October 2026 Watershed News | |
To celebrate our 30th anniversary, we’re sharing a new video that offers a glimpse into who we are and what we do to restore and care for the Sausal Creek watershed. Whether you’ve been involved with our work for years or follow along from afar, we hope you enjoy the video and share it with someone who might like to get to know us, too. Many thanks to Alex McCutcheon of Spider Plant Media for producing and directing the video!
Photo by Alex McCutcheon
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Friends of Sausal Creek is a volunteer-based, community organization. We appreciate your support of our education, monitoring, and restoration programs in the
Sausal Creek Watershed.
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Upcoming Events
21st Annual Native Plant Sale and Open House
Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. | FOSC Native Plant Nursery
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The plant sale is just a week away!
Once a year, we open our nursery to the public to share our locally grown native plants and raise funds for FOSC’s restoration, education, and stewardship programs. Our staff and volunteers have been working all year to grow a wide selection of native plants, with more than 3,500 plants available this year. We hope you’ll join us and spread the word!
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Twilight Bat Walk in Fern Ravine
Friday, October 30, 5 - 6:30 p.m. | Fern Ravine
| | | | Join bat researcher Alexis Flores, a UC Berkeley PhD candidate studying urban bat ecology, for a dusk walk through Fern Ravine as we learn about local bats and watch for them emerging from their roosts. Listen to recorded bat calls, and discover what acoustic monitoring is revealing about these nocturnal neighbors and the recovering redwood forest. | | |
Trout Tour
Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Dimond Park
| | | | Come get a firsthand look at the wild rainbow trout and other native fish living in Sausal Creek. Dr. Robert Leidy, ecologist and FOSC Board President, will lead us along the creek to learn about its fish populations, explore the creek environment, and discuss how ecologists study and monitor fish. | | Our 21st Annual Native Plant Sale is Right Around the Corner! | | We're selling over 100 species of local, native plants that mitigate climate change, control erosion, and filter pollutants. These beauties also increase biological diversity and provide pollinator habitat. | | |
Need a little inspiration before you shop? Check out our handy guides:
Our FOSC team and guest experts will also be on hand at the event to offer personalized plant guidance and answer your gardening questions. Stop to chat with Todd Gilens, the CA Native Plant Pros, and local landscape architects Michael Thilgen and Linda Juratovac, who specialize in California native gardens.
| | Stay for the Entertainment | | There's plenty happening beyond the plant tables! Meet local artists, explore the natural world with community partners, and enjoy a little bluegrass along the way. | | |
Happening Throughout the Day:
10 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Raffle
Enter for a chance to win Oakland Zoo passes, Oakland Ballers tickets, a wheel class at Clay Clubhouse, and more! Winners will be drawn at noon.
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Block Printing with Simone Lassar
Fruitvale-based artist Simone Lassar will be printing custom designs inspired by Sausal Creek. Bring a soft, light-colored item that can lay flat and give it a little creek-inspired flair!
12 - 2 p.m. | Live Bluegrass with Rare Company
Kick back under the shadehouse and enjoy live music from local bluegrass band Rare Company.
All Day Long:
🌱 BIPOC Restoration Club – Connect with folks bringing conservation, healing, and community together in Dimond Canyon.
🦅 Golden Gate Bird Alliance – Discover ways to help Bay Area birds thrive.
🐞 Eddie Dunbar – Get a closer look at the fascinating insects of the Sausal Creek watershed.
💧 East Bay Municipal Utilities District – Learn about lawn conversion rebates and water-wise gardening.
🛶 I Heart Oakland Alameda Estuary – Find out about estuary cleanups and kayak adventures on the water.
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Growing Habitat at Home
Tim Vendlinski’s Native Plant Garden
| | Since starting his native plant garden in 2015, FOSC Board Member Tim Vendlinski has created a haven for birds, native bees, and other wildlife. Take a look at his garden and learn how native keystone species and fallen leaves can help create habitat for the creatures that call our gardens home. | | |
New FOSC Board Member
Caitlin Boise
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We are thrilled to welcome Caitlin Boise to the FOSC Board of Directors! Caitlin grew up in Northern California and has spent the past 15 years enjoying the plants, animals, and ecosystems of the East Bay. She works as an aquatic ecologist in the restoration industry, and brings experience in water quality, permitting, GIS, and river restoration to FOSC, building on her work as a dedicated volunteer.
Caitlin holds degrees in Conservation and Resource Studies and Arabic Language and Literature from U.C. Berkeley, as well as a degree in Geographic Information Systems Technology from Foothill College.
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When not volunteering in the watershed or spending time in the East Bay’s many parks, she can be found making ceramics or baking treats for friends and family.
Please join us in giving Caitlin a warm welcome to the FOSC community!
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We need volunteers in the watershed now more than ever!
Join us for one of our many workdays.
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Friends of Sausal Creek is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Our mission is to restore, maintain, and protect the Sausal Creek Watershed.
We educate future generations, involve the community in local environmental stewardship, and collaborate with agencies and other nonprofits to have a positive impact on the local ecosystem.
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Photo credits:
Alex McCutcheon, Eliana Thompson, Bat Conservation International, Elena Stenger, Kate Berlin, Rare Company, Bringing Back the Natives, Caitlin Boise
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