Strawberry Creek
The creek was named for the wild strawberries that once lined its banks. Its headwaters are located above the 34-acre UCB Botanical Garden in Strawberry Canyon. The north and south forks flow together by the Eucalyptus Grove, and throughout its length the creek environments support diverse species of trees and a variety of flora and fauna. A distinctive feature of the UCB landscape, the creek even plays a role in education, with thousands of students taking classes that involve a study of the creek's ecosystem. Once neglected, Strawberry Creek has made an impressive comeback in recent years, in part due to a fish and insect restoration program developed by campus scientists and coordinated by the UCB Office of Environment, Health, and Safety. Shown here is a section of the south fork of the creek.

Grinnell Natural Area
Dedicated in 1969 in honor of the first director of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, professor Joseph Grinnell (1877-1939), the area is home to Monterey pines, redwoods, coast live oaks, and the impressive Eucalyptus grove. Rather friendly fox squirrels also populate the site. The area includes a scenic bicycle path (added in 1998) crossing Strawberry Creek over a footbridge along a dedicated north/south route through the west side of the campus. Pedestrian improvements have also been made for better access to the Grinnell Natural Area pathway.

Eucalyptus Grove
Planted in 1877, the grove is a City of Berkeley Landmark. The trees (Tasmanian blue gum eucalyptus; Eucalyptus globulus) form one of the oldest groves in California. Towering above passersby, with some trees as much as 200 feet high, the grove is the tallest stand of such eucalyptus in the world. They were planted to provide a windbreak for an athletic cinder track that once occupied the neighboring site (now the Life Sciences Addition). The grove is shown here while facing west, as seen from the cross-campus, north/south bicycle path.

Wickson Natural Area
This area was dedicated in 1969 in honor of Edward Wickson, dean of the College of Agriculture from 1906-1912. The area, once the site of the Botanical Garden, features the oldest stand of coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) on campus, dating from around 1870. It also includes a magnificent Chinese ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), planted in 1881, the largest on the West coast. Two bridges cross the north fork of Strawberry Creek in the Wickson Natural Area; the one shown here is just southeast of University ("President's) House, below the bluff adjacent to Hearst Avenue.

Goodspeed Natural Area
Dedicated in 1969, the site comprises the land along Strawberry Creek bordering the north and west edges of the Faculty Glade, very near Berkeley Optometry. The area includes both native and non-native plants. Shown here on the left is one of the passages through the north vegetation, forming an entrance to the glade. A Roman-style arch (donated by the Class of 1910) spans a stepped stone bridge to provide access over the creek. The bridge is listed on the State Historic Resources Inventory. Nearby, there is a beautiful California Buckeye (Aesculus california) planted in 1882, now designated a City of Berkeley Landmark.

Faculty Glade
This scenic glade is enclosed in part by the dense vegetation of Goodspeed Natural Area and Strawberry Creek on the north perimeter. The glade might have once been the site of an Ohlone Native American settlement that harvested fresh water and fish in the bordering Strawberry Creek. As a result of its "bowl" shape, the glade serves on occasion as a natural amphitheater for musical and theatrical performances and graduation ceremonies. This beautiful open space has been designated as a California Registered Landmark. The view shown here is seen from the Men's Faculty Club (immediately north of Berkeley Optometry) while facing west, with part of the Goodspeed Natural Area visible at the extreme right and far distance.

Memorial Glade
This glade serves as a memorial to students, faculty, and staff who served in World War II. It includes the surface above the underground layers of the Gardner stacks in Doe Library. The open space is defined by a large oval lawn with Doe Library at its south edge and the memorial reflecting pool and coast redwoods along the east boundary. A variety of trees populate the area, including a grove of around 90 trident maples (Acer buergerianum) that display beautiful fall colors. Landscaping was completed in 1998. Shown here is the east section of the glade, with the Campanile in the middle distance and Doe Annex at the far right.