The
Strawberry Creek Restoration Program
Restoring biodiversity to Campus Natural Areas.
Generously Supported by:
Campus Natural Areas
Invasive Plant Removal
UC Berkeley has 5 designated campus natural areas, 3 of which are located on the central campus: Grinnell, Goodspeed, and Wickson.
A primary goal of the Strawberry Creek Restoration Program (SCRP) is the removal of invasive plants, such as Algerian ivy (Hedera algeriensis), Periwinkle (Vinca major) and Aristotelia chilensis from campus natural areas. These invasive species block sunlight and nutrients from reaching native plants, limiting native biodiversity.
Wickson Grinnell
Goodspeed
These areas are located along the riparian corridor of Strawberry Creek and represent an effort to preserve ‘natural’ space on an urban campus for educational enrichment and enjoyment by students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Environmental Education: SCRP DeCal Part of our efforts include the education of volunteers concerning their local environment. In this course students are exposed to participatory environmental education. Heavy emphasis is placed on the vital importance of our local watershed from a historical and modern perspective. Students are required to think critically during class discussions and apply concepts from our weekly conversations to real world applications of restoration ecology outside of regular meetings.
The SCRP holds monthly Open Restoration events and invites students, faculty, staff and community members to volunteer in our removal efforts. We also encourage student groups to schedule personal restoration events throughout the semester.
Native Plant Nursery and Garden
SCRP Advanced DeCal Students who have graduated from our introductory course, or have prerequisite knowledge in the field of restoration ecology, are eligible to participate in our advanced section. In this course student pairs are responsible for a subsection of creek riparian habitat. Over the duration of a semester these pairs will design a management proposal for their plot, organize and lead volunteer groups, and present a portfolio displaying their progress at the semester’s conclusion.
Over the past two years, with generous funding from TGIF, the volunteers of the SCRP constructed a Native Plant Nursery here on our central campus! In this nursery, volunteers and coordinators propagate native plant species which are later introduced to riparian zones throughout the UCB campus. This nursery is not only a home for a wide diversity of plants, but additionally a classroom for students to utilize in becoming fully fledged creek restorers. The nursery shade structure and garden are located behind Giannini Hall (Wellman Courtyard), and we’re always looking for volunteers to help run daily nursery functions.
Native Plant Reintroduction Another essential goal of the SCRP is the restoration of native biodiversity to the UCB campus. After invasive plant removal, native plant seedlings are reintroduced to cleared areas. Volunteers are involved in the propagation and planting of seedlings and helping to maintain the Native Plant Garden through weeding and garden expansion.
Meet the SCRP Team: Tim Pine (EH&S), Karl Hans (EH&S), Katherine Blair, Nathan Bickhart, Justin Skootsky, Lawrence Fernandez Contact us if you are interested in attending one of our open restoration events, scheduling your own event, or participating in any of our other activities: Email us: strawberrycreek@lists.berkeley.edu, calcreeks@gmail.com Or visit our website: http://creekrestoration.blogspot.com/