Your monthly EBRPD news & updates
|
|
New Park District Crew Works to Reduce Fire Fuels
; Legacy of Board Member Carol Severin
|
|
Fire Hazard Reduction Crew
In 2019, the Park District added funding for a new five-person fire hazard reduction crew dedicated year-round to reducing fire fuels in the regional parks, as well as two fire preparedness coordinators to manage large fuel reduction projects. These new crew members recently graduated specialized training and are already at work reducing fire fuels throughout the East Bay hills.
|
Board Member Carol Severin Remembered
Recreation leader and long-time Park District Board Member Carol Severin passed away on July 9, 2019. Carol served 20 years on the Park District Board of Directors from 1994 to 2014 where she was a champion of park access for all – especially for youth and seniors – and was instrumental in creating the Park District’s system of short-loop trails. She was a national leader in outdoor recreation and parkland management and received many awards for her contributions. In 2000, Carol received the Cornelius Pugsley Award, the most prestigious award given for work toward the promotion and development of public parks, recreation, and conservation in the United States.
Please join me in remembering Carol Severin's contributions to parks and recreation and her tremendous legacy.
Robert E. Doyle
General Manager
|
|
From left: Albert Hart, Jeremiah Howland, Rafael Ledezma-Villalva, Anthony Nguyen, Joseph Jerome, McKenna Stevulak, Juliana Schirmer, Bill Schirmer and Trish Hart. (photo by Ryan J. Degan)
|
|
Some Heroes Wear Capes, Others Wear the Park District Leaf!
|
|
On August 13,
Park District Rangers Ezequiel (Zeke) Torres
,
Michael Tankersley
(who is also an on-call firefighter with EBRPD Fire), and
Monique Looney
worked to quickly extinguish a vegetation fire purposely set near the entrance to Black Diamond Mines Regional Park. Torres, who observed a suspect squirting lighter fluid onto the fire, and Tankersley, who took photos of the suspect as evidence, radioed Looney, who hopped in a truck with a fire pumper (a portable tank of water) and drove down to the incident location. The rangers used the pumper along with hand tools and quickly extinguished the fire. Officers from East Bay Regional Park District Police arrested the suspect at the scene. The rangers' training and decisive actions prevented the spread of a potentially large and dangerous fire.
Two days later, Park District staff, first responders, and good Samaritan passersby were honored for their part in saving the life of a runner in sudden cardiac arrest outside Shadow Cliffs Regional Park back in June. Park District lifeguards
McKenna Stevulak
,
Joseph Jerome
,
Rafael Ledezma-Villalva
,
Jeremiah Howland
, and
Anthony Nguyen
, along with
Juliana Schirmer
(Development Director for the Regional Parks Foundation who happened to be passing by the scene with her husband) were among those who responded and were thanked in a public ceremony on August 15th by the recovering runner and his family for their quick, life-saving actions.
|
|
Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail Bridge Upgraded
|
|
The East Bay Regional Park District recently replaced an old wood-beam bridge along the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail in Lafayette with a wider, corrosion-resistant steel bridge. The new bridge is two feet wider, allowing for improved trail capacity and safety. The project was planned for the summer months to minimize impacts to the community, especially students who use the trail to get to and from school. We appreciate the community’s patience during the temporary closure and are pleased to provide this upgraded bridge to the Lafayette community.
|
|
From left: Board Member Dennis Waespi (Ward 3), Board Member Beverly Lane (Ward 6), State Senator Steve Glazer (D - 7th District), Board Member Ellen Corbett (Ward 4), Board Member Colin Coffey (Ward 7), Board Member Dee Rosario (Ward 2), General Manager Robert E. Doyle
|
|
Senator Glazer Named Recipient of 2019 Radke Championing Advocacy Award
|
|
State Senator Steve Glazer has been awarded the Park District’s 2019
Radke Championing Advocacy Award
for his efforts to secure $5 million for Del Valle Regional Park to upgrade the park water delivery system which supplies water for camp showers and restroom facilities and for water delivery throughout the park. The award is named for the late Park District Board Member Ted Radke who advanced state and federal elected official support for park funding and strengthened the Park District’s valuable ties in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Senator Glazer has been a park and open space advocate authoring bills to ban smoking in state parks and beaches. He's
also
played a vocal role in the protection and conservation of the Tesla area in Livermore. Congratulations and thank you, Senator Glazer!
|
|
Coyote Hills Restoration and Public Access Project (Patterson Ranch) Approved at September 3 Board Meeting
|
|
On September 3, the Park District Board of Directors unanimously authorized the certification of the final Environmental Impact Report for the
Coyote Hills Restoration and Public Access Project
. The project focuses on the 306 acres of agricultural land donated to the Regional Parks Foundation for the East Bay Regional Park District by the heirs of George Patterson. Patterson once owned the farm land along with acreage at Ardenwood Historic Farm where his preserved homestead is open to the public. The approved plan calls for the development of parking, trails and viewing platforms for park visitors to experience the variety of natural habitat and native species that flourish in the park.
|
|
PBS News Hour Features Park District’s SHINE Program with UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland
|
|
The August 28 PBS News Hour broadcast featured “Why doctors are increasingly prescribing nature.” The SHINE program, sponsored by EBRPD and Regional Parks Foundation, is led by Dr. Nooshin Razani at
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland
. Pediatricians and nurses accompany their patients with chronic diseases, along with their families, to regional parks for health and connection.
