A Glorious Day in Garber Park

The Garber Park Stewards had a rare day of sunshine for their Tuesday workday.  With Lech’s guidance we completed our Restoration Planting at the Evergreen Lane entrance.  We also had a special visitor, Rebecca Tuden, newly hired City of Oakland Watershed Specialist, who has been assigned the Measure DD project in Garber.  With Lech as our guide we had a most wonderful botanical walk through the park , introducing Rebecca to Garber, and observing the park in early Spring, with the buckeyes and big leaf maples budding, as well as the understory plants such as ferns, horsetail, and cow parsnip just beginning to emerge.  

We hope you can join us for our next workday, Saturday, March 19. Our planting completed we will once again turn our attention to eradicating the invasives, especially Cape ivy, French broom, and Himalayan blackberry.  As usual we will meet at 10AM at the Evergreen Lane entrance. 

  

RESTORATION PLANTING--A GREAT PARADE TO RAIN ON

   

Bob and Lech laying out the planting beds

Though we scheduled the planting of our hillside restoration project for Saturday, Feb. 19, in fact we started on the 18th because there was so much to do.   It was freezing cold and wet on Friday; the weather folks promised a mostly dry day on Saturday, but of course, the chilly, wet low pressure system outlived its welcome and made Saturday pretty miserable also.  None of us could show up for the bright sunny Sunday that followed, but seven of us did appear on Monday, Feb. 21, President's Day and we did finish the layout and planting.  Most important, we all had fun and finished each day with a great sense of satisfaction at a job well done.

Waiting to be planted

Stand at the Evergreen Entrance and you will see five separate restoration areas in which about 140 appropriately chosen native grasses, reeds, and shrubs have been planted to maximize their chances of survival and establishment.  We will watch them and document them throughout the year to observe which ones are the most comfortable and which ones do not particularly thrive. 

Our goal at the entrance hillside is to maximize the opportunity of increased sunlight on the 90 degree slope (made possible by the felling of the eucalyptus) to enhance the California Buckeye forest which occupies that area. As we have noted before, the Buckeyes are fast becoming a rarity in California and thoughtful conservation here in Garber Park might contribute substantially to their survival.  Attempting to restore a grassy, sunny hillside at the entrance has a long term function and a greater goal. 

Teamwork 

Our challenge of course is maintenance based on consistent documented observation – a challenge we are looking forward to as we continue with our twice a month stewardship days. 

Our next workday is Tuesday, March 1 @ 10AM.  We hope you will join us and watch our plants flourish.


For more on our restoration efforts see our January 30 blog entry-Restoration Begins

Special thanks to Lech Naumovich, Botanical, Conservation, and Restoration Consultant,
who worked with the Garber Park Stewards to develop the restoration plan.
His knowledge, energy, and enthusiasm as Team Leader was the primary reason
for our success.

COMMENT ON A COMMENT

“An Opportunity for Refreshment of Body and Mind”

Recently, we were asked: “I am a little unclear as to who actually owns the park. Is the land owned by EBPRD and is part of Claremont Canyon preserve?”

On the face of it, there is a simple answer—the land is owned by the City of Oakland and John Garber Park is an Oakland City park. Garber Park is NOT “part of” East Bay Regional Park District’s Claremont Canyon Preserve but it IS “part of” Claremont Canyon.

A brief chronology of the land and the park starts with a prominent family of the old Claremont District, Judge and Mrs. John Garber, who in 1888, built a spacious mansion close to the site of the current Claremont Hotel on grounds that came to be known as the Bellrose Tract. (The mansion on Tanglewood Road was later demolished to build the Hotel.)

The heirs of the Garber estate acting through Frank D. Stringham, husband of Garber’s daughter Juliet, and later, Mayor of Berkeley, offered the eastern segment of the Bellrose Tract—basically the mansion’s backyard—to the Berkeley City Council at the half-value of $2,500 on the condition that the land be maintained as a park with the name John Garber Park. The deed including the conditions was recorded March 4, 1920.

The January 25, 1920 San Francisco Chronicle article links the sale and the conditions to a public conversation then-current on the topic of urban open space: “The spot is certain to become a popular resort and demonstrate its community value as the other parks and playgrounds of the City are doing every day. Every piece of ground thus added to the open spaces of Berkeley should be an occasion of public rejoicing on account of what it means both to those now living and to future generations who will find here in a city much more congested than at present, an opportunity for refreshment of body and mind.”

