as fishing licenses and watercraft inspections.
For 85 years, the Park District has preserved and protected open space in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and provided public access to regional parks, shorelines, and trails for recreation and nature discovery.
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Enjoy your Regional Parks and see you out there!
Robert E. Doyle
General Manager
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Wildfire Protection: Time to Trim Those Trees
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A year-round fire season is now the “new normal” in California. The 2018 wildfire season was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire season on record in California. The Park
District is actively working every day to reduce the fuel load in regional parks and maintaining healthy forests by thinning excessive growth.
While the Park District's efforts to reduce wildfire risk are extensive, it is the collective efforts of homeowners and neighbors that can have the greatest impact. Reduce fire fuels around your home and take other precautions to help prevent wildfires.
What You Can Do To Help
- Create and maintain defensible space of 30-100 feet around your home. For more information visit the Park District's Wildfire Prevention web page.
- Watch for and understand red flag warnings and follow all restrictions on burning and use of power equipment.
- If you see a potential fire hazard in the parks, report it by calling (510) 881-1833.
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Enjoy the Park District's Swimming Facilities While Staying Safe in the Water
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The sun is out, the weather is warming up, and by Memorial Day Weekend all of the East Bay Regional Park District's swimming facilities will be open for the season. While families look forward to spending leisurely days playing in the water, it's important to remember that water can present dangers. These general water safety tips can help you stay safe in, on, and around the water.
Water Safety Tips
- Keep a close eye on your children. Drowning can occur quickly and silently, even in a foot of water.
- Refrain from drinking alcohol if you plan on swimming.
- Obey all rules and posted signs.
- Only swim in areas with a lifeguard on duty.
- If you’re not a strong swimmer, take swim lessons. The Park District offers swim lessons throughout the summer. Find out more here.
- If you’re unsure of your swimming abilities, wear a life jacket. Each of our swim facilities has free loaner life jackets available.
- Children 12 years old and under are not permitted in the swimming area unless accompanied by a responsible, actively-supervising individual 16 years old or older.
- No lifeguard service is provided at bay beaches. Swimming at your own risk is allowed in designated areas and when lifeguards are off duty at some parks.
For a full list of swim facilities locations, schedules, and fees, visit our
Swim Facilities page.
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Measure WW Local Investments – $125 Million Benefitting Local Communities
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In 2008, voters in the Alameda and Contra Costa counties approved Measure WW
to invest $500 million in East Bay parks. $125 million of Measure WW was specifically dedicated for local park and recreation projects (Local Grant Program) on a per/capita (population) basis.
Over the past 11 years the East Bay Regional Park District has approved $116.8 million toward 235 projects benefitting the local communities in the two counties. Of those, 170 projects have been completed so far. Key projects included youth and senior centers, sports courts and fields, aquatics centers, picnic areas, safe playground equipment, and park infrastructures such as bathrooms, water fountains, safety lighting, and parking. For a list of projects in your community visit
ebparks.org/MeasureWW.
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Park District Welcomes New Operator for Camp Arroyo
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United Camps, Conferences, and Retreats (UCCR) has been selected as the new camp operator at Camp Arroyo, the East Bay Regional Park District’s environmental education youth camp serving fifth and sixth-grade students during the school year. UCCR replaces the YMCA of the East Bay who notified the Park District it would end its agreement to operate the camps on May 31, 2019.
The Park District hosts 4,000 children each year at Camp Arroyo through its environmental education camps. The Taylor Family Foundation hosts an additional 3,000 campers with chronic medical, developmental, and emotional challenges each year, at no charge.
UCCR’s WOLF School will help continue the Park District’s highly successful environmental education camps that introduce students to science, nature, and sustainable living concepts.
Learn more
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Rattlesnake Safety in the Regional Parks
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As the weather heats up, rattlesnakes become more active in many of our parks, their natural habitat. If you see a rattlesnake,
leave it alone. Do not try to capture or harm it. All park wildlife is protected by law. If you see a snake on a trail, wait for it to cross the trail and do not approach it. Then move carefully and slowly away. While rattlesnake sightings are rare, the Park District is advising the public to follow these safety tips when visiting a Regional Park.
Safety Tips for Visiting Regional Parks
1. Always hike with a friend so that you can help each other in case of emergency.
2. Look at the ground ahead of you as you are walking.
3. Look carefully around and under logs and rocks before sitting down.
4. Avoid placing your hands or feet where you can’t see clearly.
5. Check the area around picnic tables, campsites, and barbecues before using them. If you encounter a rattlesnake in these areas, notify park staff.
