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Stewardship Update

Written by Haley Sutton, Land Stewardship Associate and Kendra Smith, Education & Outreach Coordinator

Sixth Annual Pine Canyon Cleanup

This year’s Pine Canyon Cleanup engaged 20 volunteers and four staff members who completed 88 hours of work in two days!

What started as a project to help clean graffiti off loved climbing crags and trails in Pine Canyon has evolved into an extravaganza of projects to give back to Mount Diablo.

On the first day of the event, volunteers joined two different projects: chipping biomass and planting pollinator-friendly plants at Marsh Creek 4, and removing invasive stinkwort from Diablo Foothills Regional Park.

The next day, volunteers cut in a new section of trail at the Magee Preserve.

Thank you to everyone that joined us, with a special appreciation for our partners at the East Bay Regional Park District and our Aspara Drive neighbors!

Upcoming Winter Planting

With the rainy season upon us, the stewardship team recently purchased a variety of native plants, including black sage, white sage, California sagebrush, silver bush lupine, California rose, and red flowering currant.

Keep an eye out for upcoming Diablo Restoration Team workdays to help our team put these plants in the ground at our various properties!

Discover Diablo

Las Aves de Bay Point!, November 8th.

Participants saw 36 species of birds at the first Las Aves walk at Bay Point Regional Shoreline!

Save Mount Diablo staff, Juan Pablo Galván Martínez (Senior Land Use Manager) and Roxana Lucero Keshmiry (Land Stewardship Manager), led the walk in both English and Spanish.

The group sauntered through the park with eyes peeled and ears ready for any evidence of shorebirds around.

The white-tailed kites put on a show for the group right as they started and everyone was delighted at finding other species hiding in the grasses. Juan Pablo Galván Martínez will be leading more Las Aves walks next year as well!

The Morning Side of Mount Diablo from Morgan Territory, November 9th.

Participants enjoyed a scenic hike along Bob Walker Ridge to take in the eastern side of Mount Diablo. Following gentle rolling hills of blue oak forests and taking in views from the cliffs where peregrine falcons nest in the spring, everyone enjoyed this picturesque day!

Pine Creek and Surroundings, November 16th.

Despite concerns that the hike would get rained out, it was in fact a very pleasant day for participants. The group took a modified route to avoid the worst of the mud and a downed tree on the Little Yosemite Trail. Participants enjoyed the outing, taking in the sights that abound!

Discover Diablo 2026 Calendar Coming Soon!

We are excited for the 2026 Discover Diablo lineup! With 37 outings throughout the year, you can sign up for adventures you know and love and join a few new adventures! Keep an eye out for our flyer, it’s coming soon.

Diablo Conservation Experience with De La Salle High School

On Saturday, November 8th, 44 students from De La Salle High School attended a field trip at the Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve for our Diablo Conservation Experience program.

The students enjoyed a pleasant interpretive nature hike to our pavilion, where they worked in teams to mulch the entire picnic area to help with weed abatement during the rainy season.

Students also participated in a solo experience, an opportunity for them to have quiet, reflective time to connect with nature and themselves.

It was meaningful for the students to hear each other’s reflections from the experience and showed a valuable shift in their energy from before the solo.

Thank you De La Salle students and chaperones for all your hard work!