Saturday, May 31, celebrate historic Schoolhouse Creek in the Eastshore State Park with a bug hunt, making art from natural materials, a picnic, and interpretive walk or bike ride. Fun for all ages!

• 10 - 11:30 am, discover the fascinating and varied miniature world of insects with Cal Bug People.
• 11:30 am - 1 pm, enjoy a bring-your-own picnic (we’ll supply snacks and water) and short interpretive walk or bike ride. You’ll learn about the history and future of our waterfront, and how this former dump is being transformed.
• 1 - 2:30 pm, environmental artist Zach Pine will lead us making art with found materials at the "glass beach" and miniature salt marsh at the creek mouth.

Attend one or all — everything is free, but numbers are limited. Information and registration at 510 848 9358 or f5creeks@aol.com.

Directions: GREAT bike ride on the Bay Trail, also reachable by AC Transit 9, which stops on University just across from Sea Breeze Deli. From there, walk 5 minutes north on Bay Trail. You’ll see our sign at the turnout and trail that was Virginia Extension. By car, parking at the site is very limited — park at Sea Breeze Deli, south side of University Ave. just west of I-880/580, and walk 5 minutes north on the Bay Trail as above.

Online maps: "Virginia St and W Frontage Rd, Berkeley," only there is no Virginia St. — look for the small turnout and trail and our sign.

Register at www.bringingbackthenatives.net for the Sunday, May 4, Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, with more than 60 pesticide-free, predominantly native-plant gardens in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties . The event again includes a May 3 and 4 Native Plant Sale at various locations, and possibilities for private guided tours on other weekends, including a gourmet bicycle tour and a Berkeley walking tour.

We are happy to present a new design for our web site. Take a moment to browse around–we think you’ll like what you see.

New/upcoming :

• Donate for specific park improvements with the Parks Partnership Fund .
• May 10 Hidden Gems Bike Ride and Walk .

Join : We welcome individual members as well as affiliate groups — one of BPFP’s main functions is to act as fiscal sponsor for volunteer groups that are not incorporated. Find out about joining by checking our calendar , or contact us for more information .

Donate: BPFP also raises funds for itself, affiliate groups, and, through the Parks Partnership Fund , for specific projects in Berkeley parks. Find out how to donate here .

Volunteer: BPFP’s affiliate groups offer a wide variety of volunteer opportunities. Find out about specific current opportunities on our volunteer page .

Other news and events: View the most recent posts from BPFP and our affiliates below, or select your favorite affiliate group from the "Posts by group" list below the calendar on the right.

Highlights:

• March 2008 75 young people coordinated by EarthTeam gathered to commemorate the life and purpose of Cesar Chavez Chavez. The large group split into three smaller ones and tackled Shoreline trash pickup, removal of invasive vegetation, and spreading woodchips around native plantings (woodchips help the soil retain moisture while also keeping weeds from growing).
• April Head-Royce 6th graders participated in a service learning project and spread woodchips along shoreline plantings, including three Cyprus trees that had been planted by 4th graders from Rosa Parks one year ago.

Upcoming:

• On Wednesday, April 30, 15 high school students from College Prep will spread woodchips along Western shore of Middle Pond.

Come on down to see the results of all this work. If your group would like to help, contact Mark Liolios at mark AT lmi DOT net.

A Fundraising Cruise on beautiful San Francisco Bay
to provide science equipment for Shorebird Park Nature Center classrooms

What: Glorious afternoon fund-raiser cruise on the San Francisco Bay that includes lavish hors d’oeuvres, fine wines, great views, the best of the Nature Center hands-on activities, and an opportunity to honor environmental heroes, past, present and future.

When: Sunday, April 27th, 2008. 2–3 pm dockside and 3–6 pm on the Bay.

Why: To raise awareness about the 30-year-old environmental education program teaching children and adults about San Francisco Bay; to raise $35,000 in funds for new “green” classroom equipment, replacing three 28-year-old aquariums, buying new microscopes, and updating videos and the library.

Information: Call 510-981-6723 or:

• Information flyer (PDF, 500kb)
• Invitation flyer (PDF, 111 kb)

Donation: $65 per adult; $75 for one adult & one child; $100 per couple.
Come join us on San Francisco Bay for a fun time with a cause! Help these environmental education programs grow and flourish. Hope to see you there!

March 20, 2007
Sunset is 7:45 pm, tentative time for gathering is 45 minutes before sunset. The event ends about 15 minutes after sunset.

Event information

The gatherings usually have two mutually supportive elements. A spiritual gathering that celebrates the changing of the seasons, and a scientific gathering that explores and explains the nature of the seasons. More details will be posted about one month before the event.

Links

• www.solarcalendar.org
• http://www.ecologycenter.org/chavez
• A Google Map link that shows the parking area. You can see the Solar Calendar as a white dot in the brown area of the park. This link shows a zoomed in view where in which you can see the rocks that create the circle of the solar calendar.

• What- We’ll be removing broom, ice plant, cape ivy, fennel, and pampas grass.
• Where-Pt. Isabel 2701 Isabel St, Richmond, CA)