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Audio:

Transcript:

Welcome to the Pathways to Pollinators: BART to Peralta Hacienda Walking Tour. This tour will take you along the path from the origin, this location, to Peralta Hacienda Historical Park. We are part of a global push, dedicated to helping communities understand the importance of pollinators and pollinator-friendly habitats. This tour is specifically designed to help you understand the role of pollinators while allowing you to further root yourself in the Fruitvale community. After this tour, we hope that you will be motivated to further your learning and engagement with these topics, utilizing Peralta Hacienda Historical Park as a place for plant and cultural cultivation.

With that being said, did you know that 78-94% of all wild plants rely on pollinators for survival? Pollinators are not only critical for survival for plant and animal populations but also for us! To learn more, we invite you to participate, prompting you to delve into the local community of Fruitvale and understand the unique features of the place and its potential to be an ecological paradise for plants, pollinators, and people alike. We think that this pathway is a huge opportunity to create a pollinator-friendly pathway within Fruitvale and Oakland that will provide benefits for all.

Before we get started, let me explain a few things…I’m Javaun, one of the UC Berkeley students who made this tour for you. Later, you’ll hear from my classmates who will guide you through the eleven different stations we have on our tour. It should take you around 35 minutes to complete, beginning in just a moment. We will provide directions for the correct pathway marked by a butterfly track on the ground with the stations marked by the bee planter, both shown at this station. and at times we will ask you to engage with your senses and imagination — thinking about things as they were, how they are currently, and what they could be; including sensory stimulating techniques. The audio portion of the tour relies on smartphone capabilities, the audio will automatically change when you arrive at a different installation. The audio will be accompanied by the physical design renderings and stations that we have made. By the way, you’ll see QR codes posted on the various installations throughout the tour. Using your phone, you can open your camera app, place your phone with the back facing the QR code, and press on your screen for your phone to scan the QR code. If that doesn’t work, you can download a “QR code reader” application and follow the same process. This will allow you to view our website, our digital design elements, and some of the augmented reality features we have on the tour. Let’s try this out! Scan the QR code to view a linktree, with this project’s website and also an option for an AR experience. Clicking the AR experience should show you a visual rendering of a mural, that could lie beneath your feet or be re-imagined by a local artist! This is how the rest of the tour will be built, with more fun renderings, community-based resources, and a plethora of information!

If at any time, you are having internet connectivity issues, there are also written instructions for the tour at this installation, found below here. The tour is also available in different languages, which can be changed at any time through the application under “_____”.

Before we begin, I encourage you to use the restroom or grab some water since these will not be available along the tour. If you need a moment, feel free to press the pause button and press play to return.

So, now that’s out of the way, we can begin our tour! From this point, look right and walk forward, past the crescent water fountain, and head east across the stone promenade of the Fruitvale Transit Village. You know you’re going the right way if the BART Fruitvale station is behind you. Ahead you should see an arched sign held with two totem poles with the word “Fruitvale” in turquoise letters. Stop when under the arch, this will be the site for our next station.

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Audio: Click Above

Transcipt:

At this station, we are going to help you get acquainted with where you are. Take a deep breath and look around you. Where are you standing now? What do you see? You should be under the Fruitvale archway near the edge of International Boulevard. The area around you is part of the neighborhood of Fruitvale. However, it was not always named that, nor did it always look this way.

Around 2,500 years ago the Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people arrived in the land that they called Huichin, or currently named East Bay. At that time, the land looked completely different than it did today; there were no buildings like you see now. Instead, this area was open space, filled with different flora and fauna, hosting a variety of different animals. Close your eyes and reflect on that time. What do you hear? Open your eyes. The world we are living in now is much different isn’t it? Later on in the tour we’ll revisit this time period but for now, I want you to look back at the Fruitvale archway. Do you know where that name came from or how long this area has been called that?

