Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation
Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation |
|
|
| Home
| Back | Join us | contact us for more
information |
NavigationAbout WCOSFJoin the WCOSF How to Volunteer Contact Us WCOSF Projects Schedule of Activities Oak Restoration Quail Habitat Exotic Pest Plant Control Riparian Habitat Heather Farm Park Restoration Native Grasses Education Programs Recommended Walks Directions to Entrances Photo Galleries Nature - what's here Articles on various topics Plants Wildlife What is it? guides What can I see now? Search this web site Contact the webmaster City of Walnut Creek Open Space web pages |
|
Welcome to Our Web SiteThe 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. Activity and
Weather Update
Check here for status
of some of our activities.
New Plants found on Lime Ridge
Two new plants have been discovered in Lime Ridge Open Space by botanist David Gowen of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS). His discovery of Lime Ridge Navarrettia and Lime Ridge Woolystar is the result of years of careful observation and research. Pictures of the plants and of David Gowan are in the right column. Seth Adams of Save Mount Diablo organized the announcement of this important find. CNPS, Save Mount Diablo and our Open Space Foundation are cooperating with Walnut Creek's Open Space Staff to develop ideas for protecting the plants. Click here to read the press release issued by this working group and the City of Walnut Creek. These discoveries would not have been possible wiithout the open space bond issue passed by residents in 1974, the continuing support of the City of Walnut Creek and the diligence of Walnut Creek's Open Space staff and the Open Space Foundation. Open
Space Vision Project Update The Task Force has completed a draft report to the PROS Commission, which will be reviewed by the Commission at its regular meeting on Monday July 7 at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers Room at City Hall, 1666 North Main Street. The draft Task Force report and Appendices are now available on-line (click on the underlined links to view the documents): Draft Open Space Vision Project Report Draft Open Space Vision Project Report Appendices Notes from the workshops – transcribed directly from flip charts and oral statements. as Word or PDF files. - November 10, 2007 - Word PDF - January 17, 2008 - Word PDF - February 9, 2008 - Word PDF Complete survey results of the on-line and written surveys as a Word or PDF file.. All persons who attended the workshops or filled out the survey and provided an email address have been notified of the availability of the draft report and the PROS Commission review meeting. All interested citizens are encouraged to review the report and attend the meeting. For more information, contact: Dan Cather, Public Services Manager (925) 943-5854 cather@walnut-creek.org Bob Wisecarver On May 29, 2008, Bob Wisecarver passed away. He was a person of intelligence and originality. He applied those qualities to a number of projects to benefit wildlife and the natural environment. He conceived and led the quail habitat project near Borges Ranch and the project to improve riparian habitat in Lime Ridge Open Space. He was a tireless worker on his own and other people's Open Space projects and a leader who attracted volunteers to help him achieve his vision. He was active throughout northern California in creating habitat for bats.In recognition of his contribution to wildlife habitat in the Shell Ridge Open Space, the City of Walnut Creek named the area he worked in as the "Bob Wisecarver Quail Habitat Restoration Area". Click here for a picture of Bob with the sign identifying his Quail Habitat Restoration Area. Foundation Board Members Honored Board members Ralph Kraetsch and Dick Daniel were honored at the May 2008 meeting of Walnut Creek Park, Recreation and Open Space Commission. Their work began with Dick's experiments near Bob Pond at Borges Ranch in 1989. In the fall of 1991, Ralph recruited volunteers to help with collecting and planting acorns and watering the resulting oak seedlings. Ralph and Dick have continued to plant and nurture oaks since then. Their work has produced hundreds of healthy oaks in our open space. July
- SeptemberActivities
7/5 - Watering oaks - Meet at the end of Rock Oak Road at 8:30am. Park along the curb close to the end of Rock Oak. 7/13 - Native plant Maintenance at Heather Farm Park - Native plant Maintenance at Heather Farm Park (9am-11:30am) - Meet at 9:00am in the Equestrian Center parking lot in Heather Farm Park. Your clothes may get a bit dirty. 8/2 - Watering oaks - Meet at the end of Rock Oak Road at 8:30am. Park along the curb close to the end of Rock Oak. 8/30 - Watering oaks - Meet at the end of Rock Oak Road at 8:30am. Park along the curb close to the end of Rock Oak. 9/12 - Propagating native grass seedlings 9 11:30am.- We'll be working with adult Week of Caring Volunteers at our storage area at the back of Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek. Meet at the Equestrian Center parking lot in Heather Farm Park. 9/25 - Watering oaks - Meet at the end of Rock Oak Road at 9:000am. Park along the curb close to the end of Rock Oak. (Click on the meeting place name for directions. Click here for more info on these and other activities.) Volunteers Needed!
The Foundation needs your help to accomplish its goals. The pictures on the right illustrate the range of volunteers who work with the Foundation. Many of these volunteers come out for one work session. We always need a core of people who can help these one time volunteers be productive. Contact us if you can help with any of our products including restoration of oak habitat and quail habitat, riparian corridor restoration, removing invasive exotic plants or establisihing the Nature Area at Heather Farm Park. |
Click on any image to see a larger photo.  Indian Warrior on Lime Ridge   Lime Ridge Woolystar. photo by Scott Hein  David Gowan with Navarrettia. photo by Scott Hein. People we work with  Sun Terrace Elementary School students with trays of native plants.  Week of Caring volunteers like these from Chevron help us propagate native plants every September. 
The Volunteer Center of the East Bay helps us connect with students from area high schools. Hundreds of students help with our projects each year.  Local residents from 12 to 90 help us with our projects too. |
