Outdoors
The East Bay Regional Park District began during the height of the Great Depression with a ballot measure asking voters to institute a property tax for the purpose of creating a park system. Despite the hard economic times, voters overwhelmingly agreed to tax themselves so they could have more parks. Ninety years later, about 25 million people a year enjoy what has become the largest park district of its kind in the nation, a network essential to the active, outdoor…
On a rainy Saturday morning in February, Josh Gunter organized the cleanup equipment for the day ahead — buckets and trash-pickers, elastic gloves and trash bags, coffee and water. Then he waited for volunteers from Friends of Raimondi Park to arrive for the monthly cleanup event. Gunter was among more than a dozen residents who braved the weather that morning to pick up trash, rake and sweep. Friends of Raimondi Park, one of the many groups participating in Oakland’s “Adopt…
Dale Risden always worries when he sees the densely packed trees growing on the hills in Oakland’s Joaquin Miller Park, which spans 500 acres within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Risden is the chair of Friends of Joaquin Miller Park, a community group of volunteers. Members work each weekend to clear fire hazards by hand, but Risden says it’s not enough. Volunteer organizations like Friends of Joaquin Miller…
Early on a Saturday morning, Polly Conway picks up coffee and drives to Crown Beach in Alameda. She sets up a tent in the sand and waits under gloomy skies until the rest of the group shows up, and the monthly meeting of the East Bay Dipping Society is underway. Dipping is as simple as getting in the water for a few minutes, sometimes with chatting involved, and always followed by coffee and snacks. Conway started open water swimming during…
Record rainfall last winter mitigated California’s severe drought and brought a slow start to fire season. But the wet weather hasn’t reduced the threat. The heavy downpours that bombarded the Bay Area and the relatively cool weather that followed kept vegetation from drying out in the spring and early summer. But as the summer wears on, that vegetation will become fuel for fires, said Ranyee Chiang, director of the Meteorology and Measurement Division at Bay Area Air Quality Management District. …
Many Oakland residents are using the OAK311 app to report the poor conditions of their community parks, where debris is dumped, benches are splintered and children are playing on rusted equipment. The city says it hears the complaints but does not have the budget or manpower to address all the issues. That frustrates residents like Meredith Triplet, who lives near Lafayette Square Park downtown, where trash cans are overflowing, grass is overgrown and the playground equipment is chipped, peeling or…
Sandra Rose hikes frequently in East Bay Regional Parks and is no stranger to rattlesnakes. Last month, she saw three in one week. “We all heard the hiss as the snake went up the hill.” Rose said, referring to a hike in Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve in Oakland. Rose says she expects to see snakes in the park. “They won’t bother you if you don’t bother them,” she said. “I’m not scared of them, I think they’re fascinating.” Last month,…