Come see Garbers new signs!

Thanks to Ricardo folks will no longer be asking "What park is this?   Come to see the new Garber Park signs at the Evergreen Lane Entrance (pictured here) and the Claremont Ave Entrance.  And, no more getting lost with the new directional signs that will guide you through the park!
                                                                                

Mid-Summer Workday a Success

A great turn-out today of new and regular volunteers enabled us to divide into two groups.

 Most of us worked in Fern Glade weeding among all the ferns and pushing back the ivy increasing Fern Glade.  Lots of bare ground waiting for the rains and new ferns and other natives to pop up in this phenomenally successful and popular restoration area on the Claremont Ave Trail.

Another group spent the morning on the other side of the park at Horsetail Meadow pulling and cutting invasive thistle and poison Hemlock.  A tough job - we're lucky to have volunteers willing to go after these invasive species.

And if you find yourself at Fireplace Plaza you should thank Mark who stayed several hours longer than the rest of us cleaning up the area for all of us to enjoy.

Thanks to all who came today.   Our next volunteer workday is Saturday, August 20 from 10am to Noon.  We hope to see you as we continue pulling fire prone invasives and maintaining the trails.

Volunteer Workday, Saturday, May 21, 10am-Noon

Our Third Saturday Workday on May 21 will have one major focus - TRAIL WORK - from easy weeding along the trails to the more heavy lifting work of shoring up the trails from winter erosion, fixing/adding new steps in the more steep sections of the trail.  Meet at the Claremont Ave Entrance.
Click on Volunteer Opportunities above for more information. EVERYONE WELCOME!

Workshop Launches Self-Guided Interpretive Trail Map Project

THE GARBER OAK - the anchor to Garber's Oak Forest

Today's workshop - Lech's third in this year's Garber Park Restoration Workshop Series - was a departure for the Garber Park Stewards.  The purpose of today was the Kick-off to  creating a map of Garber which will highlight some of the unique and interesting aspects of the park along the trails.  And who better to become the Mapping Garber Team than the group assembled today - long term volunteers who know and love Garber  and/or have knowledge of creating just such a map.  After a brainstorming session with coffee and breakfast rolls to fuel our creativity we came up with a general plan on what should be in the brochure and what to highlight on the map.

Our Leader, Lech Naumovich, in Fern Glade along the
Claremont Ave Trail.  

Then the REAL fun began - a long, show purposeful walk to think about the best places to highlight.  What a treat it was for most of us - no tools, no digging, chopping or planting - just a chance to talk about all the transformations that have taken place in the past six years of restoration work in Garber. This year's rains - and it was a light rain as we walked through the park - wiped out the browns of the drought.  The park has never looked so beautiful and lush.

Three years ago this beautiful scene along the Lower Loop
Trail did not exist - it was blanketed in Himalayan Blackberry
and Cape Ivy.  

As we refine our plans to create the final product - a brochure for a self guided walking tour of Garber - we could still use your help.  If you are interested in being a member of the team or would like to just talk about your ideas or you're just curious about what we are all about please contact Shelagh at garberparkstewards@gmail.com.  I'd love to hear from you.

Why are these two smiling?  Because there is new growth
on plants they put in the ground at an erosion control
workshop in March.  

INTERPRETIVE BROCHURE DESIGN WORKSHOP

Help Design an Interpretive Brochure

for a Walking Tour of Garber Park

  

 WORKSHOP LED BY LECH NAUMOVICH

GOLDEN HOUR RESTORATION INSTITUTE

              SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2016

                      9:30AM-1:00PM

MEET AT THE EVERGREEN LANE ENTRANCE 

                      TO GARBER PARK

This 3.5 hour Community-Based workshop will communicate information about interpretive brochure design, planning and writing. The first portion of the workshop will present strategies and ideas on interpretive brochures from the National Park Service and California State Parks. Then we will work as a team to synthesize our local experience, passion, and creativity and begin designing (outlining) a brochure for a self-guided walking tour of Garber Park, Oakland. This workshop will direct the production of a future interpretative brochure which will be available at the park entrances. 

To RSVP or for more information contact Shelagh garberparkstewards@gmail.com or visit our web site www.garberparkstewards.org.  Limit 20.

Directions:   Meet at the Evergreen Lane Entrance. Many of you have been to Garber before and have your own favorite way of getting here, but for those who aren't familiar with the park directions can be found on our website www.garberparkstewards.org.  Click on Directions in the Menu Bar at the top.  I recommend parking at the Claremont Ave Entrance and walking up the trail, which takes you past Fern Glade and Fireplace Plaza to the Evergreen Lane Hillside Stairs. Coffee and snacks - available at 9:15 - are at the top of the stairs which is the Evergreen Lane Entrance. 

This workshop is led by Golden Hour Restoration Institute and Garber Park Stewards, and

generously funded by Claremont Club and Spa.

Springtime in Garber

Thanks, Lech, for a successful Erosion Control
Workshop on April 2.  

