Short Summary

Garber Park is a 13-acre wildland park owned by the City of Oakland located behind the Claremont Hotel in Claremont Canyon. Garber Park is home to significant stands of big-leaf maple, California buckeyes and regenerating coast live oak woodland and forest. The Garber Park Stewards vision is to safeguard the native wildland resources of Garber Park while reducing the risk of wildfire and improving the trail system.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Stone Patio unearthed at Fireplace Plaza

A stone patio unearthed at Fireplace Plaza at the Evergreen
Lane Entrance.  
July in Garber Park has seen a flurry of restoration activity.  Along the Loop Trail volunteers cut back vegetation, removed eucalyptus and broom sprouts.  At Bob's Place our dedicated Blackberry Eradication crew continued to remove Himalayan blackberry rootballs and re-sprouts and haul away the dead cane.
Because of their success at rolling back the years of neglect and the invasion of blackberries the native riparian habitat is returning -  Snowberry, thimbleberry, willows, and ferns are now able to once again flourish.  Bob's Place is now Restoration Site #2.

Back at Restoration Site 1 at the Evergreen Ln. Entrance weeding and monitoring the planting beds on the hillside continue.  Planted in February it is especially satisfying to see all these plants flourishing, most with seeds to be scattered across the hillside to fill in the empty spaces.

Do you have time to research the History of Fireplace Plaza?
Do you have a story to tell?  Interest in helping restore the
stone fireplace?  We need your help.  Contact
garberparkstewards@gmail.com
However,  it's the unearthing of a stone patio in front of Fireplace Plaza that has created the most excitement.  We receive suggestions almost daily about how wonderful it would be to refurbish the fireplace, the plaza, and research the history.  Bob has read through the archives of the Oakland Tribune and discovered that the fireplace that we thought was built during the WPA-era is actually much older, and was built in the early 1920's.  Nancy Mueller and others are actively engaged in ways to enhance the aesthetics of the ugly screen that was put over the fireplace last year after two fires were started there.  Still others are discussing ways to refurbish the fireplace itself.  We now have Restoration Site #3.  Do come to the Evergreen Lane entrance, walk down the stairs to Fireplace Plaza and contact us at garberparkstewards@gmail.com with your suggestions.  We need your help to make this project a reality.