Five things you can do for the creek
Teach Your Children
Volunteer

1. • Eliminate or reduce your use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
   • Use compost to provide natural, slow-acting fertilizer.
   • Control pests with non-toxic alternatives such as hand-picking, traps,closing up holes, and encouraging predatory insects.
   • Ask your local nursery or hardware store for information on less-toxic chemicals or contact 510- 670-5543, 1-888-BAYWISE, 510-524-2567, orwww.igc.apc.org/birc.
   • Especially avoid products containing diazinon and chlorpyrifos, which poison aquatic life.
2. • Help water to filter into the soil and thus reduce runoff pollution and sudden, erosive storm flows.
   • Keep impervious surfaces to a minimum on your property. Use chips, gravel, sand, wood decking, or permeable paving rather than concrete. Don't pave over the strip between sidewalk and street.
   • Leave a green median in your driveway.
   • Keep your yard well planted and mulched, and make downspouts discharge to planted areas where water can soak in and provide a healthy, natural flow to creeks.
3. • Plant to keep creeks shady so the water stays cool, and to reduce erosion.
   • Native plants can provide good habitat and erosion control with a minimum of care.
   • Keep native vegetation where it exists along creeks. Replace invasive non-native plants such as English ivy,Himalayan blackberry, Cape or German ivy, Pampas grass, and ice plant with suitable natives.
4. • Don't pour or wash ANYTHING down gutters or storm drains. They drain directly to creeks or the bay. Wash vehicles and equipment with water only.
   • Wash on dirt or grass where soapy water won't run off to the street or storm drains.
   • Use your local car wash. Don't let motor oil run into gutters; ask your city about proper disposal of oil, antifreeze, concrete, paint, solvents, and other chemicals. Report illegal discharges.
5. • Drive less! Auto exhaust particles, leaking fluids, and debris from tire and brake-pad wear are major sources of Bay Area water pollution.
   • Walk, bicycle, carpool, use transit; plan errands to reduce driving.

Teach Your Children

Creek Education:

• Tilden Park Nature Center on Wildcat Creek
  
• Sulphur Creek Nature Center
  
• Saratoga Creek-schoolkids' website about a relatively intact Bay Area creek
  
• Resources for Teachers

Volunteer

• Come between 9:30 and noon.
• Other volunteer needs:
  
• Oak Glen Park creek cleanups
• Adopt a Stormdrain
• view calendar