Planting Seeds

Volunteers at Irish Canyon. Photo by Haley Sutton

Staff and volunteers kicked off the new year by planting acorns at our habitat restoration project site at Irish Canyon.

Volunteers hiked along Irish Creek to the project site, where they established a new planting area of blue oaks (Quercus douglasii) along the hillside. Each of the acorn planting sites were given three layers of protective materials to help support successful growth.

The first mesh wire cage was dug into the ground to act as a barrier to underground grazers like ground squirrels, moles, and voles. The second layer is a four-foot-tall hollow tube placed over the acorns to help the oak seedling grow tall and protect it from strong winds.

The last protective measure is a larger wire cage that is a buffer from larger animals that may want to nibble on the tree, like deer, pigs, and grazing cattle.

Volunteers plant blue oaks! Photo by Haley Sutton

A total of 30 blue oak acorn sites were established during the first visit, and another 25 sites during a second workday at the end of the month.

The blue oak planting site was along a hill slope, and adjacent to a flat site of valley oak (Quercus lobata) acorn plantings that were planted last year.

At this site, volunteers also replaced valley oak acorns that were not successful this past year. All acorns were collected last fall from mature trees surrounding the area to ensure that new seedlings belonged to the same watershed.

The purpose of this project is to support riparian woodland habitat for wildlife by filling in gaps of existing vegetation along Irish Creek with our partners, the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy and East Bay Regional Park District.

Thank you to all our volunteers that spent the day at Irish Canyon with us!

Volunteers at Irish Canyon. Photo by Haley Sutton

Stewards in the Field

With the cold spells, wind, and occasional rain this month, staff and volunteer stewards have been checking on trail conditions and clearing fallen trees as needed.

Notably, a few large downed tree branches across trails at Mangini Ranch and Curry Canyon Ranch were identified and cleared. A Curry Canyon Ranch steward helped repair one of the information kiosks, and noted a flurry of wildlife activity captured by camera.

Other stewards observed California buckeyes and golden currants sporting new growth.

Discover Diablo

Discover Diablo Landscape and Wildlife Photography Hike in Pinnacles National Park. Photo by Sean Burke

Landscape and Wildlife Photography at Pinnacles National Park, January 25th.

Participants experienced the majestic views of the High Peaks Trail in Pinnacles National Park for a day of nature photography.

Landscape and wildlife photography experts Scott Hein and Steve Bobzien guided the group in capturing stunning photos of dynamic rock formations and California condors.

No one on the hike could have asked for a better day to see the wonders hidden this amazing national park.

Pinnacles National Park. Photo by Sean Burke

Dr. Mary Bowerman’s 117th Birthday Hike, January 25th.

Participants braved the cold on Mount Diablo’s Summit to enjoy an easy hike along the Mary Bowerman Trail loop in celebration of what would have been her 117th birthday.

Save Mount Diablo Education & Outreach Coordinator Kendra Smith shared fun facts about Mary’s work on Mount Diablo’s botany, the geologic history of the mountain, and the spiritual significance of the mountain for many indigenous groups in the Bay Area.

It is always a joyful outing honoring Save Mount Diablo’s co-founder.

Volunteer Hike Leader and Sweep Training

To kick off the new year of Discover Diablo outings, our volunteer hike leaders and sweeps gathered for a training lunch at Save Mount Diablo’s office.

Though many of our volunteers have led hikes for several years, veterans enjoyed the refresher and new volunteers were grateful to be brought up to speed.

The training addressed the program goals and procedures, safety protocols, and introduced volunteers to new teaching tools to utilize on their outings.

The Save Mount Diablo team is grateful to these incredible individuals for giving their time to making Discover Diablo a fantastic program!