Those who work and live in the Tri-Valley have many reasons to enjoy the area, including sunny days, mild weather, and natural beauty. A less obvious treasure may be the wealth of wildlife, including rare and threatened species, that several organizations are working to protect. One of the largest nesting populations of golden eagles, for example, is located in the Tri-Valley, according to the Tri-Valley Conservancy (TVC). This federally protected species was considered a messenger of the gods by ancient Greeks and Romans. Along with the bald eagle, the golden eagle is revered in many indigenous cultures.

Much to Explore

Much to Explore “Wildlife can be viewed in any East Bay Regional Park, but what kind will differ depending on where you are,” according to Wildlife Biologist Natalie Reeder and Ecologist Tammy Lim, who work in the Stewardship Department of the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD). “You might see thousands of shorebirds and ducks feeding and resting in the waters, mudflats, and marshes of our shoreline parks. You might catch a glimpse of newts on their annual migrations to their breeding ponds in the Oakland hills parks. In the larger and wilder parks like Sunol or Pleasanton Ridge, you might even get lucky enough to spot a mountain lion. Just remember that all wildlife are sensitive to disturbance, and it is not permitted to disturb or collect anything from the park. You should also be aware of your surroundings in case you see a lion or, more likely, walk into a patch of poison oak.”

Tyler Gargiulo, TVC Conservation Program Associate, agrees that patience is needed to see many of the species that live in the area. “There is an abundance of different wildlife to see in the Tri-Valley, from raptors to reptiles to amphibians to mammals to insects,” he says. “The Tri-Valley and surrounding areas can cater to many of your naturalist and wildlife viewing needs. You will need to be patient, observant, and have a little bit of luck to see all the wildlife that the area has to offer.”

EBRPD, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, is home to more than 4,000 species of wildlife. An estimated 80 of them have some level of legal protection as special status species, say Reeder and Lim. “Among many others, our park lands are home to endangered Ridgway’s rails, threatened California red-legged frogs, protected birds like bald and golden eagles, and mammals like coyotes, bobcats, skunks, and deer. Some of these animals, like the threatened Alameda whipsnake, are endemic to the East Bay. That means that they only occur here and nowhere else.”

In daily life, it is often difficult to see individual animals at specific times in particular places. A region-specific website, however, allows users to see a variety of animals from the area. A range of Tri-Valley fauna and flora can be explored in the Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park Check List on iNaturalist.org, a nonprofit that allows people to share images and information about the animals and plants they have seen.

Mammals that have been recorded at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, a part of the district, include squirrels, rabbits, hares, voles, gophers, and skunks. A bobcat, mountain lion, coyote, gray fox, and mule deer have been spotted as well. Snakes, salamanders, lizards, frogs, and toads are also on the list, along with a bevy of birds. They include the great horned owl, acorn woodpecker, American kestrel, red-tailed hawk, yellow-rumped warbler, spotted towhee, and more.

Guardians of Nature

“The East Bay Regional Park District focuses on preserving and managing habitat for the benefit of special status species, and this protection extends to all other species that use the same habitat,” note Reeder and Lim. “Our grazing program maintains open grasslands and ponds, which are known to be incredibly biodiverse. We created and maintain breeding and nesting habitats for threatened and endangered shorebirds.”

Wildlife experts use their knowledge to help protect the species living in the East Bay and Tri-Valley. California ground squirrels are common and easy to spot, compared to many other forms of wildlife. As a result, it can be easy to dismiss the importance of these animals. In fact, they play a key role in Tri-Valley habitats.

“California ground squirrels are sometimes called ‘ecosystem engineers’ because the burrows they build are critical for other species, like the threatened California tiger salamander,” according to Reeder and Lim. “In our drought-prone state, the cool, dark, and often moist underground labyrinths created by ground squirrels allow many species like spiders and other invertebrates, amphibians, and even birds like the western burrowing owl to beat the heat and find a place to rest, feed, or raise their young.”

The Tri-Valley hosts a number of government agencies and nonprofit organizations working to protect the environment. TVC was originally established in 1994 under a different name. This year the nonprofit celebrates 30 years of working to preserve local lands and vulnerable animals. The San Joaquin kit fox, the smallest fox on the continent, is one of the endangered species native to the Tri-Valley area.

“American badgers and Tulle elk, which used to make their home in the Tri-Valley, are beginning to make a comeback thanks to open space protection and habitat management,” according to experts at TVC. “Through continued land protection and habitat management, the San Joaquin kit fox and other threatened and displaced wildlife like it will make a comeback here, too.”

To date, TVC has helped protect 643 acres of habitat through conservation easements, according to Gargiulo. “A conservation easement is a voluntary, legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values. Due to development and habitat loss and fragmentation we have seen a decline in the number of these species. To combat this issue, TVC works with partnering agencies to hold conservation easements to provide threatened species and other wildlife with the protected resources and habitat management they need to survive. These species’ habitats are fragile and slowly disappearing, and the best way to help aid these animals is through conservation.”

The EBRPD, in cooperation with other land management agencies in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, published a first-of-its-kind analysis called NatureCheck: A report on the health of wildlife in the East Bay in April 2022. The district partnered with California State Parks, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Contra Costa Water District, and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to assess the ecological health of 225,000 acres of public land in the East Bay. The conclusions at the time were largely positive.

“Overall, the data shows East Bay wildlife are in fair condition and that most of the species are showing stable trends, including fish, bats, mesocarnivores, such as bobcats and foxes, and pumas. The Network is hopeful that its lands provide habitat corridors and connectivity that support populations of pumas and American badgers, species with large home ranges and low population densities. It is also heartening that although the data does not yet include the last two years of drought, the assessment shows that our native amphibians, including California red-legged frogs and California tiger salamanders, are in good condition.”

There are many ways to enjoy Tri-Valley wildlife as well as support groups committed to its conservation. The East Bay Regional Park District is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a variety of special events and established activities, such as wildflower explorations and a Day by the Water on Saturday, March 23, at the Arroyo Mocho Picnic Area of Livermore’s Del Valle Regional Park. The Tri-Valley Conservancy’s annual Uncorked fundraiser will be held on Thursday, May 16, at the Garré Winery in Livermore.

When it comes to wildlife, there are many Tri-Valley spots to enjoy, according to Gargiulo, from the Los Vaqueros watershed where golden eagles fly and nest to Del Valle Regional Park in September and October, when tarantulas can be seen searching for a mate. One of his favorite places to spot animals is at Livermore’s 847-acre Sycamore Grove Park. “During my visits to this park, I have seen deer, turkeys, bobcats, many kinds of snakes, the western pond turtle, great horned owls, barn owls in their nesting boxes, many types of raptors, and much more,” he notes. “You might even spot a river otter near the Arroyo entrance.”

For more information about the East Bay Regional Park District, please visit www.ebparks.org.

For more information about the district’s 90th anniversary special events, please visit www.ebparks.org/celebrating-90-years.

For more information about the Tri-Valley Conservancy, please visit www.trivalleyconservancy.org.

For more information about the Tri-Valley Conservancy’s Uncorked event, please visit www.trivalleyconservancy.org/events/livermore-valley-uncorked.

To see images of plants and animals found at Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, please visit www.inaturalist.org/places/pleasanton-ridge-regional-park.

For more information about NatureCheck: A report on the health of wildlife in the East Bay, please visit www.ebparks.org/natural-resources/naturecheck.

Photo by Dawn Beattie