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A huge thank you to the 50+ fantastic folks who made it out to Point Isabel to grab trash and cheer our local cleanup hero Andy today! Y'all did an absolutely bang-up job - seriously, such piles! - and were such a joy to work with! Very well done! If you'd like to join us at a future cleanup, sign up here and follow me on insta! And if you don't mind getting your political paws dirty with some good old fashioned direct democracy, check out our Point Isabel page to learn more about how we can de-schmutz this marsh! Thanks again everyone, see you at the next one!!!
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 Here's the view from Grizzly Peak. If you can find a better view in the Bay, I'll eat my hat. If you don't think this view deserves an awesome new park, I'll eat yours too! Seriously though, Grizzly Peak's pullouts were built in the 30s. Their anything-goes vibe no longer works. The best way to transform the mountain into a clean and welcoming space for everyone to enjoy is for the East Bay Regional Park District to develop and manage Grizzly Peak's pullouts as a string of world-class parks:
Again, Grizzly Peak's owners have $7 billion in the bank, and the Park District is right across the road. Here's who to reach out to if you'd like to help transform this cultural and environmental asset into an awesome new park for everyone to enjoy. Keep your message short and friendly, tell a story, and don't forget that these folks work for us! UC Berkeley. As shown on this map, Cal owns most of the numbered pullouts and trashed areas to the west of the road. Contacts include the UC Regents, the Office of Sustainability, the Facilities Department and its head, Felix DeLeon ([email protected]), and the Zero Waste Program and its head, Lin King ([email protected]). Oakland and Alameda County. Oakland owns Grizzly Peak Boulevard and approximately 12' off the pavement on either side. Contacts include Janani Ramachandran (Oakland District 4), Oakland Public Works, and OAK311. In addition, Nikki Fortunato Bas represents Alameda County District 5, which includes Grizzly Peak. State and Beyond. Buffy Wicks (State Assembly District 14), Tim Grayson (State Senate District 9), Brent Blackaby, Berkeley District 6 (Grizzly Peak is outside Berkeley's city limits, but his district has strong sway), and Gavin Newsom (Governor). And here's that view again! 
If we can't find the courage to transform Grizzly Peak into a world-class park, the least we can do is compel UC Berkeley to live up to its legal and environmental obligations to keep the site as clean as the rest of its campus. With $7 billion in the bank and a grizzly bear mascot, there is no excuse for the sordid and embarrassing status quo.
As shown on this map, Cal owns most of the land west of Grizzly Peak Boulevard, including the pullouts and most of the trashed areas. At a minimum, here is what the university must do to ensure this property - which it holds in trust for the public to enjoy - is a clean and welcoming space for all: 1. Permanent Trash Cans at Each Pullout. The UC Facilities Manual provides that Cal must ensure a "safe, healthful, and secure environment" (§§ 1.3.1, 1.4), an "environmentally acceptable atmosphere" (§ 1.1.2), and "well-maintained facilities" that "meet the University's requirements" (§§ 1.1.7, 1.1.2). These standards apply with the same force and effect to Grizzly Peak as they do to Sproul Plaza. In addition, Cal's Zero Waste Plan repeatedly stresses that "one of the most effective downstream activities" for capturing litter is the installation of "standardized signage and bins" at "major thoroughways and entrances and exits" (pp. 4, 26). According to the Plan, "Bigbellies are now the standard [trash] receptacle for outdoor locations at UC Berkeley" and should be "strategically placed" in "high-trafficked areas," including "on campus as well as off campus" (pp. 26, 27). In order to meet these legal and environmental obligations, Cal must place and maintain Bigbelly trash, recycling, and compost containers at pullouts 0 through 5 and 7, as well as this pullout, which serves several heavily-used trails. These pullouts see hundreds of visitors every day, and people routinely tell us that the lack of trash cans is the main reason people litter, which is why we place and maintain them in every other park and public space. Cal recently install Bigbellies at this pullout located next to the Lawrence Hall of Science, likely because it is in plain view of the university's museum. All we're asking is that the same standards be extended to the rest of its campus. Go (Grizzly) Bears! 2. Weekly Litter Cleanups. The cleaner a space is, the less permission people feel to trash it. In addition to competent waste containers, weekly litter cleanups are essential to ensuring Grizzly Peak remains a clean and welcoming space for everyone to enjoy. 3. Leave No Trace Signs. Grizzly Peak does not currently feature signs asking people to respect nature and our shared common areas. As with all relationships, if we want specific behaviors we have to use our words. 