Emmy Damon Memorial Fund
Friends of Baxter Creek has established a memorial fund to honor long-time El Cerrito resident Emmy Damon and her enthusiastic commitment to restore the creek near her home in the northern part of the city. Gifts to the fund will be used to create vital riparian habitat for birds, frogs, and other wildlife in Baxter Creek Gateway Park near San Pablo and MacDonald Avenues.

The City of El Cerrito expects to break ground on the park this summer. If everything goes as planned, FOBC will schedule a special planting in Emmy's honor in early October to take advantage of the fall rains.

Emmy was a sweet and gentle person, but she stubbornly refused to admit defeat in the struggle to save Baxter Creek. We hope that those who knew and loved her will join us in celebrating Emmy's life by giving to this fund.

Donations may be made to the Emmy Damon Baxter Creek Fund c/o The Watershed Project, 1327 South 46th St., #155, Richmond, CA 94804. For further information, send us an e-mail message.

Carli Paine
In 2003-2004, FOBC had the pleasure of working with Carli Paine, Assistant Planner with the City of El Cerrito. Carli was instrumental in guiding the city's successful purchase of the Baxter Creek Gateway property, a complex transaction that involved many partners.

Once this purchase was complete, Carli continued to move the Gateway project forward as a crucial member of the project working group, which solicited project input from residents and city staff.

Happily for Carli, but sadly for FOBC, she moved on to attend graduate school. Best of luck to Carli, who we sorely miss. Please come and visit us in El Cerrito regularly!

There's good news, too, however, The city hired Heather Koch to take on the many creek and trail projects within the city. FOBC has already had an opportunity to work with Heather, and we're very impressed with her energy, intelligence, and enthusiasm.

Heather is on maternity leave for the first few months of 2005, and Melanie Mintz is pinch-hitting for her. A long-time environmentalist and former staffer with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Melanie has taken on her new duties with great skill and humor. Welcome, Melanie!

The Watershed Project (formerly Aquatic Outreach Institute)
On June 6th, 2002, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, presented Friends of Baxter Creek's institutional coordinator, the Aquatic Outreach Institute (now The Watershed Project), with a 2002 Environmental Achievement Award for "significant contributions toward enhancing and protecting the quality of our environment."

The Watershed Project, in its fifth year as a nonprofit organization based in Richmond, was honored for its teacher workshops that involved more than 270 educators from four counties in Kids In Creeks, Kids in Gardens, and Watching Our Watersheds programs.

Much of the credit for FOBC's success goes to Apple Szostak, The Watershed Project's creative and tireless coordinator, who helps FOBC plan and implement its many activities. Thanks to the leadership of Apple, FOBC'ers have been able to save and transform the Baxter Creek watershed.

Also honored with a 2002 Environmental Achievement Award, in the individual category, was FOBC co-founder Lisa Viani. For more information on Lisa's wide-ranging environmental work, see below.

Student Stewards of the Watershed
Students at Mira Vista Elementary School are carrying out hands-on projects to restore Mira Vista Field. Nine classes raised Pacific chorus frog tadpoles for the new pond and are now releasing the tadpoles and frogs.

Three classes focused on plants and their use by Native Americans in the area. Students learned how to identify five species of native plants at the field before planting gumplant with FOBC volunteer Miriam Joscelyn.

FOBC'er Steve Linsley led students on lunchtime Nature Club outings to explore and identify the birds, butterflies, and dragonflies at the field, and Laurie Swiadon led students on insect discovery field trips and helped them create a field guide to loca spiders.

Thanks to all our volunteers, who helped teach students to become watershed stewards, by guiding their discovery of, and appreciation for, the plants and animals that share the school grounds and the field.

Lisa Viani
Friends of Baxter Creek co-founder Lisa Viani was honored in March 2001 at the Contra Costa Commission for Women Annual Women's Hall of Fame Awards Dinner in the category "Women Preserving the Environment."

