This plant walk will start up from the former quarry site near Schmidt Lane, next to the site for the El Cerrito Hillside Festival on Saturday, May 17. For more information on the festival, go to www.ectrailtrekkers.org.
Hillside Natural Area is one of the few remaining stands of oak woodland and creek/riparian vegetation that descends well below the top of the Oakland/Berkeley/El Cerrito hills. The lowest area saw previous use and disturbance as a quarry, but uphill the oak woodland and riparian plant communities have kept their basic flora, with some invasion in the margins. The main trail from Schmidt to Shevlin runs almost entirely uphill to the other end of the park. The grade of the hill path makes for great views of and across SF Bay, with few tall buildings nearby to block the view. Be aware of poison oak in a couple of narrow spots on the trail.
We will repeat this walk at 1:30 p.m., also on Saturday, May 17, with all the same directions. The vascular plant list follows directions.
Directions: From the south, exit I-80 northbound at Central Ave. and follow it east to Central & San Pablo Ave. Turn left onto San Pablo Ave. and follow it north to Schmidt & San Pablo Ave. Turn right onto Schmidt and follow it to the recycling center and festival area and look for parking. Meet me at the trailhead, and hopefully the festival organizers can also steer you to the trailhead. From the north, exit I-80 at MacDonald, and follow ramp directions to San Pablo. Go on southbound San Pablo to Schmidt, where you turn left and follow it to Hillside Natural Area.
If parking on Schmidt Lane is unavailable because of festival parking, you can also park for free on nearby streets. Mass transit is also available, if you don't mind walking east on Schmidt from San Pablo Ave. If you are going by mass transit, take AC Transit #72 northbound from El Cerrito Plaza BART, or #72 southbound from El Cerrito del Norte BART ($1.85 with BART transfer). Regardless of direction, get off the #72 bus at the intersection of Schmidt and San Pablo and walk eastbound (toward the hill) on Schmidt. Schmidt deadends at the El Cerrito Recycling Center, which is next to the trailhead and the park.
Dogs: Our apologies, but please don't bring a dog
Safety: Outdoor activities are inherently risky. On hiking trips, grave injury and death are not out of the realm of possibility. By coming on this trip, you agree to be 100% responsible for your own health, safety and well being. If you bring a guest(s), that guest(s) will be 100% responsible for his/her own health, safety and well being.
In order to minimize trees sacrificed for paper, here's my partial vascular plant list, last updated April 27, 2014:
Pteridophytes (ferns and fern allies)
Native to site? Botanic Latin (family centered above genera) Common name
Dennstaedtiaceae
yes Pteridium aquilinum var pubescens bracken fern
Dryopteridaceae
yes Dryopteris arguta wood fern
Polypodiaceae
yes Polypodium calirhiza California polypody
Gymnoperms (conifers and other naked seed coats)
Cupressaceae
no Calocedrus decurrens incense cedar
no Hesperocyparis macrocarpa Monterey cypress
yes, but planted Sequoia sempervirens coast redwood
Pinaceae
no Pinus radiata, & other Pinus sp. near entrance Monterey pine
Angiosperms (flowering plants)
Lauraceae (only basal family here)
yes Umbellularia californica California bay, Oregon myrtle
Adoxaceae (Eudicot families start here)
yes Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea blue elderberry
Anacardiaceae
no Rhus ovata sugar bush
yes Toxicodendron diversilobum poison oak
Apiaceae
no Conium maculatum poison hemlock
no Foeniculum vulgare fennel
yes Sanicula crassicaulis Pacific sanicle
Araliaceae
no Hedera canariensis Algerian ivy
Asteraceae
yes Achillea millefolium yarrow
yes Artemisia californica California sagebrush
yes A. douglasiana mugwort
yes Baccharis pilularis coyote brush
no Calendula arvensis ?