Well, about 200 years ago, around 2,300 years after the Ohlone first moved to this land, a man named Luis Peralta was gifted this land by a Spanish governor. Back then this land was used as a ranch, with large swaths of grasslands where cattle roamed. Well, after Luis had given most of the land to his sons, the land was eventually sold in 1856 to a man named Henderson Luelling. Luelling was originally from Virginia but had traveled to the West on a journey to explore something new and establish himself. After planting orchards in Oregon, Luelling made his way to this part of the East Bay and started planting here. Luelling brought 700 cherry trees and planted them on his 400 acres that he had purchased from the Peraltas. Later, he added apple and pear trees and since this area became well-known for its fruit-bearing it was named “Fruit Vale.” Can you imagine what that would have looked like? Close your eyes and imagine rows and rows of fruit trees right where you’re standing! Imagine picking one of the apples from Luelling’s tree and taking a big bite out of it — ohhh, how amazing that would taste…the freshness, the sourness, the juices just salivating in your mouth. Open your eyes. How many pollinators — bees, butterflies, etc. do you think were around at that time? The remnants of that time are no longer as present but one of these apple trees is still alive and can be seen today at 2125 Woodbine Avenue in Oakland. Perhaps, after the tour you can stop by to look at it!

Shortly after, the Transcontinental Railroad came to Oakland and these fruits were shipped all over…they were the first California-grown fruits sold in the East! Along with the railroad and new developers to the land, Fruitvale began to change very rapidly. Due to this increased connectivity from new transportation routes, manufacturing jobs came to the area and Fruitvale became home to a variety of different factories: a canning factory, cotton mill, to name a few. Originally, Portuguese and German workers settled in this area but were followed shortly by white families who were looking for a “suburban paradise.” As more jobs came to Oakland and the surrounding area, these families settled into single-family homes that were neatly lined up in rows on each side of the street. These streets have been described as “eucalyptus avenues” with these types of trees lining the sidewalk. Does it look like that today?

As more and more manufacturing jobs entered the East Bay, the Fruitvale area became the home to many black migrant workers who replaced the white families that moved towards the Oakland Hills. As displacement was occurring elsewhere in Oakland, largely in East Oakland due to highway construction projects that destroyed neighborhoods, these communities found a haven within Fruitvale. This new demography to the area changed Fruitvale and gave it the cultural vibrancy that still persists today.

To understand how this altered the Fruitvale district we will go to the next station, but before we do that, look to your left and you should see a bee planter attached to the totem pole. Please scan the QR code that is placed on the left side of the bee and after the scanning is complete turn around. There you should see a design rendering of a seating station made to embody the structure of bee hives. Can you name any ways that you think this installation could be used? If you have any ideas for this installation or any other features you would like to see in the promenade be sure to leave feedback via the QR code for this wayfinder. If you need a moment feel free to pause here and press play when you return. We will now head to the next installation.

When you are ready to do so, turn towards your left and walk away from the Fruitvale archway. You should now be heading north, away from the Fruitvale transit village. On your left you should see a few shops, a Wells Fargo ATM, etc. with International Boulevard. Please stop at the crosswalk at the intersection of 34th Ave and International Boulevard, you will turn right, using the crosswalk to walk across International Boulevard and onto 34th Ave when the walking sign allows you to do so. The Fruitvale BART station should now be at your back as you head east. On your right you will see a rent-a-center furniture store and the Ella Baker Center ahead on your left. Continue on the sidewalk and you should see a mural on your left, on the side of the Ella Baker Center. At the end of the mural is our location for the next station.

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Audio:

Transcript:

Continuing on our previous discussion, today Fruitvale is a very diverse community with 55% of the residents identifying Hispanic or Latinx, 16% Asian, 15% Black, and 9% White, with one of the highest concentrations of Native Americans in the Bay Area. This diversity within the community has been a staple since the 60s and has ignited Fruitvale into a community based in activism. Will you look at the mural to your left? What messages do you see? How do the colors make you feel? If you have time, can you take a moment to re-create this mural?