Richmond city councilmember Tom Butt sends the following excerpts from the nomination document:

In what ways has the nominee demonstrated excellence in her nominated category? Lisa Viani is a prolific writer, scientist, community activist and organizer, environmental leader, teacher, and hands-on creek restoration specialist. She has done more for urban creek restoration and public awareness than any other individual in Contra Costa County. She is perhaps best known as the co-founder of Friends of Baxter Creek, a grassroots organization that has performed wonders in raising public awareness of urban creeks in general and Baxter Creek in particular. Baxter Creek has a watershed that drains a large portion of Richmond and El Cerrito. See Friends of Baxter Creek Website at http://www.creativedifferences.com/baxtercreek/index.html.

List significant accomplishments of the nominee. Although Lisa has been an employee for the last two years of the 501(c)3 Urban Creeks Council, much of her work has been done as a volunteer. She has accomplished the following:

• Obtained funding, coordinated, and carried out restoration of Baxter Creek at Booker T. Anderson Park in Richmond and worked closely with students and teachers at Stege Elementary School throughout the process.

• Participated in design and hands-on restoration of numerous urban creeks, including Baxter Creek (Richmond and El Cerrito), Wildcat Creek, San Pablo Creek, Codornices Creek, and Blackberry Creek.

• Involved a local Richmond/El Cerrito Girl Scout troop in creating a small mural at Baxter Creek on the Ohlone Greenway as well as a movable mural for the Richmond Art Center.

• Led Earth Day events, both on the Ohlone Greenway and at Baxter Creek, for the past five years.

• Written successful grants for restoring Baxter Creek, Rheem Creek, and Wildcat Creek in Richmond and East Antioch Creek in Antioch and Pinole Creek in Pinole.

• Advocated for Rheem Creek in North Richmond and written and received a grant to design its restoration.

• Served as an "environmental watchdog" on West Contra Costa environmental issues (particularly as they involve creeks), attending public hearings and commenting on projects.

• Is in the process of writing a grant for the Wildcat-San Pablo Creek Watershed Council to design an alternative to Army Corps channelization projects proposed for both of those creeks.

• Has also been actively working with EBRPD to try to acquire the south Richmond marshes.

• Serves on the Pinole Creek Watershed Council and the Wildcat-San Pablo Creeks Watershed Council and is a co-founder of Friends of Baxter Creek.

• Co-authored a successful $450,000 grant application to acquire the old railroad-right-of-way behind Albertson's on the Richmond-El Cerrito border, which will become a restored portion of Baxter Creek and permanent open space within the City of El Cerrito.

• Helps fledgling groups get organized, currently the Friends of Garrity Creek (in Richmond/El Sobrante).

• Currently working with students at Richmond High School to start a mural about Baxter Creek/environmental history of the area.

• Wrote A Cultural and Natural History of the San Pablo Creek Watershed for the Aquatic Outreach Institute (funded by the County and the City of San Pablo) and presented this research in a talk last summer at the Richmond Museum.

• Is a freelance environmental writer, widely published in many local, regional, and state environmental magazines and journals.

• Works full-time as the Outreach Coordinator at the Urban Creeks Council.

What obstacles or challenging barriers has the nominee faced in her efforts? There are continuing challenges to saving and restoring urban creeks, the most pervasive of which is the pressure to pejoratively call them "ditches" and cover them up in the name of economic development. Lisa's efforts have put her continuously in the political arena, challenging large corporations and educating public bodies, including city councils, BCDC, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Has the nominee raised social consciousness or advanced human and or women's rights? Her work has dramatically increased the level of awareness about urban stream restoration, resulting in increased funding from the State of California, and she has helped promote a state-wide agenda for urban stream activists, giving them a louder and more organized voice in Sacramento. Examples include arranging a day-long tour of all the major stream restoration projects in the East Bay for local, state, and federal officials and playing a major role in organizing the Creek Cleanup Day. Many of these projects are in older communities with low-income and minority residents. Her work has resulted in a cleaner environment and accessible open spaces that lift the spirits of people who use them. Creek restoration is dirty work, often involving the use of heavy equipment (not exactly a traditional job for women).

What additional qualities or accomplishments qualify the nominee to be honored by the Contra Costa Women's Hall of Fame?

• Writes, edits and publishes Creek Currents.

• Designed One Thousand Cranes, an exhibit for the California Academy of Science about worldwide crane species.

• Wrote Sustainable Use of Water; California Success Stories and Brownfields Redevelopment: Meeting the Challenges of Community Participation for Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security.

