What should replace the Dreamland for Kids playground?
In 2000, Berkeley Partners for Parks and the City of Berkeley organized 2000 volunteers to build the Dreamland for Kids playground at Aquatic Park. Thousands of kids and parents have loved playing there. But some wood is rotting, and equipment no longer meets today’s standards.
What should replace this beloved playground? What other improvements should be made (for example, to picnic areas or restrooms)?
Find out more about the project here. Attend a Zoom meeting with the Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Department and give your ideas — 6 PM Tues., Oct. 8. Register here.
Lots of spring events ahead
Spring is a great time to connect with parks and nature. Volunteer or celebrate for Earth Day (mostly Apr. 20) — see the list of events here! Document and learn about local plants and animals as part of City Nature Challenge (Apr. 26 – May 3). All ages can celebrate and learn about the Berkeley’s Bay Festival Apr. 27! Enjoy varied walks and more at the annual Hillside Festival in El Cerrito’s Hillside Natural Area May 4-5.
Celebrate Earth Day, Sat., Apr. 20, in two ways at Berkeley’s Brower Center
From 2-5 PM, Citizens Climate Lobby hosts a FREE Home Electrification Fair at the Brower Center, 2150 Allston, near downtown Berkeley BART. Experts will answer questions about transitioning from gas to electric. Where do I start? Must I upgrade my electrical panel? What are the available financial incentives?
Info and registration at
www.tinyurl.com/electrifyberk
From 7-9 PM, enjoy audience favorites from the 2024 Wild and Scenic Film Festival, the nation’s premier environmental and adventure film festival. These films explore nature, community activism, adventure, conservation, water, energy and climate change, wildlife, environmental justice, agriculture, and more. They offer stellar filmmaking, beautiful cinematography, and first-rate storytelling.
Info and tickets at www.tinyurl.com/wsff24. Get a $5 discount on tickets with code CCLALA.
Remembering Brad Stewart
Berkeley parks and open spaces have lost a valued friend and benefactor with the May 21 sudden passing of Brad Stewart, secretary of the Berkeley Partners for Parks Board and a co-organizer and active leader in West Berkeley’s Schoolhouse Creek Common and Friends of West Street Park. Whether digging weeds and promoting pollinators on the Santa Fe Right of Way, or writing clear and detailed notes and organizing Zoom meetings, Brad was unfailingly cheerful, warm, patient, and generous. He is much mourned and will be greatly missed.