Watch here
. Other coverage on SHINE and Wellness Walks includes the New York Times, Visión Hispana and East Bay Express.
Read more
.
|
|
East Bay Regional Parks 85 Year Legacy
Doug McConnell’s OpenRoad
|
|
Check out Doug McConnell’s “
East Bay Regional Parks' 85 Year Legacy
”, an OpenRoad episode celebrating the birth of the Park District in the depths of the Great Depression and its 85-year legacy of protecting open space and connecting people with nature.
Watch here
.
|
|
Demonstration Areas Highlight Wildfire Protection Efforts
|
|
Next time you’re in the East Bay hills, consider visiting the Park District’s new information panels that highlight the District’s wildfire protection efforts. The signs in Tilden, Sibley, and Wildcat Canyon demonstrate how maintaining healthy forests decreases the risk of wildfires.
The panels use “Before” and “After” photos to show the results of Park District efforts to selectively thin and remove densely-crowded trees and overgrown brush -
creating a shaded “fuel break” to reduce the intensity and spread of wildfires
. These efforts also provide safe and healthy forests where wildlife and native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers can grow and thrive.
More info
.
|
|
|
Commemorative Lanyards and Buttons Available at Park District Visitor Centers
|
To celebrate our 85th Anniversary, the Park District is giving away commemorative lanyards and buttons at each visitor center. When you go to the visitor centers, just say “Happy Anniversary!” to collect their unique commemorative buttons. Participating visitor centers include Ardenwood, Big Break, Black Diamond Mines, Coyote Hills, Crown Beach, Del Valle*, Garin**, Sunol, and Tilden Environmental Education Center.
While supplies last
, check here for
visitor center hours
.
*The Del Valle visitor center has closed for the season and all buttons were handed out during Labor Day weekend.
**Please join us at the
Garin Apple Festival
on Saturday, September 7 from 12 noon to 4 pm for your chance to get the Garin commemorative button. The visitor center will close for the season after the event.
|
Trails Challenge – It’s Not Too Late to Get Started!
|
Now that summer is over and kids are back in school, some park visitors might feel like the hiking season is over.
But it's really just getting started!
Fall in the East Bay is one of the best times of the year to get outdoors. The weather is still warm and days are still long until late October. It’s the perfect time to get out in the parks and enjoy the
2019 Trails Challenge
with 20 planned hikes ranging from easy to challenging, including trails open to hikers, bicyclists, dogs, and equestrians, and many are also wheelchair accessible.
Learn more
.
|
Garin Apple Festival: Saturday, September 7
|
Celebrate Hayward’s farming past at this year's
Garin Apple Festival
! The spirit of Garin's orchards lives on in the antique apple varieties cultivated in remnants of the old apple orchards. The festival celebrates the farm's apple-growing tradition. You can sample antique apple varieties grown in the orchards and try your hand at pressing apple cider or hand-cranking ice cream. Folk music, songs, and old-fashioned games fill out the day.
More info
.
|
Last 2019 Concert at the Cove: Saturday, September 13
|
Join us for the final FREE
Concert at the Cove
in Alameda on Friday, September 13 from 5:30-7:30pm. The concert will feature
SambaDa
, playing traditional Afro-Brazilian heritage music blended with funk, rock, and reggae. Food and beverages are available for purchase. Bring blankets and lawn chairs.
More info.
|
35th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day: Saturday, September 21
|
Join us for
California Coastal Cleanup Day
! On Saturday, Sept. 21 from 9 am to 12 noon, Park District staff and volunteers will pick up litter and recyclables from shoreline parks and lakes in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. There will be 10 clean-up sites throughout various parks and shorelines. Directions to volunteer sites, what to bring, what to wear, and additional information can be
found here
.
|
Niles Canyon Stroll & Roll: Sunday, September 22
|
The Niles Canyon Stroll & Roll is a biennial event organized by Alameda County, where Highway 84 (Niles Canyon Road) is closed to vehicular traffic, giving people an opportunity to bike and walk safely through the canyon with their friends and family. The East Bay Regional Park District, in partnership with Alameda County, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, and the Alameda County Water District, published the
Niles Canyon Regional Trail Connectivity Study
in late 2015. During the planning process for the trail study, the public voiced their interest to experience Niles Canyon without vehicular traffic. The County responded to that interest by creating the Stroll and Roll event in 2015, just before the study was released. The event has since grown to include guided nature walks, local artist exhibits, and food trucks.
More info
.
|
Regional Parks FAM Fest! at the Bridge Yard on Saturday, September 28 -
Join the Celebration!
|
Join us at our first-ever
FAM Fest! Fall Arts and Music Festival
to celebrate our 85th Anniversary and explore the Bridge Yard building, Oakland’s newest regional event center managed by EBRPD. The FREE event will feature live music performances, kids activities, vendors, live art and exhibits, food for sale, tours, secure bike parking, and much more. The event is for all ages and is ADA accessible.
|
Saturday, Sep 21, 8:30am-12pm,
Coastal Cleanup 2019
,
Alameda-Encinal Boat Ramp; Big Break Shoreline; Crown Beach; Del Valle; Hayward Shoreline; Radke Martinez; Martin Luther King Jr.; Point Isabel; Point Pinole
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
