An important watershed in Oakland is now a thriving Eden of native species thanks to the work of two generations of volunteers.
30 years ago last week, Mr. Michael Thilgen and his neighbors formed the Friends of Sausal Creek nonprofit dedicating to restoring the waterway from its source in the Oakland Hills down to its terminus in the San Francisco Bay.
At 3 miles long, it’s hardly the most dramatic California water source, but one that’s nevertheless important for the local environment. Today it’s one of the only urban creeks in the state to host a wild population of rainbow trout, and also maintains a delicate population of pallid manzanita, a federally endangered species.
For 30 years, Friends of Sausal Creek has led all-volunteer efforts to keep the water course in the best possible shape, by de-weeding trails, clearing invasive vegetation, planting native plants, and even monitoring local wildlife health.
“Is the water clear? Does it look like something’s been dumped?” said volunteer and board member Kristy Brady to CBS News. “We monitor fish quality and so forth, making sure it stays healthy so everyone can enjoy it.”
The organization runs a native plant nursery and organizes seed collecting hikes to ensure they can continue to support reforestation long-term. Tens of thousands of native plants they’ve introduced back into both the wild and less wild parts of the creek.
The group has also been part of a special long-term restoration project at Fern Ravine, where a second-growth coastal redwood forest meets Oakland’s own backyard. Here since 2010, Friends of Sausal Creek have been working to undue decades of disturbances.
Since 1920 when the city designated Fern Ravine a Park, where a tributary of the Sausal Creek babbles away far from the sounds of car horns, high volume of recreation traffic on trails and off them has resulted in substantial undergrowth loss.
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The lack of ground cover plants saw drying of the soil, greater erosion and sedimentation, and the arrival of several invasive species which cemented control in Fern Ravine and began to outcompete the native vegetation.
Through the nonprofit’s tireless weeding and planting, “extraordinary progress” has been achieved there.
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“Oakland’s ancient redwoods are as unique and valuable as the old-growth redwood forests in California’s state and national parks,” said board member Dr. Robert Leidy in an organization document.
“Their ability to recover from centuries of abuse with proper management is a remarkable testament to their resilience. Oakland’s redwoods deserve the same reverence…”
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