During the Civil Rights movement, members of the Fruitvale community joined forces to fight for civil rights, social justice, and against police brutality. This led to Fruitvale being the base for a Chicano Movement that spread into Oakland with organizations rising like Latinos United for Justice, the Chicano Revolutionary Party, La Raza Unida Party and the Brown Berets which both had chapters in Oakland. In addition, the Chicano Movement in Fruitvale also led protests against the Vietnam War, made headway for free healthcare within the community with the establishment of The Clinica de la Raza, and was on the forefront of labor-related issues often hosting labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.

Today, this spirit of political activism lives on within the younger generations. At this very spot, you are standing outside of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, a non-profit action center. Within this building is a community-based organization, Restore Oakland. At Restore Oakland, they aim to: build community and economic power, provide job training and placement, work as a space for business incubation, and restore Oakland to a place of security and solidarity. This type of work is being done throughout Oakland with organizations like the Unity Council, Spanish Speaking Citizens Foundation, CURYJ, Friends of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park, and many more. To learn more about these organizations please scan the QR code on the left side of this bee planter to be connected with community resources. Fruitvale has faced challenges in the past and still faces some today, however, the torch continues to be passed from generation to generation, inspiring younger generations to stand up and utilize their power.

Some of this willpower is shown by the visibility and organizing capabilities of Fruitvale residents. Every year, countless cultural events take place and showcase the presence of a rich Mexican culture. These events include a Cinco De Mayo celebration that allows individuals to share their art, culinary creations, and business-related products while commemorating Mexican independence. Also, the Dia De Los Muertos festival draws over 100,000 attendees every year, allowing community members to connect with their ancestry and provide a sense of cultural belonging for all who attend with vendors, live music, DJs, and Aztec dancers. Around the holiday season, Frutivale also holds posadas — nine-day celebrations occurring between December 16 and culminating on Christmas Eve. To celebrate the pilgrimage to Bethlehem by Mary and Joseph, community members get together at Fruitvale Transit Village to sing villancicos and eat tamales and champurrado. Here, we will pause. Do you feel the cultural richness here? Perhaps you feel warmth? Or, if you look beneath you, think about all of the people who have walked this same path that you are on? How does that make you feel? Are there any cultural events that you can think of that are important to you?

Before we head to our next station, press pause if you want to hear from some of the residents who live here. Please scan the QR code and look at Favianna Rodriguez’s mini docuseries “Real Fruitvale.” https://www.favianna.com/special-projects/real-fruitvale When you are finished, press play (or continue) and we will head to the next station. Before we do that, on the mural do you see the plants and bees? The message along with it says to “Heal your people. Heal yourself. HYPHY mural is dedicated to the roots that hold Oakland (Huichin) true. Grateful for the ancestors who cultivated and took care of this land so today we could call it home. Our town flower is unique and has given birth to our very own hxstory, culture, and lingo. The beauty of our BIPOC neighbohoods is made up from our diverse backgrounds, cultures, and migration stories. Today our people are being uprooted and kicked out of their homes. We paint this mural to remind us of the importance of healing generational trauma and ending cycles of pain, colonialism and capitalism. Si no hay justicia ” The artists, 67 Suenos, used a bee as a representation of these words. Can you think of any reasons why? Ponder that as we make our journey to the next stations.

Turn right and continue walking past the mural, east on 34th avenue. As you continue walking look at the restaurants that Fruitvale has on either side of the street. You can come back to grab a bite to eat at one of these places or if you need a break. Feel free to stop the tour and continue when you get done!

As we continue on our pathway, what thoughts did you have about the artists 67 Suenos including bees in their HYPHY mural? Although we’re unaware of the exact reason for the representation, it is true that pollinators are crucial for community health. Can you think of any of the ways? You should be approaching our next station soon. Across the street you should see a church, St. Elizabeth Parish. We will head there but first we’ll remain on this side of the street. On the left side, you should see a bee planter similar to before, on a chain linked fence. This fence is the gate to a community garden. Stop here for the next station.

