We're dedicated to promoting, maintaining, and enhancing Oakland's wildland parks and trails.
December 29, 2017
Oakland Trails enjoyed an active year on the trails in 2017. We've grown our Park Patrol ranks to more than 50 trained volunteers, cleared 218 fallen trees, led ten free hiking tours, and shored up several sections of lower Palos Colorados Trail, saving it from closure. We've built a strong relationship with the Oakland Police Department, and we've helped the Oakland Fire Department reach injured park users. We've also engaged Oakland Public Works, Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development, and other nonprofit stakeholder groups, including the Bicycle Trails Council, Friends of Joaquin Miller Park, and Friends of Sausal Creek, ensuring a collaborative effort in park maintenance and improvement projects. We've logged more than 3,000 volunteer hours because we love Oakland's wildland parks, and we want others – Oaklanders and visitors alike – to discover them and enjoy them, too.
We appreciate all the support we've received from our volunteers, the City of Oakland, partnering nonprofits, and the community at large. We couldn't do this work without you. If you would like to get involved, please visit OaklandTrails.org or DONATE today.
Two Upcoming Hiking Tours
We're offering two free hiking tours from Dimond Park to Joaquin Miller Park, where we'll catch AC Transit Line 339 for a ride back down to Dimond. The full hikes will be approximately seven miles, though there will be options to catch earlier buses at miles four and five.
New Year's Day at 9:00am: Click here for details and to register (required).
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, January 15) at 9:00am: Click here for details and to register (required).
OPD Resurrects their Mounted Patrol Unit
Oakland Trails, via our Park Patrol program, is partnering with the Oakland Police Department's newly resurrected mounted patrol in Joaquin Miller Park. Our weekly, joint patrols are geared towards training the new horses, and helping the OPD officers get to know the park and trail system. Park users, young and old, light up with smiles when encountering the police on horseback. This is a huge win for Joaquin Miller Park, that hasn't had a regular ranger patrol in more than fifteen years!
Sgt. Milina (on Mojo) & Ofc. Castro (on Cinnamon) chatting with kids on Big Trees Trail
An Internship Opportunity for Oakland Youth
If you are 16–22 years old and seeking rewarding community service hours in Oakland parks, sign up to experience the outdoors with Oakland Trails. Gain valuable skills interacting with park users, participating in all stages of stewardship projects, and engaging our local government. If you are interested, please fill out the application HERE. Community service hours are sponsored by the Oakland Parks & Recreation Foundation.
We've Launched a New Film Project!
Our new documentary will highlight “Old Survivor”, the East Bay’s only remaining old growth redwood, and tell the story of the East Bay’s historic, ecologically-amazing, and now-protected redwood forests. Anticipated to feature the East Bay Regional Park District, City of Oakland Parks, and Save the Redwoods League, the film will be used to promote outdoor recreation and open space networks, encourage stewardship, celebrate local history, and educate the viewer about forest ecology, connecting people to the redwoods in their own backyard. Oakland Trails is working with filmmaker Emily Fraser, who co-produced our previous film, Trailhead. Runtime is anticipated to be 20 minutes.
Like our first film, Old Survivor will be launched via a free public event, anticipated to be held at the Chabot Space & Science Center in October, 2018. Partners and community groups will be invited to table at the celebration where we’ll expect 1,000+ attendees.
Join Save the Redwoods League as a film & premiere event sponsor!
If you or your business would like to be included in this exciting new project, please DONATEtoday, or click HERE for sponsorship packages.
Follow us on Instagram
If you'd like to stay in touch with our work, including updates about trail conditions and stewardship opportunities in real time, follow us! @oaklandparkpatrol
Year-to-date, we've logged 3,193 volunteer hours in (and for) Oakland's wildland parks.
Thanks to Evan from the Montclair 4-H Club for helping us to install signage to protect the redwoods.
Wishing you and yours a Healthy & Prosperous New Year!
See you on the trails,
Stan Dodson
Executive Director & Founder, Oakland Trails
Co-founder & Director, Oakland Volunteer Park Patrol
Oakland Trails is an all-volunteer organization supporting Oakland's wildland parks. Learn more at OaklandTrails.org
We'd like to thank our fiscal sponsor, the Oakland Parks & Recreation Foundation.
Donations to Oakland Trails are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
501c3 Tax ID# 94-2751052
Your tax-deductible donation helps us fulfill our mission in Oakland's wildland parks.