6. Keep pets on designated trails and away from snakes if they see one.
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UC Berkeley Webcam Captures Peregrine Chicks Hatching Live
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A pair of nesting peregrine falcons who reside on the UC Berkeley Campanile (Sather Tower) became social media stars last month. A team of falcon experts, including District staff and wildlife volunteers, has been involved with the project since the peregrines were first observed nesting on the Campanile in 2017. Last fall, the team helped raise funds to install two webcams on the tower, one directed at the nest and the other on one of the tower’s balconies where nestlings will soon exercise to develop their flying skills.
The nesting pair raised their young on Berkeley's bell tower in 2017 and 2018. This year, as the whole world watched, two of the falcon’s three eggs hatched on April 24, the day before the predicted hatch date. Unfortunately, the third egg did not hatch. The arrival of the hatchlings was celebrated with a "BirdDay party" at Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, including a livestream of the nest on a massive outdoor screen and falcon experts on hand to answer questions, including East Bay Regional Park District Wildlife Program Manager Doug Bell.
Follow the falcon family activities on
Twitter or
Facebook, or watch livestream images on UC Berkeley Campanile Peregrine
Cam 1 and
Cam 2.
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Having a hard time getting started on your Trails Challenge? Find a trail that works for you with some of these handy tips.
When choosing a trail:
• Consider your physical condition, trail length, and intensity, as well as weather conditions.
• Read trail descriptions. Download the 2019 Trails Challenge guidebook
here.
• Before heading out: Always tell a friend or family member your route and expected time of return.
• Bring plenty of water.
• Go with a friend when possible.
The Park District has different hiking trail levels for you to explore. Visit
short loop trails and
challenging trails pages for more information. The
Trails Challenge webpage, as well as the archived guides from previous years, lists several trails by difficulty level (easy, moderate, challenging). There's a trail for everyone, so find the right trail for you and go have an adventure in nature!
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Apply Online Now for a Seasonal Job in the Park District
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Summer jobs in the East Bay Regional Parks can be very rewarding and a lot of fun. Sometimes a seasonal job in the Park District sparks an interest that can turn into a full-time career. Check out the opportunities currently available and apply online if you would like to spend your summer working in the parks.
Gate Attendant and/or Student Laborer: Would you like to spend this summer in the largest regional park district in the nation, serving the public in a fast-paced and team-oriented work environment? This opportunity is for you! These positions often include public contact and therefore bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
Interpretive Student Aide I/II: Interpretive Student Aides are currently enrolled high school and college students who work alongside Naturalist staff to provide interpretive programs and public information in a park visitor center and surrounding parklands. These paid positions are designed for students considering a career in interpretation, environmental education, natural history, cultural history, or park professions while supplementing their current coursework in natural science and/or cultural history. In addition to gaining natural and cultural history information relating to parks, students will develop interpretive skills in this training position.
Summer Intern (several openings): Each year the Park District employs approximately two-dozen student interns with a primary program purpose to offer students a paid and enriching on-the-job learning experience, relevant to their area of academic study. The projects are located in various divisions which include: Acquisition, Stewardship, and Development; Operations; and Public Affairs. Positions in this classification often include public contact and therefore bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
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Summer Camps are Still Open - Register Today!
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The East Bay Regional Park District offers many fun outdoor day camps for children. There are a variety of camps and locations which offer activities throughout the summer. Register soon, our popular camps fill up quickly!
Park'n It Day Camp is a traditional summer day camp program that takes place Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm in various East Bay Regional Parks. Camps feature hands-on experiences under the care of our highly-trained staff of recreation leaders, lifeguards, and naturalists. Your child will learn about our park ecology, play games, make art projects, go fishing, hiking, and swimming, and enjoy field trips to other parks.
Junior Naturalist Camp at Del Valle - Calling all nature lovers and future naturalists! Join us for this week long exploration of Del Valle. Have fun with our staff while you learn the skills to discover the hidden wonders of the world around us, and how to share your passion for nature with others. Ages 12-16 yrs.
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Saturday, May 18, 9-11:30am,
Butterfly Spring, Martinez/Crockett - Carquinez Strait
Discover even more fun!
Search online
by park, date, or other keywords. Or you can browse through a PDF of our bi-monthly activity guide,
Regional in Nature
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