Agency Details:

Formed in 1996, the Friends of Sausal Creek is a group of community members protecting the Sausal Creek watershed at a grassroots level. The Friends recognize that citizen participation, from residents to decision-makers, teachers, and students, is critical for building long-term commitment to protecting Sausal Creek as a natural resource for the greater Oakland community. Volunteer opportunities include helping at the native plant nursery and participating in on the ground restoration projects.

Description:
The Friends of Sausal Creek Restoration Program aims to provide exposure to the wide variety of plant and animal communities within our watershed. We have adopted six very different sites. Each site represents one of the dominant ecological communities within the watershed: Riparian, Oak Woodland, Redwood Forest, Grassland, Manzanita, and Northern Coastal Scrub. The Friends are committed to organizing volunteer activities that "protect, enhance and restore the natural resources of the Sausal Creek watershed." By working within the chosen six diverse ecological communities we are attempting to improve the overall biological diversity within the undeveloped parts of the watershed. Major projects include the reduction of non-native invasive plant species, the propagation and reintroduction of native plant species, the introduction of measures to reduce erosion, and the improvement of trails.

Contact people:

Kimra McAfee, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Megan Hess, Restoration Program Manager, (phone), (email) Richard Kauffman, Project Director, (phone), (email)

Address:

PO Box 2737 Oakland, CA 94602

Web Site: http://www.sausalcreek.org

Directions:

Directions by car to the major Friends of Sausal Creek restoration areas: From 580, take the Park Boulevard exit, and turn north, towards the hills. Go 1 mile (through the Glenview District) and turn right on El Centro. (1 block past the Chevron station.) From Highway 13: take the Park Boulevard exit, and turn south, towards the Bay. Go 1 mile, turn left on El Centro. (1 block before the Chevron station.) The trailhead is at the bottom of the hill (2/10ths of a mile.) There are a few parking spaces here, or you can park in the Dimond Rec Center parking lot. (500 feet further.) If you park at the Rec Center, you can take the stairway down to the Tot Lot, (pause to admire our Native Plant Garden) then follow the trail near the creek to reach the trailhead. The restoration area extends 1400 feet upstream from El Centro. In wet weather, it's hard to cross the creek to Sam's trail. The easily-walkable trail ends near the Leimert Bridge. The stone chute can't be crossed after big rains, and the next 1000' require walking in and across the creek, dodging fallen trees, and scaling check dams. The trail resumes on top of a culverted section of creek. At the upstream end of the culvert, you can reach the Park Boulevard Trail, to the left, or the Dunn Switchbacks that lead up to the Bridgeview Trail. Other trailheads in Dimond Canyon: Bridgeview Trailhead. From Park Boulevard, take Leimert Boulevard, southeastward, across the bridge. At the first stop sign, bear left, staying on Leimert. Go one block, turn left onto Bridgeview. It dead-ends at the trailhead. You can walk to the Monterey trailhead from here, or down the Dunn Switchbacks to the creek. Monterey Trailhead: From Park Boulevard, just below Highway 13, turn southeastward onto Monterey (it's a frontage road, here.) Stay to the right. After 1500', just past the Montclair Golf Course, look for a trash can and trailhead sign. The trail here leads down into the redwoods -- the small stone bridge may not be passable immediately after big rain. Our Redwood Understory restoration site is a narrow band along the switchbacks that lead up to the Bridgeview Trail (1,000 feet beyond this trailhead is a pedestrian tunnel that leads under Highway 13, and into Joaquin Miller Park.)

Last updated on November 7, 2009