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Audio:

Transcript:

Did you come up with any reasons why 67 Suenos decided to utilize bees on their mural? Well, what exactly are bees? Are they pollinators? What makes a pollinator?

By scanning the QR code you can quickly take our “pollinator quiz” that introduces you to some of the ideas that you will learn about as you continue on the tour. Please press pause to take the quiz and press play to return.

The term “pollinator” refers to any life that facilitates the transfer of pollen from one flower to another. Some of the life forms within this category purposefully gather the pollen for their own use, while others accidentally leave traces behind along their journey. However, most of these flower-visiting organisms actually brush past the pollen and are attempting to gather the sweet nectar from the center of flowers. Can you name a type of pollinator? Well, we already discussed one, or should I say many, the bee! Although we think of them all the same, do you know that there are actually 20,000 different species of bees? Each of them is unique, either through physical characteristics: size, shape, color, etc. but also behaviorally: what they eat, where they live, etc. There has been a recent surge of interest in bees, perhaps you have heard of the “save the bees” movement? There is a positive message that is motivating this push, people are recognizing the importance of bees and that bee populations are declining. However, the movement lumps all 200,000 species of bees together when each of them requires their own resources and creates their own contributions! For example, the western honey bee actually has populations that are increasing. Other bees, like the California native, “Crotch’s Bumble Bee” are seeing massive population declines which creates imbalances within local ecosystems.

Although focus on bees has brought needed attention to the issue it leaves out the necessary discussion of biodiversity of pollinators which is crucial to a healthy ecological system. Other pollinators include: birds, bats, butterflies, flies, beetles, and other small mammals. Look here, behind the fence, at this community garden. What types of plants do you think they are growing here? Do they rely on pollinators? If so, then what for?

Let’s head across the street to the bee planter at St. Elizabeth Parish to understand a little bit more!

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Audio:

Transcipt:

You should be standing in front of St. Elizabeth Parish. Based on what we just learned, you may be wondering - what plants do pollinators choose and what do they base this off of? Well, there are a variety of traits that influence these interactions including the plant’s: color, presence of nectar guides, odor, pollen, and flower shape. All of these factors spark different interests from different pollinators, think of it as a “love match”:

For bees, they prefer bright white, yellow, blue, or UV plants. The nectar guides have to be present and they prefer a pleasant or fresh smell. Nectar is usually present and the pollen is limited, often a sticky layer on top of a shallow plant with a landing platform.

Butterflies on the other hand, prefer bright red and purple. They also want nectar guides present and the plant to have a faint but fresh smell. They prefer a challenge and want ample nectar that is deeply hidden in the plant without too much pollen. They prefer a narrow, tubular plant, with a wide landing pad.

Beetles prefer white or green colored plants with strong fruity or foul odors. They sometimes want nectar, other times not so much but prefer ample pollen. They want large and bowl-shaped flowers.

Bats prefer white, green or purple plants, birds prefere scarlet, orange, red, or white, flies want pale, dark brown, or purple, plants,- which pollinator do you most align with?

Obviously, these are very generic ideas surrounding different animal types. In reality, each subspecies of pollinator may differ from the “mainstream.” That is what is so fascinating about pollinators! In fact, honey bees, bumble bees, and some sweat bees are social and communicate where to find resources. Pollinating processes typically happen in one of two ways: the organism lands on the plant to get a resource, typically nectar, the pollen sticks to its body, and the organism disperses the pollen elsewhere as it travels. Other animals are actually pollen eaters, named palynivores, and spread the pollen through a similar process. This is beneficial for plants also who are able to reproduce through this transportation, providing opportunities for germination.

We collectively, as humans, are disrupting these processes. With the use of pesticides that come in different forms — insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and rodenticides, we are interrupting the natural pollination distribution. Pesticides in their dispersal can either: 1) fall directly on pollinators, 2) residual contact when pollinators visit flowers or plants that have been treated, 3) insects, like butterflies, lay eggs on host plants that have been treated with pesticides, or 4) when nesting areas that lie within crops or fields are contaminated by pesticides nearby. All of these different pathways interrupt reproductive cycles for pollinators and plants, risking the sustainability of these populations.

