eNews: What's Happening in Your Regional Parks

May 2023

NEWS & FEATURES

Enjoying Summer in the Regional Parks

A MESSAGE FROM GENERAL MANAGER SABRINA B. LANDRETH

Each summer, the Park District welcomes visitors to the Regional Parks to spend time exploring nature and to connect with family and friends. Whether it's a sunshine-filled hike, family picnic, or group barbecue, our parks offer a place for healthy and safe recreation while protecting open space and natural habitat for wildlife.

Whatever your activity, we hope you enjoy your time in the Regional Parks this summer. Popular summertime activities include swimming, picnicking, barbecuing, fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, movie nights, day camps, adventure camps, and naturalist-led programs.

To view Park District programs, facility availability, or to reserve a location for an activity, visit our Things to Do webpage.

Enjoy summertime in your Regional Parks!

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander(AAPI) Heritage Month. Join us in themed educational programs and hikes. Discover stories of community members who have contributed to the success of our parks and our nation. More Info.

Dive into Swim Season at the Park District

Summer fun is around the corner – the 2023 swim season is here! Swimming facilities and shorelines, including six open-water lakefront beaches, three lagoons, two pools, and two bay beaches are projected to be open for this year’s swim season. Some facilities are open weekends and holidays before Memorial day. Be sure to check facility status and hours on our Swimming webpage before heading out.

Protecting Yourself in the Heat

The return of warm weather is a reminder to protect ourselves from the heat when enjoying the Regional Parks. Be prepared for your adventure with water, sunscreen, appropriate clothing, and information regarding heat warnings and trail advisories for the area. More Info.

May is National Wildfire Awareness Month

Every May, the Park District and other agencies convene to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season. Year-round efforts include removing flammable vegetation, maintaining a professionally trained full-time and on-call fire department, maintaining specialized wildland firefighting equipment, and monitoring fire weather conditions. Wildfire Safety Tips.

Park District Acquires Finley Road Ranch Property

The Park District has acquired the 768-acre Finley Road Ranch property located at the western edge of Morgan Territory Regional Preserve and the southern edge of Mount Diablo State Park. The acquisition includes a site for a potential staging area that would improve public access to Morgan Territory and Mount Diablo. More Info.

Reinhardt Redwood Joins National Old-Growth Forest Network

Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park – the largest remaining natural grove of coast redwoods in the East Bay – has joined the Old-Growth Forest Network dedicated to sharing the nation’s old-growth forests with the public. Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park is the 17th forest in California to to join the network and the first in Alameda County. More Info.

APA Award of Excellence for Roddy Ranch Plans

The former Roddy Ranch Golf Course Habitat Restoration and Public Access Plan has been selected for a first place 2023 Award of Excellence in Resilience and Sustainability Planning by the American Planning Association, California Chapter, Northern Section. Congratulations to the Park District's Acquisition, Stewardship & Development division planning team! More Info.

May-June Regional in Nature Activity Guide

The latest issue of the Regional in Nature Activity Guide is packed with seasonal programs and activities in the parks, features on the Briones Trail Use Pilot Project and wildfire safety tips, stories about brown pelicans and the Del Valle bald eagle, and much more! View Activity Guide.

IN THE PARKS

Park District Launches Trail Use Pilot Project at Briones Regional Park

The Briones Pilot Project launched on Friday, April 21. Information tables will be set up every weekend through the end of May at Alhambra Creek staging area with staff and volunteers on hand to answer questions and provide information. The new project is limited to a specific zone area in the northeast corner of Briones, equal to 25 percent of the park (see map) and provides new temporary access to some trails with special rules, while also restoring illegally constructed “bootleg" trails to protect wildlife and habitat. Pilot Zone Schedule & Rules

Briones Pilot Project Volunteer Dig Days

Join us for a Volunteer Dig Day and help with the construction of trails within the Briones Pilot Project Zone. Make your experience on the trail a good one, whether you like to hike, bike, or ride horses. Help us maintain and enhance Briones Regional Park and create exciting new recreational opportunities for all visitors. Sign Up/More Info.

Iris Garden Open and in Bloom at Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park

Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park's iris garden is open for its annual bloom. Thousands of irises along with companion flowers, such as California poppies and tower of jewels, are showing their colors. Bring a picnic lunch and surround yourself with their beauty.

The garden is open daily from 10am to 4pm (closed Mothers Day), and is located at Dry Creek Staging Area. Limited free parking is available, and carpooling is recommended. Pets are not allowed in the iris area.

Big Break Hosted Annual

All Abilities Day on May 2

On May 2, visitors explored nature at Big Break’s annual All Abilities Day. The program included multiple interactive experiences, with ASL and Spanish interpreters on-site. Visitors traveled along paved trails to stations to touch fur, go fishing on land, listen to birds, observe the water, make fish prints, and meet a live snake.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Tilden vista, circa 1940s

Conserving Watershed Lands – A Shared History

How did the Park District go from being a vision in 1930 to a reality by 1934? The answer connects us to the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), that is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month. More Info | EBMUD 100th Birthday Party & Community Fair

Black Birders Week 2023:

May 28 to June 3

Join us in celebrating Black Birders Week with a free, week-long series of activities aimed at uplifting Black birders and topics of cultural inclusivity in the outdoors. Share the joys of birding as a lifelong learning journey while spending time with the community and learning about the birds of the East Bay. Coffee, snacks, binoculars, and birding books are provided. All are welcome! More Info.

FEATURED ACTIVITIES

Enjoy Mother Nature on Mother's Day: May 14

Treat Mom to an excursion into nature during this warm and wonderful season in our parks.

Mother’s Day Plant Sale, Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden

Sun. May 14, 10am

Mother's Day On The Farm, Ardenwood Historic Farm, Fremont

Sun. May 14, 11am

Mother's Day Family Hike, Del Valle, Livermore

Sun. May 14, 11am

Community Campfire - Mothers of Big Break, Big Break, Oakley

Sun. May 14, 6:30pm

Memorial Day Weekend Activities in the Park District: May 27-29

Family Nature Fun Hour: Memorial Day Memories, Crab Cove, Alameda

Sat. May 27 and Sun. May 28, 1:30pm

Learn to fold a flag, tie a knot, and make a flower to put on the Merchant Mariners Memorial.

Memorial Day Free Day, Ardenwood Historic Farm, Fremont

Mon. May 29, 10am

Celebrate the holiday with an admission-free day of fun! Help with farm chores, ride the train, and tour the Victorian farmhouse. Swing by our outdoor kitchen for demonstrations or try your skills at some old-time games.

Memorial Day Open House, Crab Cove, Alameda

Mon. May 29, Noon

Enjoy the beach, then come in to meet our turtle and snake, visit the fish, make a craft, and more. On-going crafts: Make a flower to put on the Merchant Mariners memorial statue or recycle a stamp to make a button. Look through old photos or try our self-guided history walk.