In early 1952 John Garber Park along with another remnant of the Bellrose Tract were deeded from the City of Berkeley to the City of Oakland, which in turn became bound by the covenants of use and name. It appears that this transfer formalized the fact that Berkeley’s John Garber Park was in fact and long had been within the boundaries of the City of Oakland.

In the early 1970s, in response to intensive upland residential development, Berkeley’s Claremont Elmwood Neighborhood Association promoted the creation of a Claremont Canyon Preserve which included Garber Park, thus reflecting the geologic and biologic unity of the canyon for which Garber Park and its environs are the lower riparian mouth. This proposal resulted in mid-canyon acquisitions by the East Bay Regional Park District that became the Claremont Canyon Preserve, but Garber Park remained within the City of Oakland and is in fact cut off from the Preserve by intervening private property, developed and undeveloped.

Throughout this century of jurisdictional succession, John Garber Park has experienced several cycles of use, decline, and repair, but has managed to retain its unique wildland character. Now standing at the 21^st century threshold of comprehensive restoration, Oakland’s John Garber Park still offers an outstanding “opportunity for refreshment of body and mind.”

Mary Millman

Friend of Garber 2

Impromptu Workday, Saturday, Feb. 5

Lynn decided the best way to free the branches was to
sit down and carefully cut the blackberry.

The Himalayan blackberries had another bad day in Garber Park today - our Blackberry Bashing Crew was back.  Today's success story - freeing a beautiful willow that is ready to leaf out into a green canopy.  Not only does Lynn receive credit for suggesting a stewardship session today, but, at the end of the day when I thanked her, she responded with, "Thank YOU for letting me come and work in Garber Park."  Gotta love that enthusiasm.  

The Restoration Site received some TLC as well today, moving us one step closer to Restoration Planting Day on Feb. 19.  See the sidebar on the right for details, contact info, and directions.  In the meantime do come and enjoy the park.

 

John and Bob decided to remain standing, and managed
to free a big, beautiful willow.  

The Day of the Buckeyes

John, Tim, and Mary clearing the Restoration Site
for native planting of the understory on Feb. 19.

A good time was had by all on our regular 1st Tuesday of the month morning workday (Feb1) as we raked and shoved the last of the eucalyptus duff down the hillside and into Fireplace Plaza.   We had to be careful, though, because we wanted to also expose and nurture any natives that might be surviving under the duff.  To our surprise, we found at least seven small Buckeyes scattered across the hillside.  The champion of finding the these new Buckeyes, which we quickly flagged and photographed, was John.

Native California Buckeye Bud ready to burst
into bloom.

Looking up the hillside from Fireplace Plaza, with the sun shining through the oaks and maples, we saw a hill free of eucalyptus debris, a slope with bee plants, native blackberry, and many “baby” buckeyes emerging.  We were tired, but felt a great satisfaction, and we are definitely looking forward to our Restoration Planting Day.  We hope you can join us.

February Volunteer Events in Garber Park

Friday, February 18, 1-3pm.  Join us, even for a short time, as we do final preparations for planting day on Saturday.  Activities range from challenging (crawling up the hillside) to helping catalogue the plants.

Saturday, February 19, 9am-12:30pm.  Restoration planting. Activities range from digging on the hillside, planting, to secretarial/photographic activities.  Followed by a light lunch.

Meet at the Evergreen Lane entrance to Garber Park. For directions and further information visit our blog www.garberparkstewards.blogspot.com, or contact Shelagh:  garberparkstewards@gmail.com

As always dress in layers and wear shoes or boots with good traction.

View from Fireplace Plaza

Tim Wallace, soon to be President of Claremont
Canyon Conservancy told us he "had a ball!"

John Kenny on his first visit to Garber Park
said his specialty was "raking downhill."

RESTORATION BEGINS

The next time you visit Garber Park at the Evergreen Lane entrance, you will notice about a hundred little flags planted on the steep hillside that descends into Fireplace Plaza. These flags mark the outlines of  five separate planting areas at our Restoration Site, which will be filled with groupings of local native plants.  They represent one of the final preparation tasks before our Restoration Planting Day scheduled for  Saturday, February 19.

Approximately one year ago the Garber Park stewards began remediation of the Evergreen Lane entrance hillside by removing a small but robust section of Cape ivy that blanketed the slope.  Once the hillside was temporarily free of invasives, we could see that it was a good candidate for a “restoration site”.   Throughout the year our volunteers, your neighbors and friends,  logged over 150 hours hauling debris and removing invasives, hoping to uncover and restore the native oak woodland understory that  many years of neglect had suppressed.   By December this hillside had been transformed into the palette for which the restoration plan was developed. This is well documented in pictures.

