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El Cerrito’s First Annual Hillside Festival May 17 th 2014 10am-3pm SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF EL CERRITO ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE, TREE COMMITTEE AND PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION. Join us for El Cerrito’s first ever Hillside Festival! Enjoy El Cerrito’s 90 acre Hillside Natural Area Saturday May 17th 10am-3pm. This event will celebrate this rich and diverse Parkland and the community efforts to expand it, by acquiring the Madera Open Space . Multiple activities will be located throughout the hillside for you and your family to choose from including: El Cerrito Trail Trekkers Guided Hikes Hill Trail to Madera Open Space Live Oak Trail to Madera Open Space 12:00-1:00 pm 2:30-3:30 pm Hill Trailhead, Blake Street and Navallier Schmidt Lane Trailhead, EC Recycling Center El Cerrito High School Mountain Bike Team’s ‘Pop-up’ Bikepark 10am-3pm Snowden Reservoir, at the end of Snowden Avenue (EC Hillside North) Friends of Five Creeks Community Garden Network Invasive Plant Removal and Education Gardening with Native Plants 10am-Noon Main event reception area, EC Hillside South El Cerrito Recycling Center California Native Plant Society Walk & Talk Easy Nature Walk 10:15 am 1:30 pm Schmidt Lane Trailhead, El Cerrito Recycling Center King Court Trailhead (EC Hillside South) Historical Hike: The Growth of El Cerrito’s Parks Golden Gate Audubon Society Bird Walk 10:30 am 8:30-10 am (Special pre-festival event) Schmidt Lane Trailhead near the El Cerrito Recycling Center FULL El Cerrito Historical Society Talk Early California Native Life “Early Days of El Cerrito” In the Bay Area 12:30 pm 11:00 am Southernmost trailhead on Regency Court Eucalyptus grove just in from King Court (EC Hillside South) (EC Hillside South) Please check Trail Trekkers’ event webpage for details. http://ectrailtrekkers.org/hillside-festival ---PAGE BREAK--- Hike Hill Trail to Madera Open Space 12:00-1:00 pm Meet at the corner of Blake Street and Navallier Join Jenny Hammer of El Cerrito Trail Trekkers for a one-hour hike up Hill Trail and into the Madera Open Space. Learn some history of Hill, view old photos of hill climb races of the 1920’s. Enjoy spectacular views. Take in the aroma of California sage, and ponder why Tepco pottery shards are scattered about the area. See and understand how the Hillside Natural Area North will connect to its southern sister with the addition of the Madera Open Space. Explore a gurgling creek, pass a strangled tree, and generally get a sense of the hillside gem in the midst of our city. This hike is moderately strenuous in parts because of steepness, but most is a gentle incline. We will not be power-walking! Bring water. Sturdy boots are recommended and, if you use poles, bring them. El Cerrito High School Mountain Bike Team’s 10am-3pm ‘Pop-up’ Bikepark Snowden Reservoir site, at the end of Snowden Avenue near Hill. Come ride your bike at El Cerrito High School Mountain Bike Team’s BIKEPARK! Skill features for all ages and abilities include: Pumptrack, freeride features, balance beams, teeter totters and more! ECHS team coach Gary Hill will be on hand to offer skills clinics and basic to advance bike riding Instruction. Talk with ECPD Bike Patrol officers. Free basic bicycle maintenance on site. We encourage you to ride your bike to the Bikepark. Free valet Bike Parking is available if you would like to leave your bike and Hike to other locations and events. You must sign a liability waiver at the event entrance to use ride the bikepark features. Helmets are required. Open Space Hike- Live Oak Trail to Madera Open Space 2:30-3:30 pm Meet at the Schmidt Lane Trailhead near the El Cerrito Recycling Center. Join Dave Weinstein President of El Cerrito Trail Trekkers for an hour-long hike through his favorite trails beneath grotesquely formed yet beautiful live oaks and across grassy meadows with superb views. Friends of Five Creeks Invasive Plant Removal and 10am-Noon Education Meet at the Douglas Drive entrance to the Hillside Natural Area (between 1524 and 1526 Douglas.) Broom Pull Activity and Educational Activity. Join Friends of Five Creeks. Help remove invasive, fire-prone French broom while enjoying the Hillside Natural Area's loveliest oak groves and streamlets, and learning about the Hillside’s biodiversity. Wear long pants and sleeves, closed-toed shoes with good traction. Water, gloves, snacks provided. Due to poison oak, event is not for very young children. California Native Plant Society Walk & Talk 10:15 am Meet at Schmidt Lane Trailhead, El Cerrito Recycling Center Join Janet Gawthrop of the California Native Plant Society for a beginner level Plant Walk to learn about native plants in the Hillside. Enjoy wildflowers and some hidden wonders! Easy Nature Walk Walk 1:30 pm Meet at the King Court entrance to the Hillside Natural Area. Join Friends of Five Creeks founder Susan Schwartz for an Easy Nature Walk along the top of the Hillside, focusing on native grasslands and wildflowers and remnants of beautiful, fragrant coastal scrub. Refer to attached fold-out map for event locations. Historical Hike: The Growth of El Cerrito’s Parks 10:30-11:30 am Schmidt Lane Trailhead near the El Cerrito Recycling Center Join Rich Bartke, president of the El Cerrito Historical Society, former mayor, and an El Cerrito Wall of Famer. He will reveal how El Cerrito built a remarkable system of parks, an ongoing effort! El Cerrito Historical Society Talk: “The Early Days of 12:30 pm El Cerrito” Meet at the top of the eucalyptus grove just in from King Court. The El Cerrito Historical Society will Staff an information table just below the west end of King Court, at the top of the eucalyptus grove. Tom Panas, who is quite familiar with the history and development of El Cerrito, will lead a walk that focuses on the early settlers of our area. Early California Native American and Californio Life 11:00 am in the Bay Area Enter at the first, southernmost, trailhead on Regency Court, the one that has a trailhead sign. Berkeley’s well known historian and author Richard Schwartz will discuss the very early days of El Cerrito. What was life like before the arrival of Spanish colonists? Meet Richard at the “crossroads,” where four trails come together, a spot with breathtaking views. Golden Gate Audubon Society Bird Walk FULL 8:30-10 am (Special pre-festival event) Starting at Schmidt Trail head near Recycling Center. Golden Gate Audubon Society members Tara McIntire and Anne Ardillo lead a strenuous, 90 minute bird walk. Limited to 12 people. The hike will allow participants to experience seeing and hearing the birds in the area and then attend the Hillside Festival activities. PLEASE DONATE TO THE EL CERRITO OPEN SPACE CAMPAIGN!! To donate, please visit the Environmental Quality Community reception booth at the recycling center or donate online at www.el-cerrito.org/OpenSpaceDonations . You may also send a check payable to “City of El Cerrito” with the memo: “Madera Hillside Acquisition” to Pam Austin, El Cerrito Open Space Campaign Treasurer, 834 Kearney Street, El Cerrito, Ca. 94530 Donations are tax deductible and will receive an acknowledgement letter with the City’s Tax ID Number. For more information or to get involved, visit the Madera Hillside Open Space information webpage at www.ectrailtrekkers.org or contact Gary Hill, EL CERRITO OPEN SPACE Campaign Chairman, @ [PHONE REDACTED] or [EMAIL REDACTED]. ---PAGE BREAK---