To learn about the importance of choosing native plants for pollinators, please scan the QR code, we are offering flyers that have instructions on how to grow plants from seeds. Alternatively, you can scan the QR code featured on the seed library and a video will pop up that you can follow along with. Additionally, there is another video linked that visualizes the pollinator process.

https://youtu.be/p8uxJn

Once you are finished, please turn to your left and head eastward again, continuing on 34th avenue. You should be on the right side of the street. On your way, think about different pollinator opportunities along the pathway. Can you identify any plants that may have pollen? If so, what kind of pollinator do you think they’ll attract? If you were a pollinator, where would you go after? Are there enough resources here to build a home? As you continue forward on the sidewalk, think about these questions. The location for the next station is just past 17th st. We are looking for a tree stump on the right side of the street.

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Are you at the tree stump? What do you think of it? What does the wood feel like? Do you feel any holes in it? Is it hollow?

Scan the QR code to take this short quiz on nesting to determine if you could help pollinators choose their perfect home! Pause the podcast to take the quiz and press play when you are finished.

Well, to answer - this is a perfect example of a pollinator habitat for some types of insects! This habitat would only be suitable for wood cavity nesters or dead tree nesters, such as leafcutter bees and carpenter bees. Other types of habitat formations include grounding nests. 70% of bee species are ground nesting, meaning they lay their eggs right under the surface of the ground. Perhaps most well known, bumble bees, create nests in cavities that they then remodel. Other pollinators, such as butterflies and moths, lay eggs on a host plant. Did you know that monarch butterflies are picky and only lay their eggs on milkweed plants? There is not a “one size fits all approach” for pollinators but there are definitely things that are useful for all pollinators:

All pollinators need these reliable components for a habitat: food, shelter, water, space (how large the patch is). The area that pollinators choose for habitation must have a plethora of pollinator opportunity sites or plants that can sustain a food source for the nest. Additionally, complex biodiversity in the area surrounding the shelter also provides a level of security and safety for pollinators since it showcases a strong ecological system.

Scan the QR code at the stump to test your knowledge and learn more about the different habitats that different pollinators prefer.

We will now proceed to the next station, continuing on the same path as before. We will head east, along the route of 34th avenue, with the Oakland Hills in front of you andthe San Francisco Bay to your back. On your walk to the next station, think about other opportunity sites for pollinator habitats. At the end of the tour, at PHHP, you will be able to see an Anna's Hummingbird nest about 10’ off the ground in a redwood tree. Perhaps this is a good moment to create a sketch of the hummingbird nest. Even if you don’t, visualize what the hummingbird nest might look like. What things must PHHP offer in order for this nest to thrive?

You should see an intersection ahead of you. About a block ahead of the intersection, there will be a concrete wall on your left with vines all over it. This is the stop for our next station.

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Transcript:

You should be at the 7th station, marked by a bee planter attached to the wall. Now that we understand the role of pollinators, their relationship with plants, and the optimal conditions for their survival, you may be questioning whether this pathway or other areas you know of have a lot of pollinators.

Well, there are a few factors that are already in play: agricultural landscapes are becoming less friendly to pollinators due to the widespread use of pesticides, while urban landscapes are limiting nesting opportunities due to soil sealing from urbanization and related construction. Additional stressors are created by climate change and the spread of non-native species that affect native pollinator populations.

For the Frutivale neighborhood specifically, majority of the neighborhood is characteristically impervious, meaning that the area is urbanized with roadways, buildings, or other human constructions that do not allow for soil exposure. Additionally, it is believed that around 50% of the plant species in this area are nonnative, meaning that they are only helpful to a subset of pollinators. Considering that bees prefer dense and abundant patches of flowers that are located closely to their homes, the Frutivale area is currently not an ideal location for their survival. Other pollinators can utilize hyper fragmented spaces, however, even these types of opportunities may be too sparse for certain pollinators.