For the details of the restoration plan itself, Garber Park and the stewards are fortunate to have the professional  plan and hands on guidance of Lech Naumovich,  Restoration Ecologist, whose exemplary work in the East Bay is well known. The plan has the approval of the City of Oakland, and is being funded by the Claremont Canyon Conservancy’s special Garber Park Fund.  On January 27 the Stewards and Bryn Samuels, Environmental Resources Analyst, City of Oakland met with Lech to finalize the plans and to plant the flags that mark out the five planting areas.   

Our achievements over this past year could not have been accomplished without the energy and involvement of our volunteers.  We hope you will join us in our continued efforts to protect, preserve, and restore the beauty and natural open space of Garber Park.  In the days before our Planting Party we have two workdays (Tues, Feb. 1 and Friday, Feb. 18) in which we will continue clearing and preparing the hillside.  We especially need your help on Saturday, February 19 to ensure a successful Restoration Planting Day.  As always, there will be many different kinds of activities that volunteers can do on planting day -  not everyone needs to climb the hill or dig in the dirt.  

February volunteer events in Garber Park:

Tuesday, February 1, 10am- noon. We will continue preparation of the restoration site for planting.  Other activities include attacking Himalayan blackberry and Cape ivy at designated spots along the Loop Trail.  Following the stewardship, join us for a discussion of restoration activities in the park.

Friday, February 18, 1:00-3:00.   Please join us, even for a short time, as we do final preparations for planting day on Saturday.

Saturday, February 19, 9am- 12:30pm.  Restoration planting.  Followed by a light lunch. 

As always dress in layers and wear shoes or boots with good traction.

Meet at the Evergreen Lane entrance to Garber Park. For directions and further information visit our blog  www.garberparkstewards.blogspot.com, or contact Shelagh at garberparkstewards@gmail.com.

Creeks are the Children of Watersheds

Harwood Creek in Garber Park

Creeks are the children of watersheds; watersheds are the parents of creeks. With concern for our newly discovered springs and recently sunlighted Harwood Creek, the Garber Park Stewards devoted a good part of this past week to making acquaintance with the complex world of East Bay ridge watershed and creek organizations. First impression: there are lots of them and their numbers are growing. These organizations may represent differing aspects of their watershed, their creeks may embody varying stages of health and restoration, and their constituents may share a wide or narrow range of goals, but resource conservation, however defined, and restoration in the broadest sense are the twin heartbeats of this familial group.
We started by attending the members meeting of Friends of Sausal Creek, an exemplary pioneering creek and watershed organization to which the Garber Park Stewards are already deeply indebted. We went there, however, to hear about the work of one of their “sister” organizations, the Friends of San Leandro Creek. We learned that San Leandro Creek flows westward out of Lake Chabot and, partly above ground and partly culverted, makes its way to what is now the Oakland Airport where the creek creates the marsh that you traverse as you drive in. The Friends of San Leandro Creek have worked with the community for a number of years to promote and monitor water quality and to carry out extensive watershed education through carefully and professionally designed programs specifically crafted to fit the grade level of the local students.
We also learned of the upcoming meeting of the Alameda County Watershed Forum. The Alameda County Watershed Forum (http://www.alamedacountywatersheds.org/) functions as a facilitator of communication among county creek and watershed groups and between these groups and larger or higher conservation organizations such as the U S Dept. of Agriculture’s Alameda County Resource Conservation District and its Watershed Council (http://www.acrcd.org/).
At the Forum meeting, conducted at Oakland’s Peralta Hacienda Historical Park which includes a substantial section of old Peralta Creek, we were interested to hear the advice and experience of various restoration experts on the topic of “Remediated Creek and Habitat Site Maintenance”. This is an important topic for Garber Park which has the opportunity to build maintenance into its restoration plans. Not all past creek remediation has been able to do this, often with unhappy results.
Though networking takes time away from field work, in this instance the benefits are timely and valuable to us. In spite of years of neglect, in this decade and in times to come, Garber Park with its many resources is not alone. Moreover, there is a growing body of creek and watershed experience specific to the East Bay ridge lands and available to anyone for whom wildland preservation and restoration is a priority. In recounting these events, we have spared you and ourselves the alphabet soup that goes along with agency awareness. Speaking for the Stewards, we are ready to get our hands in the dirt again.
Restoration of our entrance hillside begins next week!

Mary Millman

Friend of Garber 2