Happy New Year from FOTC

First, The Friends Board of Directors would like to wish you a happy new year and hope your holidays have been merry!   Christmas for Willow Creek was a very wet and merry one, and the native plants are enjoying their inundation in the floodplain we are restoring and vegetating at Nevada and Bridgeway.  This is just what we need to get a native wet meadow plant community going down there to replace the blackberry thorns & briars!

Second, we have scheduled a date, SUNDAY JANUARY 13, from 1 to 3 pm to plant native plants with our naturalists from Pt. Bonita YMCA.  Willow Creek Academy Parents get volunteer hour credit for this time helping our local waterway.  Please join us if you are in the neighborhood and would like to plant some willow, dogwood and other native California riparian/wetland plants and watch them grow!  Bring the students of all ages and wear clothes that can get muddy!  It will be fun as always!

Third, at the Sausalito Bay Model, there is a very exciting Marin creek photographic exhibit from January 15-February 23, described below, that our cousin Friends of Gallinas Creek (San Rafael) are putting on in our backyard (See announcement below).  Please RSVP at the contact information below if you would like to attend the reception on Saturday January 26, 12:30-3:00pm.  Rachel Kamman the speaker is somebody we have consulted about daylighting our creek through the City (and the school).  We should keep talking to her about donating some design time to designing the creek through Willow Creek Academy campus!  (We have tried to get grants to pay for her time to do this, no luck yet).  All Friends of the Creek are warmly welcome to this great Creek Photography exhibit!

Fourth, we want to thank our neighbor BANK OF MARIN for donating $100 to Friends of the Creek!  They really appreciate the beautification project that we are implementing just around the corner from their office.  If you are interested in donating to the Friends (to help pay for naturalist assistance, plants and tools) please visit www.friendsofthecreek.org and click on the donate tab.  It’s tax deductible! (EID 45-3709094).

Fifth, the Sausalito City Council has agreed to put us on their agenda in January but they have not yet scheduled their City Council Meetings.  We will notify you when they have scheduled the Friends of the Creek and Willow Creek Academy middle school students on their agenda.  It will be great to have our community show up to the City Council to show our support and love for our local creek.

Thank you for your support of Friends of the Creek, both in time and other resources that you can contribute.

See you down by the Creek (and hopefully at the Bay Model as well!)
Steve Moore, Director
Friends of Willow Creek of Sausalito

Save the Date!
January 26, 2013 –– 12:30 – 3:00 pm
Bay Model Visitor Center in Sausalito

Dear Friend of Marin Watersheds,

The Gallinas Watershed Council is sponsoring a photographic exhibit at the Bay Model Visitor Center in Sausalito from January 15 to February 23, 2013. These photos display the remarkable vision of photographer “Creekwalker” in showcasing the beauty of Marin Creeks. We look forward to sharing this images with you!

We will be hosting a reception on Sat. Jan. 26 from 12:30 to 3:00 pm.  Rachel Kamman, local Bay Area hydrologist, will speak on the importance of creeks and why their protection is essential.

We hope you will join us!  Admission is free to the Bay Model that has been recently remodeled placing a new emphasis on watersheds.

All proceeds from photo sales will go to Gallinas Watershed Council, thanks to the generous donation of the artist.

The reception presents a wonderful opportunity for the Marin watershed community to gather and take a moment to celebrate our remarkable landscape.  Please forward this invitation to other creek groups, art lovers, and friends

RSVP: gallinasvalley@gmail.com