So, in our goal to establish a pollinator corridor along this audio trail, we have installed wall mounted planters along 34th avenue to reinforce a pollinator pathway to give pollinators stepping stones so they have time to rest and fuel up while harvesting or doing their other buggy things. Our planters feature native and diverse plants that will ensure food for pollinators all year round as plants have been picked for their specific bloom cycles and outdoor tolerance. This “stepping stone” approach is useful because it provides safety and food sanctuaries to pollinators in a landscape that otherwise, is unsuitable for them. This can be particularly useful if certain pollinators prefer habitat fragmentation and traveling further distances for food or for migrating pollinators that do a “quick stop and shop.”

Conversations around “stepping stone” approaches are growing and becoming more popular. Really, it is focusing on how we can think about our activities holistically, considering other organisms beyond ourselves. As we turn away from this station and head east on 34th avenue, towards the intersection ahead, think about all of the little friends that we have. These little beings, although small, are really what allow us to live happy, healthy lives.

At the intersection of 34th avenue and Foothill Boulevard you need to cross the street when the crosswalk allows you to do so. Once you’re on the other side of the crosswalk, turn right…ahead you should see a mural on the side of the “Clothing Town” building. This mural is the site for our 8th installation.

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As we talked about earlier and you probably have come to realize, the lands around you has completely transformed from what they’ve looked like in the past. Yet, the Ohlone people, the original inhabitants of the land, created a relationship of reciprocity with all of the things the land had to offer — plants, animals, etc. Before we get started, please take a second to take one of the quizzes we have by scanning the QR code. Please pause the recording while you take the quiz and press play when you’re ready to return.

The mural that you are at commemorates those indigenous people and all of the tribulations that they had to go through to get us where we are. Despite what they’ve had to go through, indigenous people are still the model for what a true egalitarian society looks like where people, pollinators, and plants are treated with respect.

Listen to this Ohlone story:

“The man lit a wormwood fire to smoke the bees out of their hive. Many bees died. They dug a trap, and when the man came back, they welcomed him inside, singing,“Hmmmmm.” He entered and sat down with them. “do you know that you are killing us?” the bees asked him. “Our children will be orphans.” Then they ate him--right down to the bones--stuffed him with feathers, and sent him home. He told his family, “My time has come,” and he danced, weightless, all night long. in the early morning, he rose up and burst into the wind.”

What does it mean? What images are coming to your mind? What relationship does this show between people and pollinators? Follow the link, to the Friends of PHHP linktree for this story and other

As we continue our walk and the audio tour, I want you to turn away from the mural and turn back to Foothill Blvd, along the path we came from - towards Fruitvale Station. When you are near the street, you should look to your left and see a KFC on the corner. You will set your sights on the KFC and walk towards it. When you reach the KFC, turn left, towards Peralta Hacienda and continue your walk along 34th avenue.

Before we reach our next destination, I want you to imagine the scenery around the time when the Ohlone people were the only ones here. At this time, much of this land was covered with groves of enormous live oaks, white alders, willows, and big-leaf maples. There perhaps would be a clearing where you could look up to the Oakland Hills and see the Coastal Redwood forest, massive trees that extend their long arms into the sky. Along the ground you may have seen myrtle, manzanita, currant and snowberry bushes. Take a moment. Hear the wind rustling through the trees. Feel the crunch of the leaves as you walk. If you have pen and paper, take a moment to quickly sketch what this might have looked like.

This is the environment that the Ohlone people lived in and took good care of, utilizing resources in a harmonious way: only taking what they needed and restoring the rest to the Earth. The branches from the willow trees were used to weave baskets that were used for a variety of things: cradles, storage, transportation for foods and other goods, and traps and nets for catching fish and wild game. To create color in their baskets, dark red branches of the western redbud and the black rhizomes of bracken ferns were used and alternated into the lighter-colored willow branches or cattail stems. These willow branches were also woven in combination with tules for the creation of willows.

