Historic Sausal Creek watershed in Oakland thrives as nonprofit marks 30th year of restoration effort
From its headwaters high in the Oakland Hills throught the city's Fruitvale District to where the waters eventually empty into the Oakland Estuary and San Francisco Bay, Sausal Creek is a historic treasure.
Michael Thilgen would know. Thirty years ago, Thilgen and his Oakland neighbors formed a nonprofit called Friends of Sausal Creek.
"30 years! That time went by really quick," Thilgen said with a laugh.
Their goal is to protect, restore, and enhance the three-mile waterway, as well as raise awareness of the historic watershed.
"It's amazing to see the longevity of the group and to see how well appreciated our message has been," Thilgen said.
Since its creation, Friends of Sausal Creek has restored miles of habitat, planting tens of thousands of native flowers, trees, shrubs, and grasses. Today, the ecosystem of the watershed is thriving and it's one of the few urban creeks in California to support a genetically wild population of rainbow trout.
"So, we're really advocates for creek and watershed health," said volunteer and board member Kristy Brady as she held a California slender salamander in her hand.
"I disturbed him [while] weeding," Brady said.
Someone from the nonprofit visits the creek almost every day.
"Is the water clear? Does it look like something's been dumped?" Brady said. "We monitor fish quality and so forth, making sure it stays healthy so everyone can enjoy it."
Recently, volunteers were clearing out invasive plants that threaten the native biodiversity.
"So, that's literally everything that you see behind me and we're trying to implement the native species that you see on the other side of the trail on this side of the trail," said Natalia Panduro, a student at the University of California, Berkeley.
Experts say native plants are better able to host native wildlife and adapt to climate-related disasters. In addition, volunteers say that restoration work and getting your hands into the soil also gets you off your devices.
"There's no email in the canyon", Brady quipped.
"It's really important for people to get back to nature, especially right now, where nature is under threat, right?" added site leader Jorge Gomez Gonzalez.
"I think instilling this relationship with the land and with plants and animals is really important," volunteer Noe Romo Loera said.
Among the volunteers were families and students from Bishop O'Dowd High School and UC Berkeley.
"It's actually pretty nice," noted high school freshman Malaya Fernandez-Smith. "I think about all the species, and bringing back the environment is really good."
"It gives people hope. It makes me feel hopeful about the city we live in, and the community we have around it," said Eliana Thompson, the nonprofit's communications and outreach coordinator.
Friends of Sausal Creek said that everything it does to bolster the watershed's biodiversity, residents can also do at home, such as clearing out invasive species and replacing with native plants, making your home welcoming to birds, butterflies, and bees.