Strawberry Creek Watershed Stewardship Program

Project Leads: Tim Pine, Carolyn Orson, Veronica Chew, Katy Nomura

Sponsor: Environment, Health & Safety, Strawberry Creek Program

TGIF Grant: $18,082

Project Theme: Habitat Restoration

Project Location

2012 Application Submission

Status: In Progress

Project Description: Funding will expand Strawberry Creek Student Restoration Leadership Program, which will incorporate environmental education outreach, student/community member skill development, and water quality monitoring to prevent pollution of Strawberry Creek and foster environmental stewardship.

Goals: Foster environmental stewardship by looking at the entire Strawberry Creek Watershed and how the Berkeley community interacts with it. Design, construct, and install 5 interpretive signs along the Jordan Fire Trail, currently used by community members and students for running and walking. Update the Strawberry Creek Tour Guide Booklet to include the upper watershed along this trail with 5 checkpoints marked with interpretive signs. Conduct the Creek Care Campaign in which student participants will encourage and provide assistance to Northside businesses to take the Green Business Pledge by the Bay Area Green Business Program. Train students to take water quality samples and record parameters including total coliform, turbidity, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids/conductivity, rapid bio-assessment, which will not only identify pollutants and establish background levels of contaminants for various points along Strawberry Creek, but will help to monitor the effects of the Creek Care Campaign and the interpretive trail. Increase biodiversity in the upper watershed by removing invasive species and planting natives through a joint effort between the first and second phase Student Leaders of the SRL Program.