Peralta Creek Native Plant Restoration and Ohlone Basketry Garden

Piedmont Garden Club is partnering with Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, Friends of Sausal Creek, and Frontline Catalysts to restore native habitat along Peralta Creek, a small stretch of riparian land within a 3-acre urban park in Oakland, CA. Over several years, members and local youth will remove invasive species, propagate native plants, and replant the area using species sourced from nearby Sausal Creek and local native nurseries. The first year will focus on site prep and propagation of plants like Salix exigua (Sandbar willow) and Symphyotrichum chilense (common aster), with support from the Piedmont Community Service Crew. Subsequent efforts will include replanting, mulching for weed suppression, and ongoing maintenance.

A key component of the project involves collaboration with Frontline Catalysts to engage youth in establishing an Ohlone basketry garden along the creek, incorporating traditional knowledge and guidance from renowned Ohlone basket weaver Linda Yamane. Educational signage will highlight cultural and medicinal uses of native plants. Teens in Peralta Hacienda’s Water Keepers program will help maintain the creek and garden, supporting environmental justice and stewardship. This initiative builds on Piedmont Garden Club’s earlier work establishing a native plant garden at the park, funded by GCA’s Common Ground Collaborative Grant. By connecting community members through ecological restoration and education, the project strengthens environmental responsibility and preserves a vital natural corridor in a densely populated area.