• Graduated as Honors Graduate of the Year at San Francisco State University, with an M.A. in Geography and Environmental Studies. Her master's thesis was the design of a stream restoration for Baxter Creek in Richmond.

• Volunteer wildlife rehabilitator since 1991 with Wildcare, San Rafael.

Gil Patchett
Every weekday morning and afternoon, hundreds of commuters hurriedly wend their way to and from BART along the Ohlone Greenway. Thousands more cycle, jog, and walk this long, winding path on weekends for exercise, shopping, and recreation.

A special treat awaits those passing Baxter Creek at the end of the Ohlone Greenway at Key and Conlon in El Cerrito. Each spring and summer, the fields on either side of the Greenway burst into riotous bloom for one full block thanks to a four-year-old wildflower seeding project single-handedly conceived and executed by FOBC'er Gil Patchett.

When this tall, lean Richmond scientist retired a few years ago, he turned to vegetable gardening to keep his body toned and his mind active. "My interest turned from vegetables to wildflower cultivation quite by chance," Gil explained. "A new Dimm St. neighbor caught my attention with her glorious display of wildflowers from a commercial seed mix. She gave me some Shirley poppy seeds, introducing me to a colorful and easily cultivated plant.

"I decided to see whether I could naturalize some of the most hardy flowering plant species in nearby public lands and vacant lots," he said. "In 1996, I chose the Ohlone Greenway near the mouth of Baxter Creek as my experimentation site and planted five plots with a can of NK Wildflower Seeds containing 24 kinds of annual and perennial seeds."

Harsh Test of Survival
Because the soil next to the Greenway was of terrible quality, nonexistent, or covered with sterile wood chips, Gil knew he would be imposing a harsh test of survival on these flowering plants. They'd be forced to depend solely on California's capricious rains to bloom and propagate. Only those of the strongest genetic stock could hope to compete with the hardy weeds and grasses thriving in this area.

Enough rain fell in late 1996 to sustain a few plants in Gil's "patches," as his rectangular-shaped flower plots came to be called by passersby on the Greenway, and by 1997 Gil was eager for further success. First came two months of backbreaking soil preparation, which he decided to undertake that year to give his seeds a head start on germination.

Labor of Love
Gil explained that, by their nature, wildflowers must survive under all conditions of climate, soil, and terrain. For efficient germination, they need rich, deep soil; a level planting bed with minimal water erosion; good drainage for extra wet periods; full winter sun; and few competing weeds or tree roots. "Soil preparation was hard, dirty work in remote locations," he remembered. "But only my body complained with its aches and cramps—my heart was fully involved in this labor of love.

"I first searched the area in vain with my shovel for any kind of weed-free soil and finally found it after digging down several feet into the ancient levee of Baxter Creek," said Gil. "I removed rocks, glass, and debris from this barely adequate soil and then carried two balanced bucketloads to my plots, where I removed more stones by rake or by hand.

"Survival of the Fittest"
"I figured that a five-inch layer of soil would adequately cover the native weed seeds and prevent their crowding out the flowering seedlings. My experiment would certainly be a 'survival of the fittest,'" he chuckled, "but my confidence was spurred by news that 1997 would be a year of El Niño—the relatively new discovery of warm equatorial water that helps predict weather patterns in the lower 48 states." El Niño is now credited with bringing heavy rains, floods, and mudslides to California in the winter of 1982, and Gil had heard that rain would also be plentiful in 1997.

Earlier that season, Gil had spent hours with his collection of dried flowers, separating the seeds from extraneous dried material. "That job may seem boring and tedious to others, but I view it as a chance to relax on my patio with a cold beer by my side. And I feel closer to the great creator while I'm so engaged. After all, the seed is where all life forms begin."

It's Always Something . . .
After his seeds sprouted, weeds, snails, and gophers were Gil's greatest foes. "Weeding was the most onerous, time-consuming, and least therapeutic task of the entire project," he explained. Often, it was difficult to distinguish between weed and wildflower seedlings. "Tweezers and tiny scissors helped in my relentless attack on weeds, but mostly I used my fingers and finger nails! I remember thinking at times: 'If I'd known it would be this hard, I wouldn't have even started.'"

