At the December 7th, 2006 meeting the Board approved a contract with Shelterbelt Builders for a native planting project near the intersection of Lake Road and Los Trancos Circle. The Board requested and received additional information regarding similar projects.

 

Shelterbelt Reference Projects:

1) Edgewood County Park Riparian Mitigation - San Mateo
Description: Shelterbelt developed a restoration plan for mitigation and enhancement of a small section of Cordilleras Creek in Edgewood Park.  Site-specific plants were grown to enhance the riparian corridor and also develop an attractive native plant buffer zone next to the parking lot.

Directions: The entire southern edge along the creek next to the main parking lot of Edgewood County Park, San Mateo.

2) Happy Valley Creek Mitigation Project - Lafayette
Description: Planted hundreds of live willow (Salix sp.) and dogwood (Cornus sp.) cuttings and 500 container plants in downtown Lafayette in 2001 to enhance day-lighted section of Happy Valley Creek.  Shelterbelt also responsible for site stewardship, a temporary irrigation system and the control of a large population of periwinkle Vinca major. 

Directions: From the Lafayette BART station, walk south through the pedestrian tunnel under Hwy 24.  Project is the entire reach of daylighted creek next to the parking lot.  Driving: Take 1st Street Exit from Hwy 24 to Mt. Diablo Blvd.  Head west on Mt Diablo Blvd and turn into the Baja Fresh Parking lot between Oak Hill Road and Happy Valley Road.  Creek is directly behind Baja Fresh.

3) UCSF Community Native Plant Garden Installation - San Francisco
 
Shelterbelt assisted the University planning and public outreach departments in installing a 2 acre
native plant demonstration garden complete with wildflower meadows and oak groves on the summit of Mt. Sutro in 2002.  The garden was planted almost entirely with volunteer labor.  Shelterbelt helped organize the volunteer event, designed the project, prepared the work site, laid out the plants and directed two very well attended volunteer workdays.  Shelterbelt staff continued to maintain the garden for several years following the volunteer installation until it was finally taken over by the UCSF Facilities Maintenance staff.

 

Directions: Garden is located at the summit of Mt Sutro behind Twin Peaks. From Clarendon Avenue, take Johnstone Drive through the University-student housing complex.  At the terminus of Johnstone Drive, there is a unmarked, gated service road that ascends to the summit garden.  UCSF parking permits are required to park along Johnstone Drive and then there is only pedestrian access up the steep service road to the garden.  Alternatively MUNI line #6 serves the UCSF hospital.  Get off at the hospital stop and head up Medical Center Way to the summit of the mountain - a long, steep climb!

4) Inspiration Point Grassland Restoration - The Presidio - SF

 

Shelterbelt was hired to remove exotic vegetation and forest litter to prepare Inspiration Point’s serpentine grassland area for volunteer planting in the Fall of 2001.  After exotic trees where removed by a tree service company, Shelterbelt carefully removed all the remaining exotic vegetation and logger’s slash, 75 years of accumulated forest litter, the entire organic horizon of the soil, installed erosion control devices and then prepped the site for native planting. That winter, thousands of native plants were installed at the site with volunteer labor.  Shelterbelt staff and volunteer stewards have been working together since 2002 to help maintain the planting areas free of invasive weeds.    

 

Directions: Enter the Presidio at Arguello Blvd and proceed just past the golf course to the Inspiration Point parking lot and view area on the right.  This is a stop of the Presidio Trust free shuttle.

 

Selected References:

 

Mark Frey, Staff Biologist
Presidio Trust Natural Resources

415-561-4148

 

Sharon Farrell, Project Manager

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

415-561-3065

Loran May, Principal Biologist
May & Associates Biological Consulting
415-391-1000

San Herzberg, Environmental Planner
San Mateo County Recreation & Parks

650-363-1823

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Los Trancos County Water District

David Smernoff

Board President