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• Bird Monitoring, quarterly
• Aquatic Insect Sampling, 3rd Sunday of the month
• Water Quality Monitoring, quarterly, 3rd Sunday of the month
• Oyster Monitoring, (finished)

Description: The Friends have been monitoring birds along Sausal Creek for several years. In 2003, birding outings started on a quarterly basis. Outing participants get started in the morning and hike for 3-5 hours near the creek identifying and admiring the wealth of birds that share our watershed. General protocol includes documenting birds observed during a ten-minute period at each of several locations (aka "point count"). Data gathered by FOSC bird monitors will be used to evaluate the impact of the Friends' restoration activities.

Skills: None necessary. Be prepared to learn about birds!

Time/Location/More Info:

• Next date: April 20.
• Downloads (.pdf format)
  • Birding Brochure, a checklist for use in the watershed (also available at trailhead boxes).
  • List of birds of the Sausal Creek watershed.
  • "Special status" birds of the Sausal Creek watershed.
• Photos
  • See beautiful photos of Sausal Creek Watershed birds.
  • See bird monitoring photos from the FOSC Photo Archive.

Contact: Mark Rauzon (or call 501-FOSC)

Read a report from the October 2004 bird monitoring hike in the December '04/January '05 newsletter (.pdf format, 232k)


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Description: Insects found within a stream are indicators of the overall health of the aquatic habitat. Specific aquatic macroinvertebrate orders, and even individual families within these orders, are known to be pollution sensitive or pollution tolerant. Members of the aquatic insect monitoring team for Friends of Sausal Creek have been observing and learning about stream fauna within the watershed since early 1998. Thus, our data spans a period of 2-1/2 years prior to the 2001 channel restoration. We now look forward to watching how the stream is re-colonized with new, or perhaps familiar, insects. The Aquatic Insect Monitoring Team meets monthly (except December) and alternates monitoring between Sausal Creek and one of its tributary streams.

Skills: Previous knowledge or experience with aquatic insects or sampling techniques is not necessary. The methods are simple.

Time/Location/More Info:

• Third Sunday of each month (except December), 9:30am-noon
• Parking Lot, Dimond Recreation Center, 3860 Hanly Road near El Centro, Dimond Park, Oakland
• Rain or dry stream conditions will cancel monitoring. Contact insect monitoring coordinator to verify sampling dates. This work is not recommended for persons under 12-years of age. An adult must accompany volunteers aged 12-18 years old unless arrangements are made in advance.
• See aquatic Insect monitoring photos from the FOSC Photo Archive.
• Read an update on the aquatic insect sampling efforts at Sausal Creek, September 18, 2002 (.pdf, 36k.)

Contact: Emma Brown, 501-FOSC.

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Description: The Friends of Sausal Creek monitor water quality to assess the health of that part of the overall watershed. We collect high quality reliable baseline data that may be used to identify pollution sources. We collect data at three locations along the creek: in Dimond Park just downstream from the culvert underneath El Centro, at one of the newly created rapids in our restoration reach, and along the tributary Palo Seco Creek a short walk up from Joaquin Miller Court.

Skills: No specific skills are required. A pair of rubber boots is nice to have for wading into the creek.

Time/Location/More Info:

• Quarterly, 9am-noon
• El Centro trailhead. (Contact Nick Kish first to confirm time and date.)
• Learn more about FOSC Water Quality Monitoring; .pdf, 60k, 2 pgs.

Contact: Nick Kish , 501-FOSC.

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The Friends' Oyster Monitoring efforts have come to a close. This project, under the tutelage of Save the Bay, helped provide data about the water quality in the SF Bay. Watch this space for a follow up report on this project.

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