Ohlone people also were great cultivators of the land, truly understanding the ebbs and flows in climate and being able to discern when intervention was needed. They took care of the plants, pruning willows to encourage new branch growth and weeding out plants that competed with food sources. In addition, Ohlone people were masters at utilizing fire to maintain the land. Controlled burns were used to create access to certain areas, encouraging regrowth in certain areas to attract hunted wildlife to forage while limiting chaparral growth so it did not take over native grasses. Think about today. Every year there are reports of fires that are growing bigger, creating more damage, and putting more people in harm’s way. As people, they viewed themselves not as owners but stewards and products of the land. That vision shaped them to limit their waste, still existing with a balance between nature and people.

All of these things may have you reflecting on how the present is different from the past. As you continue on your journey you may hear water runn ing somewhere in the distance, these are the waters from Peralta creek. As we approach nearer, I challenge you to consider this quote by Jerry Dennis from The Bird in the Waterfall: A Natural History of Oceans, Rivers, and Lakes.

“Only big things get easily noticed. If we value just what is worthy of mention in newspapers and on television it is easy to believe that nothing much matters unless it is large enough to shake the earth. But standing in that gully crowded with growth and dampness, I was reminded that great things often come from humble beginnings. In many ways it is the creek that makes the river. ”

The Ohlone people understand the importance of this, they utilized many parts of the plants: tubers, seeds, and greens were eaten, while the stems and branches were used for tools or weaving materials. Along this path, especially near the creek, there would have been many plants used for food: fiddleheads, and the leaves and stems of miner’s lettuce were steamed or boiled; the leaves and stems of monkeyflower, columbine, and paintbrush were cooked or eaten raw. Soups made from leader nuts were stewed in large, water-tight baskets, and the native people also made use of the plentiful berries growing in the canyons and along the banks of Sausal Creek: huckleberries, blackberries, strawberries, thimble berries, gooseberries, and Christmas berries (toyon). As you approach the next installation, think about your own food — what kind of food do you eat, how is it produced, do you know how to take care of it, how much do you use. These are all important questions to think about as we continue to the next installation which will be on your right hand side, marked by a bee planter on a chain link fence in front of the Life Academy school.

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Audio:

Transcript:

As you scan your surroundings around the Peralta Creek, do you think the creek offers a refuge to the surrounding streets? That question beckons you to wonder, what has this creek seen? What is it hiding? Can you think of any re-create any storylines that you think this place has embedded within its banks? Its story acts as both the foundation and the witness to the ecological and cultural shifts of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park. This station follows Peralta Creek through an ecological history of the site. These stories beckon us to ask, “What does it mean to be from here?” and allows us to peer into the future to what it may become.

The process of California’s land formation has been and continues to be, an iterative process spanning over 80 million years. Sedimentary rock formations moved in and out forming the the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. Jumping forward 4 millions year, glaciers melted into the ocean, rising the sea level to swallow the mouth of the Sacramento River, forming what we now call the San Francisco Bay. Deciduous and evergreen Quercus woodlands and savannas extend up and down the coastal areas, greeting the first wave of human migration into North America over 12,000 years ago.

Since this migration, the Ohlone people have belonged and tended to the territory of Huichin land, now known as the East Bay. Still, they continue to cultivate a deep relationship with the creek system, utilizing the deep knowledge of their ancestors to flourish alongside the lands they tended for so many years. Reimagining of the land surrounding Peralta Creek allows us to create a visual foundation for the site's ecology and allows us to create a link to which native pollinators would have been present at the creek.

