Stewardship Update
Written by Haley Sutton, Land Stewardship Associate and Frenchy Hendryx, Education & Outreach Associate
Fourth Annual Pine Canyon Cleanup
Stinkwort removal at Diablo Foothills Regional Park. Stinkwort is an invasive weed. Photo by Roxana Lucero
More than 100 volunteers and staff came together to contribute to eight workdays across two days to care for Mount Diablo!
What started as a graffiti and trash removal project of Castle Rock in Pine Canyon has turned into a grand effort to bring people together to steward lands around the mountain.
For the fourth year of this project, volunteers participated in
- graffiti and trash removal at Rock City,
- trash and invasive plant removal at Diablo Foothills Regional Park and the Curry Point area in Mount Diablo State Park,
- tree chipping preparation at Save Mount Diablo’s Curry Canyon Ranch, and
- trail work at the Sunset Trail in Mount Diablo State Park.
Picking up trash on Mount Diablo. Photo by Frenchy Hendryx
This project was in partnership with the Bay Area Climbers Coalition, American Alpine Club, Mount Diablo State Park, East Bay Regional Park District, and Mount Diablo Trails Alliance.
A grant from the American Alpine Club helped make this work possible. Volunteers spent more than 400 hours giving back to the land and mountain that we love. Thank you to everyone that was a part of this massive effort!
Students Give Back to Nature
Students installing willow stakes. Willows provide excellent habitat for wildlife. Photo by Mary Nagle
We hosted our second Conservation Collaboration Agreement (CCA) this fall with De La Salle biology students.
After Save Mount Diablo staff conducted classroom presentations on land conservation, the students joined us at Curry Canyon Ranch to connect with the land through hands-on restoration work and a reflective solo experience.
During the restoration component of the day, the students installed willow stakes along a drainage that goes into Curry Creek, located on the lower 200 acres of Save Mount Diablo’s Curry Canyon Ranch property.
The area along the drainage currently does not have much vegetation overhead or along the creek banks. The addition of plants near the creek can help stabilize the soil and prevent erosion of the banks or deepening of the drainage channel.
Students installing willow stakes to encourage the growth of new willow trees. Photo by Mary Nagle
A shady creek is also a cooler creek, a characteristic that benefits a healthy ecosystem. Willows are an excellent plant species to use for this type of restoration work because they can grow quickly from cuttings and have strong root systems.
The students used cuttings from established plants elsewhere on the property. To complete the project, the students split into groups to accomplish the various tasks.
First, they prepared the willow stakes by removing leaves and cutting the stakes down to a few feet in length. Then they located a spot along the side of the creek to drive a rebar stake into the soil to create a space to fit the willow cutting.
Hopefully the willow stakes will start to take root this winter and then begin producing shoots. Together, De La Salle students installed 47 willow stakes into that tributary. We appreciate everyone’s hard work!
Stewards in the Field
Trail Dogs crew removing trash at the Balcerzak inholding, purchased by Save Mount Diablo in August 2023 and surrounded on four sides by Mount Diablo State Park. Photo by Haley Sutton
The Trail Dogs did trail work on numerous trails for Mount Diablo State Park and Magee Preserve, as well as fence removal for the East Bay Regional Park District.
The Trail Dogs and trash removal project crew helped with additional work at Balcerzak, including taking down fencing and removing metal debris.
The Trail Dogs were also recognized in a proclamation by the City of Lafayette for their significant volunteer efforts in enhancing and preserving Lafayette’s trail systems. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication!
Discover Diablo Program
Discover Diablo: The Morning Side of Mount Diablo hike in Morgan Territory Regional Preserve
The Morning Side of Mount Diablo from Morgan Territory, Sunday, November 5th. Participants hiked through native blue oak forests and enjoyed a closeup view of the eastern side of Mount Diablo from the cliffs where prairie falcons nest in the spring.
Hike leaders Steve and Carolyn Balling spotted more galls under the blue oaks than ever before, carpeting the soil in pink.
Discover Diablo: Blue oak woodland hike. Photo by Jean Vieth
Blue Oak Woodland, Saturday, November 18th. Hike leader Jean Vieth led participants in exploring a loop through the tranquil blue oak woodlands while being faced with winter elements.
They freely continued to Borges Ranch into the adjacent Shell Ridge Open Space and back onto the quieter, north side of the Shell Ridge formation.
Winter’s Transformation in the Oak Savanna, Saturday, December 2nd.
Participants were led by hike leaders Steve and Carolyn Balling and ventured out into the oak grasslands along the shoreline of Los Vaqueros Reservoir to see what winter has brought to the land and to marvel at the unique adaptations of the varied plants and animals that live there.
Get ready for next year’s Discover Diablo outings! The 2024 schedule is now available.
Other Education Happenings
Party for the Planet tabling: Saturday November 11th at Creekside Commons in Lafayette. Guests came to this fun and lively event, Party for the Planet, a benefit bash for Save Mount Diablo.
Blue-Eyed Grass, Save Mount Diablo’s house band, opened the show, and The Jim Ocean band treated the audience to a live performance of their new album, “FrankenClime.”
In addition to the live music, this event included a “Trashy Fashion” runway show. Great fun was had while supporting the good work of Save Mount Diablo.
“Trashy Fashion” at Party for the Planet. Photo by Mary Nagle
Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve Third to Fifth Grade Pilot Program. Save Mount Diablo hosted three fifth grade classes from Silverwood Elementary school on two separate field trips to Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve.
Students tested their knowledge with the dynamic spheres lesson and learned how the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere act upon one another to help shape and form the land they see.
Students also took part in a field guide by drawing leaves, doing the ABC’s of nature journaling, and going on an interpretive nature hike. And they had fun giving back to the land by being part of a service project.
We look forward to having third and fourth grade in the spring!
Mangini Reservation: Voyager Academy Full Moon Hike. Staff had a blast with kindergarten to third grade students of Voyager Academy during November’s full moon hike at Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve.
Students were equipped with UV flashlights while hiking to Mangini’s ridge where the full beaver moon rose and put all in awe.
10th Annual Dr. Mary Bowerman Science and Research Colloquium
This month we celebrated the 10th year of the Dr. Mary Bowerman Science and Research colloquium.
Attendees joined us in person and over Zoom to learn about the fascinating work on natural history throughout the Diablo Range.
We learned a lot from the variety of speakers this year and are grateful to them for sharing their time and knowledge! Please see the list of speakers and topics in the graphic below.
Farewell to Frenchy
Frenchy Hendryx. Photo by Mary Nagle
Earlier this month was Frenchy Hendryx’s last day as Save Mount Diablo’s Education & Outreach Associate.
Frenchy brought a contagious positive energy and a strong love for the mountain that enhanced our education programs and connected more people of all ages to Save Mount Diablo.
Frenchy will continue to teach students outdoors with her next role, and we wish her the very best. Thank you, Frenchy!
Happy Holidays and New Year!
Thank you so much to all our volunteers and supporters that make our land conservation success possible.
Wishing you a joyous holiday season and New Year!
Sincerely,
The Stewardship and Outreach Team
