FOSC Awarded $408K to Protect and Restore the Fern Ravine Headwaters
- Friends of Sausal Creek
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
We are thrilled to announce that Friends of Sausal Creek has secured a highly competitive grant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Environmental Enhancement Fund to restore the headwaters of Sausal Creek within the redwood forest of Joaquin Miller Park over the next three years. Our project was one of only eight selected statewide from a competitive pool that received over $154 million in requests.
This grant of almost $408,000 will enable us to:
Restore and protect 3,200 linear feet of stream habitat within the 50-acre Fern Ravine headwater sub-basin, one of Oakland’s most biologically rich areas
Safeguard rare plants, amphibians and reptiles, resident and neotropical migrant birds, and mammals, including the San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat (State Species of Special Concern), and a variety of other mammals documented within Fern Ravine
Partner with local youth organizations including Civicorps and Youth Employment Partnership to provide green job training for underserved Oakland youth
Build on our successful efforts in an 8.5 acre parcel in Fern Ravine we’ve stewarded for over a decade, where native vegetation of the redwood understory has doubled since 2015
The transformative outcomes of that demonstration project have set the stage for this next phase of restoration, which will further enhance the critical wetland and headwater ecosystem and expand opportunities for community stewardship and ecological education.
“Everyone deserves access to healthy, accessible green spaces. Muir Woods is less than an hour from us, but many students that join us for field trips have never seen a redwood tree.” shares FOSC restoration and nursery manager, Ella Matsuda. “By the end of this project, our goal is that anyone in Oakland will be able to bike or take the bus to a place that is just as breathtaking as Muir Woods.”
This will be no easy feat. Restoring and protecting such a complex and sensitive ecosystem will require a true collaborative effort, drawing on the strengths of our partners and the broader community. We are especially grateful to the City of Oakland Tree Services Team–David Moore, Isaac Harvey, and Tod Lawsen–whose expertise in balancing forest health with fire safety has been invaluable. Their leadership and deep knowledge of the redwood forest ecosystem continue to play a critical role in shaping our restoration efforts and ensuring long-term resilience. We’re also pleased to work alongside key community partners including Friends of Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland Trails, and Bicycle Trails Council East Bay to amplify our collective impact.
Stay tuned for more Fern Ravine updates, and check out this great Oaklandside article by Callie Rhoades who joined us for a site tour last week!
