Creek to Bay Day brings volunteers to cleanup Oakland waterways
Hundreds of Oakland volunteers cleaned shorelines, collected water samples, and improved public spaces during the Creek to Bay Day.
Hundreds of volunteers across Oakland’s parks, shorelines, and creeks rolled up their sleeves on Sept. 19 for Oakland’s 31st annual Creek to Bay Day.
Residents pulled invasive weeds, cleared waterfront debris, and tracked the health of the estuary across 46 sites.
The Gardens at Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt Boating Center
At Lake Merritt’s Boating Center, the Rotary Nature Center Friends (RNCF) led hands-on environmental quality lessons. Youth colleged water and plankton samples to assess the health of the estuary.
“We’re teaching young people that water level changes in the lake with the tides every day, and that it’s also subject to global processes like global warming,” RNCF Director Katie Noonan said. “In 2100, you’re going to be wet here. But when we have flooding, big storms, and high tides, it’s going to be even worse,” she said of future flood projections.
Jack London Aquatic Center
Volunteers on kayaks and canoes hauled debris from the shoreline near the Jack London Aquatic Center. Some focused on marine cleanup and others focused on neighborhood beautification.
“We have been clearing the shores for over 10 years,” said Mary Spicer, founder of I Heart Oakland Alameda Estuary (IHOAE). “For our last big cleanup for MLK Day, we got 5,600 pounds of garbage.”
The East Bay Rowing Club cleaned out boathouse facilities and prepared boats to launch, while local community leaders worked on neighborhood revitalization.
Richie Flores, public space manager for the Jack London Improvement District and a board member of Keep Oakland Beautiful, helped with painting.
“It’s about making the district and neighborhood feel welcoming and feel safe,” Flores said.
Editor’s Note: The contributor used TurboScribe to transcribe recorded interviews and Google Gemini to help organize reporting materials and identify potential quotations. The contributor reviewed and corrected transcripts and selected material for the story. A human editor reviewed the story before publication.
Author
