October Happenings 2025

Save the Date! Annual Meeting | Volunteer Events in the Canyon

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you can see it online. Annual Meeting—November 16 from 4-6 p.m.  At the Claremont Resort and Club Join us at our annual meeting on November 16 from 4-6pm at the Claremont Resort and Club. The meeting will be an opportunity to hear from the Conservancy board and staff about the goings on in Claremont Canyon. We will share more details about our invited guest speaker in our next monthly message.  See you there! RSVP at info@ClaremontCanyon.org or by clicking the button below. RSVP Poison oak growing next to a branch abundant in unidentified lichen along the Willow Trail in Claremont Canyon. | Photo by Ruby J. Soto Cardona Let's go lichen hunting! If you enjoy lichen hunting, the fall is a great time for this wonderful activity. In Claremont Canyon we are beginning to see many branches covered in these beautiful arrangements with different textures, colors, shapes, and sizes! As you walk in the Canyon, pay attention to the trees and branches near the trails, you will see lichen that resemble a powdery dust, some will also appear more leafy and loosely attached to surfaces, or some will be flat and crust-like. Lichen are amazing to look at and photograph, just remember to leave what you find so that the next person and animals may also enjoy it.   If you're interested in learning more, take a look at this Bay Nature article and this USDA page. And, if you take photos of lichen this season, share them with us so that we can share them in our next newsletter.   Share a photo House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)—female finch in strawberry tree at Gravatt & Stephens. | Photo by Kay Loughman Thanks for birding with us! On Sunday, September 28, long time birders Erica Rutherford and John Colbert led a group of birders and bird enthusiasts in our Fall Bird Walk. Around 36 species were identified including an Oak Titmouse, a Pygmy Nuthatch, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and a House Finch (similar to the one in the photo above). Thank you to everyone who joined the walk! If you're interested in seeing photos of these and other species found in and around Claremont Canyon visit Kay Loughman's wildlife website www.nhwildlife.net.  If you were unable to attend our fall bird walk and are interested in a future event, contact us at info@claremontcanyon.org or fill out our short interest form (below). Sign Up Volunteers at a previous Evergreen volunteer event - Garber Park Stewards' leads Ruby and Wyllie (to the left), Conservancy board member Nancy Mueller (top right in red) next to Shelagh Brodersend (with blue hat)—Founder of the Garber Park Stewards. | Photo by Ruby J. Soto Cardona Wednesday, October 8 from 9:30-11:30am Meet at the steps of the Evergreen Path Join us for a wonderful volunteer event hosted by the Claremont Resort and Club in collaboration with the Garber Park Stewards. We will help clean the public paths leading to the Evergreen entrance and part of the main steps and trails in Garber Park. Lunch will be provided after the event so please send us an email to RSVP. We will provide tools and gloves, just wear sturdy shoes you don't mind getting dirty, long sleeves and pants, and bring your water bottle. RSVP Garber Park Lead Ruby (center) with some of our amazing volunteers from Garber Park and NHCA filling up the green bin with larger debris and non-native plants. | Photo by Wyllie Clayson Event Recap - Creek to Bay Day Thanks to everyone who joined the Garber Park Stewards and North Hills Community Association on Creek to Bay Day! Thanks to volunteer efforts Garber Park Stewards removed a large amount of fallen branches and Eucalyptus debris, cut up and dug out many non-native and invasive plants, and cleared a few sections of the trails. Join the stewards on their upcoming volunteer events: October 18 and November 1 from 9am-12pm. Meet at Fireplace Plaza. Questions? Email Wyllie at gpstewards@gmail.com.  Volunteer UC students on Berkeley Project Day holding large broom plants they pulled from underneath a grove of oaks and maples. | Photo by Wyllie Clayson Volunteer in Claremont Canyon October 25, from 10am-12pm The fall season is a great time to work on our trails and remove invasive broom in Claremont Canyon. We need your help to reclaim our beloved trails and continue opening up areas underneath our native trees! If you enjoy visiting and hiking in the Upper Canyon, and would like to give back to the park, join us for two hours at our upcoming volunteer day. We will be removing more broom and dry vegetation, pulling non-native plants, and trimming back some of the canopy to open up our trails. Send us an email to volunteer or sign up by clicking the button below and let us know if you would like to carpool to Claremont Canyon. We also welcome student groups, company groups, and scout troops! You can also read about some of our projects here.  Volunteer All levels of fitness are welcome! Wear sturdy shoes, dress in layers, and bring your favorite water bottle. Tools, gloves, and snacks will be provided. Events Calendar Garber Park Stewards Saturday, October 18 and November 1 9am-12pm  Visit this 13-acre park and help restore its native wild habitat (we meet year-round). Meet at the Fireplace below the Evergreen Lane entrance (Map). For more information or questions contact Wyllie. Volunteer in the Upper Canyon Saturday, October 25 10am - 12pm Join us in the upper canyon as we work to restore and maintain pathways, remove invasive broom, and collect litter. We meet at Signpost 29, 1.5 miles up Claremont from the intersection of Ashby/Tunnel Rd. More information Here. Questions? Contact us at info@claremontcanyon.org. Derby Canyon Stewardship "Take to the Hills" every Tuesday and Saturday at 9am Help restore native plants and maintain a popular trail! Weed invasive plants, plant seeds, and-if it comes to it-water native seedlings. Located in the small side canyon just north of Claremont Canyon, which is above the Clark Kerr campus. No prior experience needed. Gloves and tools are provided. Please contact Jim Rosenau or call at (510) 845-0106. Hiking the Canyon We would love to hear from our members and others who are out hiking or otherwise observing nature in the canyon. Send us your pictures at info@ClaremontCanyon.org and we will feature one each month. Banana slugs are back! Although they never left, banana slugs have remained hidden through most of our hot days. Now that it's starting to rain, we are seeing them more. As you visit the parks, be on the lookout for these mollusks and watch your step, we don't want to squish any of them! | Photo by Ruby J. Soto Cardona Share this newsletter with your friends: Do you have a friend who would appreciate receiving our monthly email newsletter? You can easily add new recipients to our mailing list by going here. Our enthusiastic group of birders at our Fall Bird Walk walking up the East-West Trail along the Panoramic Ridge. | Photo by Ruby J. Soto Cardona Trails are open All trails are open and accessible throughout Claremont Canyon. For maps and complete information on trails click here. You can also take a guided tour here. Please stay safe and take all items and pet waste out with you.    For the long-term stewardship of Claremont Canyon Copyright © 2023 Claremont Canyon Conservancy, All rights reserved. This email was sent to {{Recipient Email}}. Click here to unsubscribe.