Before we jump into our Spring Workdays I want to give a shout-out to our many volunteers who pulled weeds, and then pulled more weeds to give the natives a chance to grow – and grow they are.  A walk through Garber  - up the Claremont Ave Trail and around the Loop Trail is full of wonderful reminders of our successes – Harwood Creek was a mass of Himalayan Blackberry six years ago – today  the blackberry is mostly gone; in its place snowberry, ossoberry, thimbleberry, cow parsnip, miner’s lettuce, and other natives are thriving.  Walk along the Lower Loop Trail and fields of vetch, false solomon’s seal, and abundant ferns greet you at every step.  And then there’s Fern Glade – three years ago a sea of Algerian ivy knee deep and climbing into the tallest trees – is now a magnificent site of ferns, false solomon’s seal, and trillium.   Come and see for yourself – and join us for a workday or one of our workdays or Restoration Workshops led by Lech Naumovich, Golden Hour Restoration Institute.

Saturday, April 16 , 10-Noon.  Volunteer Workday in Garber.  

Join us as we return to tackle the ivy along the Claremont Trail and Fern Glen.   In the parking lot entrance is a green bin – we want to fill it up before Oakland takes it away at the end of April – and we need your help.  We have easy ivy pulling in Fern Glade as well as the more difficult task of removing large swaths on the steep hillside.  Wear long sleeves, long pants and shoes or boots with good treads.  We provide gloves, tools, snacks, and water.  No experience necessary.  Students looking for community service hours are welcome.  Anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Meet at the Claremont Ave. Entrance, .4 miles up Claremont Ave (towards Grizzly Peak Blvd) from the intersection of Claremont Ave/Ashby.  For more information, a map and directions visit our website garberparkstewards.org or contact Shelagh garberparkstewards.org.   

Erosion Control Workshop

2016 RESTORATION SERIES in GARBER PARK

(Located in Claremont Canyon near the Claremont Hotel)

Bioengineering Tools for Erosion - April 2, 9:30am-12:30pm

Workshop with Lech Naumovich
 Golden Hour Restoration Institute

WE WILL TAKE A PRAGMATIC LOOK AT AN ERODING SLOPE IN GARBER PARK AND PLAN REHABILITATION EFFORTS FROM SITE ANALYSIS TO MONITORING OUTCOMES. THE WORKSHOP WILL INTRODUCE A FEW METHODS FOR SOIL STABILIZATION,  AND WILL COVER TOPICS LISTED BELOW.

WORKSHOP TOPICS TO BE COVERED:
Define the problem -> Introduce the site: the selection process -> Goals and Success Criteria-> Regulations and Permits -> Bioengineering Techniques (Spiling, Living Facines, Willow/Perennial Staking, Erosion fabrics) -> Native Mulching -> Monitoring Approaches

TIME: 9:30AM-12:30PM. COME EARLY TO ENJOY COFFEE, SNACKS AND MEET FELLOW WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS.

RSVP: to Shelagh garberparkstewards@gmail.com or 510-517-1918 

DIRECTIONS: MEET AT THE EVERGREEN LANE ENTRANCE TO GARBER PARK. THE CLOSEST ADDRESS IS 144 EVERGREEN LANE, BERKELEY. FROM ASHBY AVE, TAKE ALVARADO RD TO SLATER LANE, TURN RIGHT ONTO EVERGREEN LANE. THE PARK IS AT THE END OF THE STREET. A MAP AND DIRECTIONS CAN BE FOUND AT garberparkstewards.org. CLICK ON DIRECTIONS IN THE MENU BAR.



ALL SKILL LEVELS ARE WELCOME AND NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY.  DRESS IN LAYERS YOU CAN GET DIRTY, WEAR STURDY SHOES, AND BRING A REFILLABLE WATER BOTTLE.  WE PROVIDE TOOLS, WATER AND SNACKS. WE WORK IN LIGHT RAIN, DOWNPOUR WILL CANCEL.

The 2016 workshop series in Garber is generously sponsored by the Claremont Club and Spa.

January - A Great Start to the New Year!

RAIN, a fabulous workshop in Garber on Fern ID and Propagation Techniques by Lech Naumovich, Golden Hour Restoration Institute, and the announcement that the Claremont Hotel will be sponsoring several restoration projects in Garber made a truly WONDERFUL start to the new year.  

The Garber Park Stewards are especially excited and honored that the Claremont Club and Spa, through the Fairmont CARE's grant program will be a partner with us in Garber this coming year. The grant will sponsor our Winter Restoration Workshop Series with Lech Naumovich, Golden Hour Restoration Institute, provide money for trail improvement and signage, development of a trail map and self-guided trail, as well as other activities in support of of our efforts to restore and maintain the native habitat in this most beautiful wildland park.  The announcement from the hotel:  Claremont Club and Spa, A Fairmont Hotel is pleased to partner with Garber Park Stewards by donating $10,000 for various projects to improve the park. The hotel has been a part of the community for 100 years and is excited to have Garber Park continue to be a place for hotel guests and club members to visit.

There's not one among us that isn't rejoicing at the rain.  A cold and rainy morning couldn't dampen the enthusiasm for the first Winter Workshop in Garber this season.  Cancel? Absolutely not - Lech brought the outside in - and we all enjoyed learning about Fern ID and in-Situ Propagation while warm and dry inside.  Lecture and demonstrations over, and coffee finished, we all were ready for some time outside, even though it was still raining. Garber abounds in several native species of Ferns, so we didn't have to walk far to find a few ferns to dig up, divide and plant in some good spots near the trail.  We didn't get a lot of field time due to the rain, so we're all looking forward to many stewardship days in the next couple of months where we can practice our skills.  

We hope you can join us.  
Contact Shelagh garberparkstewards@gmail.com for more information and to join our listserv for workday and future workshop anouncements.  

Click here to see more pictures of the workshop.