September 2023 Watershed News | |
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Sunset under a sprawling oak at Lookout Point in Joaquin Miller Park.
Photo by Kate Berlin.
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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
Creek to Bay Day
Multiple Watershed Sites | September 16, 23 and 24
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Volunteer with us this Creek to Bay Day! We have several projects planned across the watershed to help keep our city and water clean.
- Jingletown Native Plant Garden - 9/16 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Barry Place - 9/23 | 9-11 a.m.
- Beaconsfield Canyon - 9/23 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Dimond Park/Canyon - 9/23 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Bridgeview Pollinator Garden - 9/24 | 9-11 a.m.
At Dimond Park, we’re teaming up with the Oakland Museum of California to offer some friendly competition and educational activities in addition to restoration and clean-up.
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Geology Walk and Talk with Andrew Alden
William D. Wood Park | Saturday, September 30, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
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Andrew Alden will lead us on a riveting walk and talk about Oakland geology in this community park that came into being from decades of land movement.
His new book Deep Oakland: How Geology Shaped a City, a San Francisco Chronicle bestseller, reveals how Oakland's surprisingly rich geological heritage has affected its human history from Ohlone times to today–and constrains the city's future. In 11 essays sweeping from the shoreline to the ridgetop, Andrew shows that just as Oakland is a human crossroads for cultures from the world over, so too is the bedrock below, carried here from parts still incompletely known.
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Andrew began his career at the U.S. Geological Survey and subsequently became a science writer who has educated the public about Earth science through walks, talks and writings since the 1990s. He has lived in Oakland since 1989, two weeks before the Loma Prieta earthquake. His blog Oakland Geology (deepoakland.com) has been continuously active since 2007.
This event is at maximum capacity, but you can join our waitlist in case of cancellations. Due to popular demand, we plan to offer this walk again in the spring!
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18th Annual Native Plant Sale and Open House
FOSC Native Plant Nursery | Sunday, October 29, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
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Our 18th Annual Native Plant Sale and Open House is on Sunday, October 29 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the FOSC Nursery in Joaquin Miller Park.
Check out the 100+ species we are offering this year by cruising our webstore.
Our habitat kits are back again! These are great assorted selections based on habitat type to take the guess work out of introducing native plants to your garden.
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Explore the Watershed
Sausal Creek Watershed in the News
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We connected with Save the Redwoods League and CBS news to share the successes and challenges of our decade-long redwood forest restoration projects in Joaquin Miller Park and the role of these iconic trees as natural allies in the battle against climate change.
FOSC continues to advocate for designating Resource Conservation Areas in the Fern Ravine redwood forest and elsewhere in Joaquin Miller Park to preserve natural resources, protect native plants and animals, and our waterways.
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Friend of the Month
Maria Katticaran
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We are thrilled to welcome Maria Katticaran to our Board of Directors. Maria got involved with FOSC after learning about our participation in the San Francisco Estuary Partnership Regional Needs Assessment Report. Maria was keen to support FOSC’s work in the watershed as she is a passionate advocate for water resources in the Bay Area and beyond. Learn more about what makes Maria tick:
Throughout my career as a licensed architect and urban designer, I have worked on urban projects to elevate the quality of life in our cities by prioritizing sustainable and resilient development, accessibility, public programming, and transit-oriented communities.
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I work with a diverse clientele - local and state governments, transit agencies, institutions, and developers. Additionally, with my background in grassroots community planning, I have imbibed a valuable perspective on community aspirations and how projects impact local communities. These diverse experiences bring a holistic approach to my work; I consider both the technical and economic aspects of projects as well as their broader social, community and environmental implications in the conceptualizing of a project.
Having been born and brought up in Kerala, India, where water is regarded as an incredibly vital part of everyday life and culture, I hope to honor my cultural connection to water and advance my passion for working with communities through my involvement with FOSC.
Give Maria a big watershed welcome at our upcoming Creek to Bay Day event in Barry Place.
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From the Potting Bench
Monkeyflower
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Our native plant nursery volunteers have been working diligently through the summer heat to propagate seedlings for restoration and the upcoming native plant sale on October 29. Special thanks goes out to Annette Osenga, Alan Tong, Claudia Ponath, and Nancy Jones who kept the action going while staff was on leave. And appreciation is due to Peter Van der Naillen who shares his curiosity about the etymology of our local plants as fun musings: | |
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This summer we have transplanted (or bumped up in the parlance) masses of sticky monkeyflower seedlings at the nursery. A plentiful and colorful shrub in the watershed, it proves very popular for its orange flowers, dark green leaves, drought tolerance, deer resistance, and not least, hummingbird attractiveness.
But the plant’s interest doesn’t end there–a certain versatility blossoms both in name and in traditional uses.
–Peter Van der Naillen | FOSC Nursery Volunteer
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Student Board Member
Applications open for 2023-2024 school year
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FOSC is looking for a high school (11th or 12th grade) or college student who is interested in serving on the FOSC board of directors! Student board members have a voice in organization decisions, make a meaningful impact in the community, cultivate leadership and other skills, and have the opportunity to expand their professional network.
This opportunity is ideal for someone who shares our organization's passion and commitment to promoting awareness, appreciation, and stewardship of Oakland’s Sausal Creek Watershed.
If interested, submit a letter of interest to info@sausalcreek.org by September 29.
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A big shout out to our outgoing student board members, Amba Beattie and Hattie Bradshaw, for their contributions this past year–leading youth outreach activities at large community events, pitching in to repot plants after the nursery vandalism, volunteering regularly at Bridgeview Pollinator Garden and Dimond Park, and actively participating and sharing great ideas in the boardroom.
These two seniors at Oakland Technical High School continue their dynamic duoship–now serving as co-presidents of their school’s environmental club (Bay Area Restorative Ecology Club) and are thinking up ways they can engage their clubmates in ongoing collaboration with FOSC.
Amba reflected on the student board member experience: “It was fun to see large volunteer events from a new perspective, helping the organization deliver information to the public. Board meetings can feel a little intimidating, but actually all the board members are cool! It’s a good opportunity to connect with experts you might not otherwise have much exposure to.”
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We need volunteers in the watershed now more than ever!
Join us for one of our many workdays this September.
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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:
Kate Berlin, Maria Katticaran, Itay Hod, Peter Van der Naillen
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