The Claremont Canyon Conservancy is a catalyst for the long-term protection and restoration of the canyon's natural environment and an advocate for comprehensive fire safety along its wildland/urban interface.
President's Message - A Tenth Anniversary
"We've done it: a tenth anniversary! We had a good turn out on for our annual meeting on November 6. Thanks for all who attended and for our presenters and speakers. What a ten years. We began as a group of individuals interested in activating a fire response program for Claremont Canyon. We’ve broadened that interest to include trail development, natural landscape restoration, long range fire risk reduction planning, and educational tours of the canyon led by experts. Working with volunteers we have helped make the canyon more fire- safe, more natural, and more accessible by trail." (Read more)
President Tim Wallace
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PLEASE JOIN US for the events below or read about recent goings-on here and in our blogs (right sidebar). All events are free for members and the general public. We welcome all fitness levels. For outdoor events, please wear long sleeves, long pants, sturdy shoes and a hat. Vegetation volunteers should also bring gloves.
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Saturday, January 14: Clearing dead wood from the Stonewall area. Our monthly stewardship activity will be in the Stonewall area of Claremont Canyon. The Conservancy spearheaded the thinning and removal of eucalyptus in this area in 2006. Now we will go back and remove debris that has accumulated to make the area more aesthetically pleasing and to encourage restoration of native plants. Meet at 10 AM at the trailhead at the sharp curve on Stonewall Road. We will work from 10 to Noon as usual.
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Thanks to all who came to our workday on Dec. 6 to discuss the details of the Garber Park Vegetation Management Project with LeRoy Griffin, Assistant Fire Marshal. We were pleased to have Camille Rogers, Fire Inspector for WPAD, Rebecca Tuden, City of Oakland Watershed Specialist, and Lech Naumovich, Botanist, Golden Hour Restoration Institute to guide us through the proposal that was initially developed by Lech in collaboration with the Garber Park (read more)
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December 10—Canyon Stewardship Report. The trail walk on November 26 was a great success (see pictures), introducing new people to the trails and our restoration work. On December 10 we focused on removing invasive eucalyptus and acacia sprouts in this area of Claremont Canyon, planted an oak tree and native shrubs along the new railing at the trail head, and enjoyed a good time together (see pictures). The Conservancy funded the railing to help discourage dumping and the native plants will help restore and beautify the area.
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December 11—The Birds of Claremont Canyon with Dave Quady, Audubon Christmas Bird Count Leader. Report by Kay Loughman
Once again, December's birdwalk led by Dave Quady produced a nice selection of expected species. Five of us gathered at 4:30am to listen for owls. We were joined by four others for daylight birding. In all, 27 species were seen; but in an unanticipated twist, 23 of them were seen initially right at the top of Claremont Canyon. (For the uninitiated, seeing ten species in that place would have been satisfying, so 23 was amazing!) Keeping company with a flock of juncos were four sparrow species and both towhees. Nearby we saw woodpeckers, warblers, thrushes, jays, chickadees, kinglets, bushtits and several others (list follows - read more).
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