Events
January 16, 2012 MLK National Service Day
On January 16, Martin Luther King National Service Day, we joined Shepherd Canyon Homeowners Association and Service for Peace Volunteers to work on both the RR Trail as well as the Escher Meadow portion of
Shepherd Canyon Park.
We improved the drainage alongside the trail at "the cut" near the Corporation Yard trail connection and around the bend towards the Snake Road Bridge. The work done helped keep water sediment off the trail and it improved the accessibility of this important pedestrian connection.
We improved the drainage alongside the trail at "the cut" near the Corporation Yard trail connection and around the bend towards the Snake Road Bridge. The work done helped keep water sediment off the trail and it improved the accessibility of this important pedestrian connection.
December, 2010 Winter Solstice Planting - Native Plant Restoration in the “East Meadow”
Are you wondering what all those colorful flags mean and why some bits of soggy newspaper are peaking out from under all those wood chips? They are evidence of a very successful Winter Solstice Planting day on December 18, 2010 organized by the Friends of Montclair Railroad Trail. This was our first plant restoration project with others to come in the future.
The eventful day was all made possible by hard working community volunteers and the many native plants donated by the Friends of Sausal Creek from their Joaquin Miller Native Plant Nursery.
Working weeks in advance, a small cadre of volunteers prepared the East Meadow site. They removed all the invasive thistle and non-native grass and laid down a protective layer of cardboard and pine chips. The Friends of Sausal Creek had cultivated the native plants to be installed in their nursery; many were from plant seeds collected locally in the Shepherd Canyon watershed. Selection for what to plant was based on: the level of sun exposure, the terrain and trees at the site, shape and color. The plants we used are listed below.
On
the day of planting, the weather was just perfect, cool & drizzly. The soil was easy to work after the
rains. Fortunately rain held off until
we finished for the day. Volunteers
moved to the beat from a boom-box at the sign-in table and enjoyed hot
chocolate and tea breaks along the way.
Several of our 16 community volunteers were Piedmont High School students. A father-daughter and a father-son team from Shepherd Canyon Homeowners Assn. also joined us. We planted more than 70 native plants in the East Meadow and along the edge of the trail leading to it. Then we mulched them all with more layers of cardboard, newspaper and pine chips. Mulching proved to be the most physically demanding part of our day!
It was truly an enjoyable morning with a palpable sense of community among us!
It will take the remaining winter rains to help the plants become established and for wildflower seeds (California poppy and lupine) planted in January to sprout and thrive. By the end of this spring we hope to see new growth emerge in the East Meadow!
Several of our 16 community volunteers were Piedmont High School students. A father-daughter and a father-son team from Shepherd Canyon Homeowners Assn. also joined us. We planted more than 70 native plants in the East Meadow and along the edge of the trail leading to it. Then we mulched them all with more layers of cardboard, newspaper and pine chips. Mulching proved to be the most physically demanding part of our day!
It was truly an enjoyable morning with a palpable sense of community among us!
It will take the remaining winter rains to help the plants become established and for wildflower seeds (California poppy and lupine) planted in January to sprout and thrive. By the end of this spring we hope to see new growth emerge in the East Meadow!
Plants Planted in the December 2010 Solstice Plantings:
Bee plant (14) -- Scrophularia californica ssp. Californica
Blue blossom (deer bush) (3) – Ceanothus
Buckwheat (4) – Eriogonum luteolum var. caninum
California fescue (3) – Festuca californica
California honeysuckle (3) – Vaccinium ovatum
California Sagebrush (4) – Artemisia californica
Coffeeberry (3) – Rhamnus californica ssp. californica
Coyote brush (4) – Baccharis pilularis
Ocean spray (4) -- Holodiscus discolor
Milkweed (for Monarch butterflies)
Mugwort (16) – Artemisia douglasiana
Yampah (9) – Perideridia kelloggii
November, 2010 - Railroad Trail Closure near Tiffany Lane starting Nov. 2010
The city has began work on repairs to the storm drain system under Shepherd Canyon Road. This work will interrupt access on a portion of the RR Trail near Tiffany Lane. City’s investigation has shown that portions of the storm drain need to be excavated and repaired. This includes a section of the storm drain line running under the RR Trail at Tiffany Lane, where trail access will be interrupted during excavation.
The city’s work schedule is somewhat constrained by weather conditions. So, it is not possible to define the exact dates of repair completion. The city had hoped to start before the rains, but encountered problems with the locations of other underground utilities not located where they were shown on their drawings, and thus, had to delay the work for a minor redesign.
Ultimately, this work will improve the storm drain system and repair the sink holes on the Railroad Trail caused by the storm drain leakage. Also, It will help remedy other sinkholes that have occurred on Shepherd Canyon Road near Shelterwood. FOMRRT will share information and post updates on this page as they become available.
The city’s work schedule is somewhat constrained by weather conditions. So, it is not possible to define the exact dates of repair completion. The city had hoped to start before the rains, but encountered problems with the locations of other underground utilities not located where they were shown on their drawings, and thus, had to delay the work for a minor redesign.
Ultimately, this work will improve the storm drain system and repair the sink holes on the Railroad Trail caused by the storm drain leakage. Also, It will help remedy other sinkholes that have occurred on Shepherd Canyon Road near Shelterwood. FOMRRT will share information and post updates on this page as they become available.
May 18, 2010 - Docent-led Hike on Railroad Trail for the Montclair Hiking Club
Mike Petouhoff shares trail history.
Hikers' Comment
"Many thanks for the hike -- I thought it was great. I wonder if you'd mind passing along Mike's email. I had a nice conversation with him, and would love to follow up."
"I loved the hike today. Mike was so interesting and I appreciate the time you spent to set it all up."
"Thanks so much for an absolutely wonderful day! I always knew about the Key System, but never about the California Northern. To think a train ran all the way to Chico on electricity! Thanks also for educating me on its demise. What a shame! "
Monthly Work Parties on the Trail, 3rd Saturday of Every Month.