As the winter months passed, Greenway users grew increasingly curious about Gil's wildflower patches, which he surrounded with delicate barriers of string to discourage foot traffic near the fragile seedlings. "By this time I was meeting new people and making new friends, who gave me welcome encouragement to continue my seemingly thankless task."

Increasing the Odds
That whole season, Gil waited breathlessly to discover the results of his experiment. "The mystery of which plants would survive, which would thrive, and which would die just captured my imagination!" Gil exclaimed. "I tried to increase the odds of survival by adding bulbs and perennials to the mix. The hard rains particularly helped the perennials by restoring deep moisture to the soil that they could draw on during the nine arid months of the year."

Spring finally came, and users of the Ohlone Greenway were treated to gorgeous displays of the mostly drought-tolerant wildflowers, perennials, and bulbs that Gil had so painstakingly nurtured. Diminutive yet colorful linaria were the first to bloom in late winter, followed by lavender oxalis, red Flanders poppies, and bright blue bachelor buttons, which competed for attention with white candytuft and yellow black-eyed susans.

Tiny, orchid-like linaria and yellow coreopsis grew wild near blue trailing lobelia, orange calendula, lavender godetia, and rose-colored clarkia (also called "Farewell to Spring"). "Blue flax seemed to be the most versatile survivor of the lot," Gil pointed out. "In good soil, it has a long blooming season and produces hundreds of blue flowers on 20-inch plants, with literally thousands of large seeds. In poor soil, it still produces a good seed crop—even competing with native weeds under harsh conditions."

"The objective of each wildflower plant is to scatter its seeds to fertile soil when the climatic conditions are most favorable for germination," he stated. "Each plant has its own strategy for success. For some strange reason, bachelor button seeds resemble tiny badminton birdies. My guess is that hungry birds miss them because they don't look like seeds. And their tails help the wind scatter them far and wide."

A Numbers Game
Since 1997, Gil has continued to plant and maintain his flower patches near Baxter Creek—much to the delight of nearby residents and Greenway travelers. Devoting around 100 hours a year to maintaining his plots, he's recently expanded his work to the traffic island on Barrett near Key Blvd. and Dimm St., where the flowers benefit from good soil and abundant water piped in by the City of Richmond. In addition to wildflowers galore, this area now includes a vegetable garden in summer and winter.

After so many years of experimentation in the field, Gil concludes that "it's mostly a numbers game in nature. Given enough seeds spread over a large area, there are almost always some surviving plants unless stressed to extinction by the vagaries of nature and chance." Some plants, like blue flax and bachelor buttons, were so prolific that he was forced to remove them entirely before they overwhelmed and crowded out the other wildflowers. Others, like candytuft, cosmos, and black-eyed susans, failed to thrive in the poor soil.

Unexpected Bonus
"To me," Gil added, "growing plants is its own reward. But an unexpected bonus has been all the nice friendly neighbors I'm getting to know. I've received virtually hundreds of favorable comments of appreciation and encouragement. It's amazing to me how many people even take notice, but they're universally sincere and supportive."

For more information on cultivating wildflowers in your neck of the woods, send Gil an e-mail message.

George McRae
Ever since he was knee-high to a grasshopper, George McRae's had a thing for turtles. And because his passion for the little critters didn't end when he grew up, he and his wife, attorney Heidi Rand, now share their El Cerrito home near Baxter Creek with 29, count 'em, 29 turtles!

In fact, their Barrett Ave. house's proximity to the creek was a major attraction for George and Heidi when they decided to move from Oakland's Temescal district in 1996. "I wanted to build a small garden pond for my turtles and tortoises," George explained. "And the fact that Baxter Creek runs just below our property line clinched the deal for us!"

How Many Miles Per Gallon?
Of the 250-some-odd species of turtles and tortoises in the world, 10 species make their home with George and Heidi. "We named all our turtles after cars," George said with a twinkle in his eye. "Like Rambler and Edsel and Morris and our feisty wood turtle, Woody, who's happiest sitting in the sun beneath our dining room table."

Most of George's brood live indoors, but others luxuriate in the turtle "condo" he built in his backyard or—like his two, huge African tortoises, each of which will eventually weigh 150 pounds—spend their days on his rooftop patio with a glorious Bay view.

