Local Environmental Issues in Albany, California

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Friends of Albany Hill: Fundraising Letter

Albany Hill: A Stewardship Opportunity - Barbara Ertter

The Value of Albany Hill - Barbara Ertter

Stewardship Activities on Albany Hill

German Ivy

The Sun Cup on Albany Hill

Images of Albany Hill - Greg Jalbert

The Meaning of Albany Hill - Greg Jalbert

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Five Creeks: Albany and El Cerrito

Images of Albany Hill

The last remaining natural habitat in Albany, California

The West side of Albany Hill is brilliant green in the spring. The eucalyptus trees gently rustle in the breeze coming off of the San Francisco Bay.	From the top of the hill, we see the bay and Mount Tamalpias in the distance.
Ferns get rusty in the fall. The north side of the hill is a wonderful forest of native Californian oaks and a winding path, a great place to escape the ugliness of the surrounding suburbia.	From the Albany Waterfront, we see the mudflats where huge flocks of birds feed. The birds are frightened by passersby, and no doubt are disturbed by the incessant din of the highway. Albany Hill stands out as the only green acreage in Albany.
The Eucalyptus trees, while not native, are the main tree on the top of the hill. Future planning may replace these with native species, although they provide a welcome resting place for the endangered Monarch butterfly in the winter season.	The Thornless Blackberry is an invasive non-native species that is infesting the north side of the hill, particularly by the creek. Year after year, it must be cleared off of the willows and other trees in the area, otherwise it will smother them with its fast growing vines.
The north side of the hill, a California Oak forest, is infested with non-native German Ivy and two other types of ivy. They creep into and smother many of the native trees on that side.	The din of suburbia and traffic surrounds Albany Hill. Perhaps at sunrise on a Sunday, you might find true peace and quiet on the North side.
	At the top of Albany Hill, one is immediately affected by the open feeling of the space. To lose this to more suburban development would be a permanent shame.

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