Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation

Navigation

Links to Other Websites

Welcome to Our Web Site

The Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation  works to preserve and enhance Walnut Creek's nearly 3000 acres of open space and to educate area residents so that they can enjoy this wonderful resource.

The Foundation is a purely volunteer organization that performs habitat restoration projects in the open space and supports open space related activities sponsored by the City of Walnut Creek.  Members support these projects through their membership dues and by contributing their time and skills. Click here to learn about our projects and other activities.

Click here to find out how you can volunteer or become a Foundation member.

Open Space Vision Project Update

A Busy September

We've been busy during September with several projects. Here are some highlights:

Volunteers gathered acorns and watered last winter's seedlings. This was a bountiful year for acorns after a poor crop last year. We have plenty of acorns for our planting this winter.

Week of Caring volunteers from Chevron Corporation and Wells Fargo Bank joined us to propagate over 14,000 containers of native grass and wildflower seeds for this winter's planting in the Park and in our Open Space.  Click on the company name to see a picture gallery.

Foundation volunteers visited Sun Terrace Elementary School in Concord on September 8 to work with three third grade classes propagating native plant seeds.  The students will care for these plants until we are ready to plant them in december.

Foundation board members Ralph Kraetsch and Bob Simmons toured the Mangini Ranch property with David Ogden of Save Mount Diablo to discuss planting oaks and riparian plants. Foundation members also collected acorns for that project.

The Walnut Creek Rotary Club has constructed a pediestrian bridge in Heather Farm Park across the irrigation canal  to connect the Nature Area to existing trails.  Getting approvals from several government agencies took a long time but the Rotary Club persevered.  This will make our work in the Nature Area of the park more accessible to park visitors.

 4/12 - Install oak seedling shelters. - Meet at 9:00am at the Rock Oak Road entrance to Lime Ridge Open Space.

4/20 -  Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation's Annual Birdwalk in Lime Ridge Open Space - Meet at 8am at the parking lot at the east end of Valle Vista Drive off of Oak Grove Rd. at the Open Space kiosk/trailhead across from the Boundary Oak Golf Course Club House. The hike is about 5 miles long with a climb of approximately 700 feet. Bring water,sunglasses, sunscreen, and binoculars. Hiking shoes suggested. We will return about noon. Rain cancels.     Leader: Maury Stern.      Contact: Harvey Ceaser 925-937-1406  email: ceaser3@juno.com

4/26 - Install oak seedling shelters. - Meet at 9:00am at the Rock Oak Road entrance to Lime Ridge Open Space.

5/10 - Install seedling shelters. - Meet at 9:00am at the Rock Oak Road entrance to Lime Ridge Open Space.

(Click on the meeting place name for directions. Click here for more info on these and other activities.)

Our Foundation Gets a Grant

The Foundation has received a Civic Pride Grant from the City of Walnut Creek to protect and restore a riparian corridor in Lime Ridge Open Space.  The grant will pay for fencing materials to exclude cattle from sensitive creek bottom areas and for plants to restore a natural riparian plant and animal community along the creek.  Bob Wisecarver and Brian Murphy have worked on similar projects for several years and put their knowledge and enthusiasm into their successful grant application.

Fire Following Plants

Lesley Hunt wrote an article about fire following plants in Lime Ridge Open Space,  They produced a large display of wildflowers this year near the power line road.  Click here to read the article and see pictures of the flowers.

Our Quail Habitat Gets Noticed

The June 2006 issues of Quail Unlimited Magazine has a 2 page article on Bob Wisecarver's Quail Habitat project.  For some time our website has been receiving inquires from people who want advice on establishing quail habitat in their area.  We've glad to help and happy to see that our work is being noticed. 

The Foundation Got an Award!

On April 5, 2006 the California Park and Recreation Society (CPRS), District III, recognized the Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation as an Outstanding Non-Profit Organization Partner for its work in our open space and in Heather Farm Park. CPRS is a professional society for city and other public agency workers in the parks and recreation field. District III includes Contra Costa and Alameda cities. The Foundation was one of six organizations recognized and the only Walnut Creek based organization recognized.  Foundation President, Lesley Hunt, and board members Bob Brittain, Bill Hunt and Bob Wisecarver were present to receive the award. Foundation board member Bill Hunt was also recognized as an Outstanding Volunteer in a separate award for his work in restoring the Heather Farm Park Nature Area.