Earth Day

Havens and Wildwood students joined about 100 volunteers with Friends of Sausal Creek at Oakland’s Dimond Park for their Earth Day event on Saturday, April 18.

Fifth graders pruned back invasive blackberries on the northern part of the trail. “The thorns poke through all of our pants,” said Eleanor Vo, with a huge smile on her face. Even though the brambles were intimidating, students and parents alike were happy to create a clearing for native plants. “This was pretty fun,” Dan Kwong said as the project rounded out.

Second grader Jordan Vo worked with two women who have lived near and used Dimond Park for over thirty years. Their children used the space for camps and swimming and just plain fun. They marveled at how Friends of Sausal Creek has really turned this part of Dimond Park around over the years.

Havens third grader Elena Stevens and her preschool sister joined sponsoring Wildwood teacher Kathleen Schneider and her daughter’s Wildwood Brownie troop as they picked up garbage and recyclable materials along the creek running through Dimond Park. After the group had picked up a large of amount of trash, a Dimond Park volunteer gave them a break with a mini-lesson in water insects and other life in the creek. Following the short rest, the group energetically moved and sifted through composted soil for the park’s flower beds.

Everyone enjoyed the various projects for Earth Day and were grateful for the opportunity to beautify the park.

Dimond Park and other areas tended to by Friends of Sausal Creek could use your help year round, not just on Earth Day. Learn more at http://www.sausalcreek.org/