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Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve is a
regional park A regional park is an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreational use or other reason, and under the administration of a form of local government.
Definition
A regional park can be a special park distri ...
and
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
in the
Oakland Hills
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
, in the eastern
East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties ...
region of the
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
of
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. It is within
Alameda
An alameda is a Avenue (landscape), street or path lined with trees () and may refer to:
Places Canada
*Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan
**Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan
Chile
...
and
Contra Costa Counties.
[EBRPD-huckleberry "Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve." East Bay Regional Parks District](_blank)
Accessed November 1, 2011 It is a park within the
East Bay Regional Parks District
The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is a special district operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California, within the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area. It maintains and operates a system of regional parks which ...
system.
The Preserve is named after the
California Huckleberry (''Vaccinium ovatum'') which grows abundantly within its
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
.
Geography
The Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve is on the crest of the Oakland Hills, located above
Oakland
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
and
Orinda. It represents a relic plant association found only in certain areas along the coastal climate region of California, where specific soil and climatic conditions still exist.
It is a very diverse botanical area for
native plant
In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equ ...
s of the
mixed evergreen forest and
montane chaparral and woodlands ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...
s and
plant communities
A plant community is a collection or association of plant species within a designated geographical unit, which forms a relatively uniform patch, distinguishable from neighboring patches of different vegetation types. The components of each plant co ...
. Trails connect the preserve with
Robert Sibley Volcanic Preserve
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, hono ...
on the north, and
Redwood Regional Park
Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park (formerly known as Redwood Regional Park) is a part of the East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is located in the hills east of Oakland, California, Oakland. The park ...
on the south.
["Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve." Oakland Wiki.](_blank)
Accessed September 1, 2017.
The Huckleberry Trail is a self-guided nature path that loops through the Preserve.
Besides the California Huckleberry, other plants include the
Golden chinquapin (''Chrysolepis chrysophylla''),
western leatherwood,
Douglas iris
''Iris douglasiana'', the Douglas iris, is a common wildflower of the coastal regions of Northern and Central California and southern Oregon in the United States. It grows mainly at lower elevations, below , though it is occasionally found at hei ...
,
wood fern and
western sword fern. Trees include
California Bay
''Umbellularia californica'' is a large hardwood tree native to coastal forests and the Sierra foothills of California, and to coastal forests extending into Oregon. It is endemic to the California Floristic Province. It is the sole species in th ...
(''Umbellularia californica''),
Coast live oak
''Quercus agrifolia'', the California live oak, or coast live oak, is a highly variable, often evergreen oak tree, a type of live oak, native to the California Floristic Province. It may be shrubby, depending on age and growing location, but is ...
(''Quercus agrifolia''),
pallid manzanita, brittleleaf manzanita, and
California hazelnut.
Visitation
The park is open year-round, between 5:00 AM and 10:00 PM daily, unless otherwise posted. No dogs are permitted in the park because of the sensitive plant habitat. There are no reservable campgrounds or picnic sites. Parking is free.
See also
*
California mixed evergreen forest
:
California mixed evergreen forest is a plant community found in the mountain ranges of California and southwestern Oregon.
The Mixed evergreen forest plant community is native to the Northern and Southern California Coast Ranges and Sierra Nev ...
*
List of California native plants
California native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century. California includes parts of at least three phytochoria. The largest is the California Floristic ...
*''
Vaccinium ovatum
''Vaccinium ovatum'' is a North American species of flowering shrub known by the common names evergreen huckleberry, winter huckleberry, cynamoka berry and California huckleberry.
Distribution and ecology
''Vaccinium ovatum'' is a small to medium ...
''
References
External links
Official Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve website
East Bay Regional Park District
Berkeley Hills
Parks in Alameda County, California
Parks in Contra Costa County, California
Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area
Botanical gardens in California
Parks in the San Francisco Bay Area
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