Spanning a time period between the mid-1700s and mid-1800s, the ecological and cultural area surrounding Peralta Creek experienced significant shifts to land and water sources. The Peraltas accumulation of 8,000 cattle and 2,000 horses had a tremendous impact, muddying the creek. Their livestock was fueled by the non-native annual grasses and oats that were introduced by the Spanish as a means for grazing. While they proved to be incompatible with hardy grazing, they outcompeted the native perennial bunchgrasses, occupying the space where native wildflowers once were, thereby reducing the amount of pollinator resources. Eventually, these grasses outcompeted the native bunch grasses completely.

The mid-1800’s brought the first Anglos, following the promise of empty land and whispers of gold hiding in the soil. The language used to describe California at the time offers a feeling of endless abundance across the golden hills. Timber, being of the utmost importance for the economy and physical establishment, brought a swift removal of the redwoods to build SF beginning in 1841. The trees were hauled through Peralta’s land and their removal caused sediment to erode into the creek, shifting the ecology of the water even further. By 1856, all usable Redwood had been logged. Australians, also in search of gold, arrived at the coast with the seeds of Eucalyptus trees in envelopes. The trees were promised to be quick growing and excellent for building, however by the time the wood was discovered to be a nuisance to build with, Eucalyptus had rooted themselves as an invasive species.

By 1850, cattle, sheep, and horses had overtaken populations of California’s native elk and antelope and the lands of Peralta Hacienda were all farmlands. The French Broom shrub, arrived as an ornamental from the Mediterranean. The fist honey bee swarm arrived in San Jose from New York in 1853 (through Panama) and the first Honey Beehives were available for sale in SF for $150. Accompanying the boom of the plant, the Fruitvale nurser was formed. These were done by — do you remember the name of the man? Henderson Luelling! Remember, he brought fruit trees from Oregon and started planting them in this area. Along with them, the California pepper tree, camphor, and bread-fruit trees were also planted. With the Transcontinental Railroad, these were exported all across the country and East Coasters continued to bring exotic trees and plants, such as palms, pines, magnolias, rose bushes, and fuschias to the area. This encouraged more planting in the period from 1879-1900 with long rows of eucalyptus were planted along the unpaved roads, along with lemon, magnolia, and orange trees, attracting pollinators. Alongside this growth for plants was a growth in people who listened to the calls from real estate agents that called Fruitvale “ a semi-tropical paradise with the most healthful climate in the world, with flowers and fruit and abundance.” What a statement! Do you feel that way about Fruitvale now? Would that statement have made you move here at this time?

By 1906, people grew a variety of their own produce due to the increased importation of goods. In 1909, Frutivale paved its roads and the use of the automobile caused urban runoff of grease, oil, and silt into the creek system. As industrial growth continued, the relationship between the city and Peralta Creek continued to wane. In 1923, EBMUD was founded and water became sourced from elsewhere, adding to the lack of concern for local water resources. In a final act of separation from local water systems, the East Bay Creek system began to be culverted in the late 1980s. The section of Peralta Creek that runs through Peralta Hacienda is one of the few sections that remains above ground. However, only five percent of Oakland’s streamside habitat remains. Biological surveys show that the creek system has the potential to support more biodiversity and can play a critical role in acting as a refuge from urbanization for plants, people, and animals.

Today, Peralta Creek now finishes its journey through a culvert into the San Leandro Bay. Still speckled around the creek are remnants of the native plants that have been here since the beginning. The plants range from wildflowers such as lupines, and mariposa lilies, to Bay Laurels, and the live oaks that have provided shade along the California hillside for thousands of years. Fighting for sunlight remain plants that were introduced through the process of colonization and European settlement. Currently, the park is home to many different plant species that provide food and habitat space for pollinators. Since pollinators rely on flowers for fuel, it is important to ensure that ample flower supplies are available to support their foraging throughout the year. Scan the QR code for a link to bloom calendars that offer insight into flowering patterns in Peralta Hacienda Park and when food sources may be lacking for pollinators. People and nature have been and will always shape each other as observed through the history of Peralta Creek. The creek continues to support biodiversity and facilitates moments of engagement between humans and nature. This encourages us to ponder: what changes might the creek observe in the future?