no Carduus pycnocephalus ssp. pycnocephalus; Italian thistle
no Cynara cardunculus artichoke thistle
no Delairea odorata cape ivy
yes Grindelia camporum gum plant
no Helminthotheca echioides bristly ox-tongue
no Hypochaeris radicata rough cat's ear
no Lactuca virosa lettuce (feral)
no Matricaria discoidea pineapple weed
no Pseudognaphalium luteo-album cudweed
no Senecio vulgaris groundsel
no Silybum marianum milk thistle
no Sonchus oleraceus common sow thistle
no Taraxacum officinale dandelion
yes Wyethia angustifolia narrowleaf mule ears
Boraginaceae
no Echium candicans pride of Madeira
yes Phacelia divaricata scorpion flower
Brassicaceae
no Brassica rapa field mustard
no Brassica nigra black mustard
no Raphanus sativus wild radish
Caprifoliaceae
yes Lonicera hispidula California honeysuckle
yes Symphoricarpos mollis creeping snowberry
Caryophyllaceae
no Stellaria media common chickweed
Convolvulaceae
no Convolvulus arvensis bindweed
Cucurbitaceae
yes Marah fabacea manroot
Euphorbiaceae
no Euphorbia peplus petty spurge
no Ricinus communis castor bean
Fabaceae
no Acacia baileyana cootamundra wattle
no A. melanoxylon blackwood acacia
no Genista monspessulana French broom
yes Lathyrus vestitus Pacific pea
yes Lupinus albifrons var. collinus bush lupine, silver lupine
yes L. bicolor dove lupine
yes L. succulentus arroyo lupine
no Medicago polymorpha burclover
no M. arabica spotted burclover
no Trifolium hirtum rose clover
no Vicia benghalensis vetch
yes Vicia gigantea giant vetch
no Vicia sativa vetch
Fagaceae
yes Quercus agrifolia coast live oak
Geraniaceae
no Erodium cicutarium red-stem filaree
no E. moschatum white-stem filaree
no Geranium dissectum cut-leaf geranium
Grossulariaceae
yes Ribes californicum var. californicum hillside gooseberry
Lamiaceae
yes Stachys rigida var. rigida hedge nettle
Malvaceae
no Malva parviflora cheeseweed
yes Sidalcea malviflora ssp.malviflora checker mallow
Montiaceae
yes Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata miner's lettuce
Myrsinaceae
no Anagallis arvensis scarlet pimpernel
Myrtaceae
no Eucalyptus globulus blue gum, Tasmanian gum
Oxalidaceae
no Oxalis pes-caprae Bermuda buttercup
Papaveraceae
yes Escholzia californica California poppy
Phrymaceae
yes Mimulus aurantiacus monkey flower
Pittosporaceae
no Pittosporum tenuifolium ?
Plantaginaceae
no Plantago lanceolata English plantain
no Plantago major common plantain
Platanaceae
no Platanus hybrid plane tree
Polygonaceae
no Rumex crispus curly dock
Ranunculaceae
no Nigella damascena love-in-a-mist
Rosaceae
no Cotoneaster pannosus ?
yes Heteromeles arbutifolia toyon
no Prunus cerasifera cherry plum
no Pyracantha angustifolia firethorn
no Rubus aremeniacus Himalayan blackberry
Rubiaceae
yes Galium aparine bedstraw, cleavers
Salicaceae
yes Salix lasiolepis arroyo willow
Sapindaceae
yes, but planted Acer macrophyllum bigleaf maple
yes Aesculus californica California buckeye
Scrophulariaceae
yes Scrophularia californica bee plant
Solanaceae
no Solanum nigrum black nightshade
Ulmaceae
no Ulmus sp. ? mostly dead
Urticaceae
yes Urtica dioica ssp. holosericea hoary nettle
Valerianaceae
no Centranthus ruber valerian
Monocot families (Angiosperms, but 1 seed leaf)
Agavaceae
yes Chlorogalum pomeridianum soaproot, amole
Iridaceae
no Crocosmia crocosmiiflora African shooting stars
yes Sisyrinchium bellum blue-eyed grass
Juncaceae
yes, but planted Juncus patens blue rush
Liliaceae
yes Calochortus umbellatus Oakland star tulip
Poaceae
no Avena barbata slender wild oat
no A. fatua wild oat
no Bromus diandrus ripgut brome
no B. hordeaceus soft chess
no Cortaderia jubata pampas grass
no Ehrharta erecta veldt grass, Stebbins grass
no Festuca perennis Italian wildrye
no Hordeum murinum farmer barley
no Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass
yes Stipa pulchra purple needle grass
Themidaceae
yes Dichelostemma capitatum blue dicks
yes Triteleia laxa Ithuriel's spear
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It is a nice area and one star for knowing more about the El Cerrito recycling center.