Slugs, Snails, and Other Treats
An actor by trade, the loquacious FOBC'er spends much of his free time gathering food for his slow-moving friends. "Turtles eat lots of vegetables—everything from dandelion weeds to collard greens," he said. "And our water turtles scarf up lots of slugs and snails, which is good news for our neighbors!"

"Bit of an Inconvenience"
Talk to him for more than a few minutes, though, and it's clear that saving the environment is George's primary mission in life. "Some people see nature as a bit of an inconvenience," he said. "If there's a creek on their property, they may send in a maintenance crew to strip the banks of vegetation—thinking it'll protect them from future headaches. As homeowners, they feel entitled to do whatever they please with their property.

"But that attitude has gotten this country into a whole lot of trouble," George pointed out. "What we do with our land doesn't just affect us—it impacts everybody around us, too. We've got to start viewing ourselves as stewards, rather than owners, of land."

True to his word, George has become a faithful steward of the branch of Baxter Creek that runs near his house and then flows downstream into nearby Poinsett Park. When George and Heidi moved in four years ago, the northern banks of the creek behind his house were choked with weeds, overgrown with trees, and eroding into the water. "You could barely see the creek beneath all the tangled vegetation," remembered George. "But I cleaned out all the nonnative species and began planting willow sprigs, buckeye, big-leaf maple, beechtrees, aspen, birch, and redwoods.

"My idea was to plant enough vegetation that the water would no longer erode the creek bed and the banks would hold together when it rained. And, sure enough, these new plants did the trick! When El Niño hit in the winter of 1997, the water flow slowed so much that the banks held up, and we had no flooding problems whatsoever!" George hopes to convince his neighbors this year of the need to restore the southern banks of the creek, which "are so denuded of vegetation that their home is in real danger of slipping into the creek!"

George's efforts have encouraged a wide variety of wildlife to adopt Baxter Creek as their home. Frogs, aquatic garter snakes, and salamanders that spawn in the nearby creek have now joined turtles and monarch butterflies in his backyard. "Pacific tree frogs are thriving in the creek just behind our house," crowed George. "You can hear them happily croaking at dusk—both there and downstream in Poinsett Park."

Although George would like to introduce native Western pond turtles into the Baxter Creek watershed, he explained that the banks of the branch in Poinsett Park are too narrow for turtles to breed. "But the stretch of creek south of Albertson's and Angelo's Delicatessen would be ideal for nesting turtles once it's restored!"

Turtles need a wide strip of sandy soil for digging nests, filling them with eggs, and covering up the eggs with soil. And they need good sunlight to provide the proper temperature for egg incubation. "Of course," George conceded, "you'd have to protect the hatchlings from kids, who love to take baby turtles back to their houses to live. But FOBC could discourage them from doing that through educational programs at nearby schools."

Advice for FOBC'ers
What advice does George have for other FOBC'ers whose property adjoins daylighted portions of Baxter Creek? "People have to look at watersheds as a whole. If you strip the creek banks of vegetation, the resulting silt will affect other branches downstream.

"Not only does revegetation make your branch of the creek look great, it also prevents erosion and encourages wildlife to hang out in your backyard," he said. The nature-loving FOBC'er is in the process of forming a network of people with property adjoining Baxter Creek to share tips on improving water quality, revegetating creek banks with native plants, and encouraging wildlife to breed in and along the creek.

Learning from Nature
"Nature has much to teach us about life," explained George. "The patience of our turtle, Rambler, for instance, has inspired me in so many ways. Back during the Rodney King riots, she dug a nest and laid eggs the way turtles have done for 280-million years. It was the most wonderful thing to watch—how carefully she dug and shaped her nest using only her back feet. The gentle way she arranged the eggs in the nest by touch and finally covered and camouflaged it from predators.

"All the while, the world of people was going up in angry smoke. But her message was clear: 'Bask in the sun. Eat snails. Lay eggs. What's the problem?' Sometimes," said George, "people sure get it wrong."

For more information on restoring the creek in your own backyard, send George an e-mail message.

Suzette Davidson
A member of the Berkeley-based folk band "The Attenders," Suzette L. Davidson wrote the lyrics to the following song, which has been performed at several FOBC events over the years. Thanks also to Suzette for her support of our campaign to save Wildwood Creek.