MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL
VOL. 54 NO. 4
41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539
December 20, 2018
Student volunteers pull together to restore Sabercat Creek Historical Park By Yusuf Rasheed & Sabrina Wu Staff Writers
Volunteers trim invasive Himalayan blackberry bushes. Student volunteers collect weeds and invasive species into disposable bags.
On December 1 and 8, student volunteers pulled out weeds, cut down invasive plants, and collected acorns and buckeye seeds to replant native trees as part of a restoration project at Sabercat Creek Historical Park.
Students work in the pouring rain to remove invasive Himalayan blackberry plants. A CA scrub-jay perches on a tree branch by the creek.
As part of a 10-year project to restore Sabercat Creek, volunteers participated in work days on December 1 and 8 to give back to the Fremont community. In the pouring rain, students from various high schools across Fremont took out invasive plant species, installed mulching, and collected seeds of native trees, all in an effort to rehabilitate this historical park. With funding of $1.2 million from the Resource Agency CA River Parkway Program, this project aims to reduce erosion, remove invasive plants, and provide an ideal habitat for wildlife. The 98-acre park itself holds much historical significance, having served as a home for mammoths, sabertooth cats, and horses during the Ice Age, as well as a grape-growing area for the first wine industry in California in the mid 1800s. Informational signs and labelled sites installed as part of the project educate the Fremont community on its remarkable history. As a previous fossil site, Sabercat
Creek acts as a time capsule of wildlife and nature. Walkways along the park were paved and connected to be wheelchair accessible as a part of the project. This improved public access also benefits the creek’s many runners and walkers, including the MSJ Cross Country Team, which utilizes the Sabercat Creek Trail on their workouts. “Whether it’s coming through there after a long, tiring run or doing speedy intervals up the hills, [Sabercat Creek] has always shaped our cross country team for the better. I think the restoration of the creek trail is really important for the safety of all the runners. It will be a relaxing path for not only MSJ runners, but also for others to enjoy the serene view,” Cross Country Captain Senior Shyam Sethi said. He isn’t alone in this sentiment. Fremont community members Don and Sally Christian also expressed their appreciation for the project, and said, “We walk on this trail nearly every day ... long before there was a creek trail at all, and we’ve
Workday Supervisor Sabrina Siebert gives an overview of the restoration project and a safety briefing to volunteers.
been familiar with every step of the process.” Don Christian shares his extensive knowledge of the creek, pointing out areas with a natural spring and wildlife like the native salamander. Seasoned trailgoers like Sethi and Christian represent a larger Fremont community that values the volunteers’ restoration efforts. “[The restoration] is very worthwhile. We need to … have a safe place for our children and our families to ride our bikes, to walk, and to just be in nature.”
— Resident Susie M.
With five more years of the project remaining, volunteers will continue to meet on a monthly basis. Each work day tackles the independent goals of one out of five restoration sites along the creek trail. Before starting work, Supervisor Sabrina Siebert instructed volunteers on safety procedures. Students then split into groups to pull
The Sabercat Creek Trail is home to countless plant and animal species, and is popular among locals for walking and running on.
out weeds, cut down invasive Himalayan blackberry bushes along with other target invasives, and collect acorns and buckeye seeds in order to replant native trees in the future. These volunteers work to fight a history of erosion damage and to repair damage caused by the city when it hacked down 46 trees in an incident dubbed the “Fremont Chainsaw Massacre.” Additional funding of an estimated $1 million from the Clean Water Protection Fee and the Alameda County Flood Control District helped the Sabercat Creek restoration team invite environmental consultants to perform plant counts and provide a city-owned truck for tool and supply transportation. Siebert is optimistic for the project’s future, which has been largely successful due its highly dedicated volunteers. She said, “I’m really impressed with how well [the student volunteers] did, especially given that it was such a rainy day. They worked really hard, and I appreciate their efforts.” ▪ photos by staff writers yusuf rasheed & sabrina wu
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