Volunteer Spotlight: Caitlin Boise

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 Ravine

FOSC: What is your connection to the Sausal Creek Watershed?

Caitlin: I live in a part of Oakland that doesn't have many above-ground creeks and streams. So Sausal Creek is my neighborhood day-lit creek! I have enjoyed many parts of the watershed, including Joaquin Miller Park and Dimond Park, in my 15 years living in the East Bay. 

FOSC: You’ve been a regular volunteer at Fern Ravine for quite a while. What inspired you to get involved in restoration with FOSC? 

Caitlin: I've been volunteering regularly at Fern Ravine for about a year now. I was inspired to volunteer with FOSC, as many of us might have been, after attending a Trout Walk at Dimond Park with Dr. Rob Leidy. A Fern Ravine volunteer work day around Earth Day showed up on the calendar not long after, and I decided to check it out. I've been showing up for Saturday work days ever since!  

FOSC: Do you have a favorite restoration activity in Fern Ravine? A favorite plant? 

Caitlin: As a kid who grew up eating redwood sorrel and huckleberries in the woods in Mendocino County, it's hard for me to not love those two species! Getting to plant them at Fern Ravine this winter felt very special. Planting was definitely satisfying, but to my surprise, I've actually really enjoyed repairing and replacing fencing. I'm looking forward to more of that as this year goes on—it really feels like instant restoration success!

FOSC: You’ve also been a guest speaker for our Spring Stream Team, where you’ve shared about your work as an aquatic ecologist at Resource Environmental Solutions, including your involvement in habitat restoration for the Klamath Dam removal. What motivates you to share your experience with young people, and what do you hope they take away about environmental careers?

Caitlin: When I was in high school, I had no idea my job existed. Even if the young folks on the Spring Stream Team have no idea what career they might want to pursue, I want them to know what opportunities are out there, and to not feel limited by the jobs they may have heard of. Talking to them about the Klamath Dam removal felt especially important, because that project really illustrates how every individual can play an important role in making positive, big changes in the world.   

FOSC: What keeps you coming back as a volunteer?

Caitlin: I learn something new every time I volunteer! Whether I'm learning (or usually re-learning) the name of a native plant, or something about the history of the upper watershed, there's so much natural and community knowledge to gather.  

FOSC: How has volunteering shaped your relationship to the watershed, Oakland, or your perspective of stewardship?

Caitlin: I work in the restoration world, but typically not urban watersheds like Sausal Creek. Having the opportunity to volunteer at Fern Ravine has really expanded my view of how much these urban ecosystems provide for us, and how much we owe them in return. Doing this small amount of restoration work feels like a small way I can repay the watershed for all it provides me and the residents of Oakland.