Earth Day 2013 at the Creek!

Thanks to all who joined us for a successful Earth Day/Global Youth Service Day event on Sat. April 27!   It was another wonderfully successful event, where we cleared more space near the creek of blackberries and ivy, and also planted over 200 of our native plants that we nurture up on Willow Creek campus in the Hoop House Nursery (thanks again to Alisa Shor and the Marin Headlands Nursery for all these riparian, meadow and upland plants!).  We hauled another 20 cubic yards of green waste off site.  Although all volunteers are appreciated, we have to thank Reggie Ballard for bravery and performance on poison oak removal and Daniel Ruark for clearing difficult brush by the creek next to Bridgeway, which has really opened up both areas for the public to enjoy!

During the summer feel free to visit the creek and use creek water and the plastic buckets on site to water some of our native plants, marked by blue and orange flags.  The more we spend time at the creek the better!

NOAA Ocean Guardian Grant – Third Year Obtained!

Our educational efforts, and some cleanup funding, are powered by the NOAA Ocean Guardian grant.  Anne Siskin the 3rd grade teacher (and one of the Directors of the Friends) successfully obtained a 3rd year of grant funding to keep this important core program going at Willow Creek Academy.  This year we hope to spread the education components of science, art, writing, and music about water resources into more grades at the school.

Jiji Foundation Creek Daylighting Plan Grant – The Work Continues to Bring Back the Forgotten Creek!

As we announced a couple months ago, Friends of Willow Creek obtained an $8000 grant to develop a Creek Daylighting Plan for the whole creek from Hwy 101 to the Bay.  In May and June, about 2/3 of the creek was thoroughly surveyed in a professional topographic survey.  By the end of July the Topographic Survey will be complete and this fall we hope to engage a local environmental consulting firm with these grant funds to develop plans and profiles of a restored creek channel through Sausalito, including visual renderings of locations on the school campus and in the public rights-of-way.  The cost of such a plan is probably about $15,000, so we are still working on obtaining more funding to complete this exciting work!     Please spread the word about our funding needs – this Creek Daylighting Plan, if successful, will be a story that can receive national attention because of how novel the idea is to completely restore a forgotten creek.  This creek is not even on the USGS topographic maps, let alone the City of Sausalito Storm Drain Map.  And it is not officially named.  Amazing but true.

Upcoming Events, Board of Directors and Friends meeting, Sunday July 14 at 4pm, creekside

Every year we have been meeting on one Sunday in July to talk about the upcoming school year and community events.  This year we have had some scheduling challenges, but Sunday July 14 has emerged as the best date for the majority of Board members of Friends of the Creek.  We know this is last minute but we welcome anyone to join us who is interested in what we are doing, planning to do, and if folks in the community are interested in playing a more active role in our nonprofit’s activities.

That’s One Week From Today, Sunday, at 4:00 pm.  Friends will bring water, wine, cheese and any other snacks you feel would hit the spot.  We look forward to spending time with supporters of creek restoration and anyone that is interested in discussing our goals and objectives of integrating the year-round flowing water resource back into the school and neighborhood.

The Board of Directors is seeking other interested individuals to serve on the Board and assist us with becoming a more effective nonprofit organization and improving the local community.