Strawberry Creek represents one of eight Berkeley creeks flowing between the Coast Range and San Francisco Bay. Both the South Fork and most of the North Fork of the Creek flow in open channels through the main campus. In the 2.4 miles between the Bay and the UC Berkeley campus, the Creek is mostly contained in culverts. In the campus reach, Strawberry Creek provides numerous benefits.
This walking tour is a guide to Strawberry Creek on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. Strawberry Creek is a major landscape feature of the campus, with its headwaters above the UC Botanical Garden in Strawberry Canyon. This tour covers only the central campus and should last about an hour. It begins at the Faculty Glade, follows the South Fork downstream, and ends at Giannini Hall along the North Fork. A map with indicated stops is located at the end of this booklet.
Artist rendition of the ecology of the East Bay Area before European settlement. Illustration by Michael Harney (from The Ohlone Way, Malcolm Margolin, 1978)
This article, written by a student leader in the Strawberry Creek restoration program, discusses how redwood trees are not native to the East Bay area.
This walking tour highlights various installations around campus that are examples of sustainable water management, and illustrates how each improvement affects Strawberry Creek.
The study of urban creeks is a fascinating field that encompasses many scientific disciplines. For more information on local urban creek science, use the following terms to search the Database to find reports, maps and presentations.