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New rock pool sparkles in restored Strawberry Creek

By Public Affairs

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Strawberry Creek

New rock pool sparkles in restored Strawberry Creek

The success of a two-year restoration of a degraded section of Strawberry Creek was celebrated Wednesday, April 8, when 75 people gathered for a ceremony near Eucalyptus Grove just west of Valley Life Sciences. On view were the rock pool created to replace a failing check dam and provide a friendly habitat for native fish, as well as new plants that will help stabilize the creek bank.

It was the campus’s latest and most ambitious restoration project on the creek. Initiated by students, the project aimed to prevent future degradation, build safe access to the creek and create an outdoor classroom and lab for students.

“Our hope is this section of the Strawberry Creek will become a high-quality spawning habitat that will be an attraction to many students and members of the public,” says EH&S staffer Tim Pine, who spoke at the ceremony, along with  EH&S Executive Director Mark Freiberg, staffer Aysha Massell, engineer Scott Stoller and Katherine Walsh, director of the Student Environmental Resource Center.

The project is dedicated to Steve Maranzana, who was a dedicated creek steward as an EH&S staffer and manager. His wife, Elisabeth Hawley, cut the ribbon at the ceremony with their son Marcus in her arms.

Here are photos of the restored creek, shot by student Victor Tieu: