Creek Restoration Volunteers Needed This Saturday

Last Saturday, well over 20 volunteers joined the Friends of San Leandro Creek to remove invasive plants along the upper creek bank in Chabot Park. They will meet again this Saturday to apply burlap, cardboard and tree mulch to keep the weeds away, and are looking for volunteers.

Not thwarted by thorny blackberries and thickets of ivy, the group last week cleared a small area of creek bank at one of the few points where the public has access to the creek. Now native horsetails growing close to the water once again have some room to breath. “We filled 40 large bags with invasive plants we pulled—about 1,600 gallons total,” said Susan Levenson, who leads the Friends of San Leandro Creek as watershed awareness coordinator. Several intrepid volunteers cut wrist-thick ivy vines off a couple of bay laurels that were barely visible under the ivy's stranglehold. Now those native trees can thrive again. The next challenge is to keep invasive weeds from coming back.

This Saturday the group will “sheet-mulch” the cleared area—a technique that combines layers of burlap, cardboard and tree mulch to deprive weeds of sunlight and kill them off long-term. Volunteers are needed once again to lend a hand from 10AM-3PM or any portion of the work day. Tools and gloves will be provided, but if you have them, bring your own. Volunteers should also wear long pants and sleeves, and sturdy shoes. The Friends will provide refreshments and a pizza lunch. Click here for details and to sign up.