Meet Caitlin Boise, a regular volunteer at Fern Ravine and a familiar and valued part of the watershed community. By day, she works as an aquatic ecologist and has joined the Spring Stream Team, our paid internship for Oakland high school students, as a guest speaker, sharing her experience in the field. You may have even spotted her in the recent CBS News Bay Area segment recognizing Dr. Robert Leidy and Tim Vendlinski for their leadership at Fern Ravine. Caitlin at Fern R

Meet Paula J. Shadle, Ph.D., a longtime donor and Friend of Sausal Creek. Paula has been part of the FOSC community since moving to the Dimond District in 2013. She shared with us stories of liberating her yard from concrete, guiding teen volunteers along the creek, and why she chooses to invest in her local watershed. Join Paula in supporting our work here . FOSC: What is your connection to the Sausal Creek Watershed? Paula: I have lived in the Dimond since 2013, and take l

Collecting Festuca eastwood at Pyramid Lake, 1927?; Photo by: Herman Knoche March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate and honor the contributions and achievements of women throughout history. This month, Friends of Sausal Creek would like to recognize Alice Eastwood, a key figure in western North American and California botany from the late 1800s through the mid 1900s. Over her career she would describe over 700 plant species, including pallid manzanita ( Arctostaph

Wendy and Richard in Beaconsfield Canyon, 2026 In 2007, Wendy Tokuda and Richard Kauffman organized the first work party at Beaconsfield Canyon, and have been leading restoration efforts at the site ever since. Once slated for development, this 5.5 acre city-owned open space in upper Montclair harbors four different habitats and a wealth of native plants, including a stand of locally rare black cottonwood trees. Volunteers meet the last Saturday of most months, 9 a.m. -12 p.m

Arctostaphylos pallida bearing lush, green foliage, not shown is a beautifully twisting trunk. Photo by Native Here Nursery Walking through the wrought-iron gates of the UC Botanical Garden fills me with excitement. It’s a warm, sunny October day, and a gentle breeze rustles the elegantly drooping needles of a relatively uncommon Montezuma pine ( Pinus montezumae) . However, I haven’t come here to see the unusual conifers; I’m heading straight to the California collection for

Meet Justin Tungate, a dedicated volunteer who has spent several years contributing at multiple restoration sites, including Dimond Canyon and Fern Ravine. Justin shows up with enthusiasm for taking on challenging tasks like clearing large patches of invasive blackberry, putting in long hours, and inspiring friends to join him in caring for the watershed. FOSC: What inspired you to get involved in creek restoration with FOSC? Justin: Like so many people, the COVID 19 pandemi

Jorge clearing and harvesting English Ivy in Dimond Canyon FOSC: What is your connection to the Sausal Creek Watershed? Can you share a bit about the spot where you’re doing restoration work in Dimond Canyon? Jorge: I learned how to balance on rocks from running up and down Sausal Creek as a kid. Joaquin Miller and Dimond Park are where my family gathered for carne asadas. I know these parks like the back of my hand—they’re my home. I started doing restoration work for FOSC

FOSC: Can you tell us a little about your art practice and the mediums you like to explore? Ariel: I am an artist, herbalist, and educator and I also have extensive professional experience working in gardening, and landscaping for food, medicine, as well native/drought tolerant plantings. I am a multidisciplinary artist working through visual storytelling and social/ecological/material interventions. I connect personal shatterings and mendings to collective and historical e

Mary joined this year's Spring Stream Team as a guest speaker FOSC: What is your connection to the Sausal Creek watershed?
 Mary: I love...

Jashvina Devadoss of Creekside will be playing a special performance at our 20th Annual Plant Sale and Open House alongside and jam band...