Restoring Derby Canyon
Take To The Hills
Take to the Hills repaired the long-neglected Derby Canyon trail In Berkeley. Now we are restoring native plants along the trail and repairing nearby paths.
Our Work
Before
Restoring Natives
Before
For decades the trail in Derby Canyon was unmaintained and dangerous. Steep slopes, deep ruts, narrow footing and poison oak kept most people off the trail.
Take To The Hills formed in 2015 and sought permission to repair the trail. It took four winters to finish the work .
After
Restoring Natives
Before
Today the trail is heavily used and much loved. We installed nearly 300 locally-milled eucalyptus treads and widened most of the trail.
We removed invasive French broom near the trail, thistles from the surrounding meadows and installed trailside benches and a bridge over Derby Creek.
Restoring Natives
Restoring Natives
Restoring Natives
Now that the trail is in good shape we are turning our attention to the plants along the way. Most of the plants in the canyon are non-native, many invasive.
We weed intensively to give the resident natives a chance to reproduce and we plant locally adapted seeds and seedlings.