4. Butt Containers. Cigarette butts are some of the main litter items we pick up. Given the site's shocking fire risk, installing numerous butt containers at each pullout would seem a prudent investment. 5. Seal Dump Sites. For years, a handful of trashy people have taken advantage of Grizzly Peak's remote location and lack of enforcement to use this natural wonder and cultural institution as a free dump. After three hellishly difficult cleanups (see here, here, and here) and an award-losing video, Cal finally cleaned up the main illegal dump site in April of 2025. Unfortunately, as with its insufficient and non-spec portable waste containers, this cleanup is not enough. Unless the pullouts above the dump sites (located here and here) are sealed with railings or logs placed close to the road in a manner that blocks all parking, trashy people will just keep throwing tons of junk down Grizzly Peak's ravines while pocketing their dump fees. Indeed, a tour in December of 2025 demonstrated that all three sites have been heavily re-dumped since. Again, $7 billion in the bank, and a grizzly bear mascot. UC Berkeley must do better. If you'd like to help encourage Cal to live up to its legal and environmental obligations, here's who to reach out to. Keep your message short and friendly, tell a story, and don't forget that these folks work for us! UC Berkeley. As shown on this map, Cal owns most of the numbered pullouts and trashed areas to the west of the road. Contacts include the UC Regents, the Office of Sustainability, the Facilities Department and its head, Felix DeLeon ([email protected]), and the Zero Waste Program and its head, Lin King ([email protected]). Oakland and Alameda County. Oakland owns Grizzly Peak Boulevard and approximately 12' off the pavement on either side. Contacts include Janani Ramachandran (Oakland District 4), Oakland Public Works, and OAK311. In addition, Nikki Fortunato Bas represents Alameda County District 5, which includes Grizzly Peak. State and Beyond. Buffy Wicks (State Assembly District 14), Tim Grayson (State Senate District 9), Brent Blackaby, Berkeley District 6 (Grizzly Peak is outside Berkeley's city limits, but his district has strong sway), and Gavin Newsom (Governor). The Pandas did an absolutely bang-up job cleaning a good chunk of this beach today! We had at least 16 people show up, including Jeremy, Alana, Greg, Mary, Tony, Susan, Cynthia, Mary II, Christina, Jen, Rowena, Sam, and several others who popped in and out. And the weather was absolutely perfect to boot! This is 100% a team effort and none of this would have happened without each and every one of you - you guys did an absolutely fantastic job and busted your Panda chops on some truly filthy trash! I'll probably schedule another cleanup for the weekend of January 10-11 or 17-18, weather and my fickle whims permitting. Keep an eye on this sub and follow my profile for future announcements! Also, if you'd like to donate to support our work, here's my Amazon Wishlist - the grappling hook is for dragging shopping carts, tires, etc. out of chest-deep mud - and my Venmo. Appreciate it! Thank you so much to each and every one of you who made it out - very well done today!!! Call me Panda-mel. Some days ago--never mind how long precisely--having little or no trash in my paws, and nothing particular to interest me in Berkeley, I thought I would pad about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before dumps, and bringing up the rear of every garbage truck I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off--then, I account it high time to get to Point Isabel as soon as I can. This is my substitute for Netflix and chill. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to trashed beaches along with Pandas Davis, Gina, Michelle, Barbara, and Mirabel. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all raccoons in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards oceanic filth with me. - Moby Dick, page 1, "Call me Ishmael." There being no law against Pandas prowling abroad to paw at trash, this incorrigible gang of small furry beasts decided to descend on the Bay! Padding down from our mountain fastness, Pandas Wendy, Barbara, and moi visited this beach in Point Isabel and removed all the trash! Well, most of it. The visible stuff. Holy hell the microplastic - SB 54 and extended producer responsibility can't happen fast enough. Anyway, it's clean - for now - and having enjoyed this lunge at literal littoral litter, I'll probably post other group events in / around the area in the future. Enjoy! Pursuant to our Pandish demands, UC Berkeley finally cleaned up the massive illegal dump site featured in our recent award-losing documentary. Or more accurately, pursuant to our public shaming - that works too! To be clear, the work on this site isn't done. Unless and until the pullout above the ravine is sealed with railings or logs placed close to the road that block all parking, a handful of trashy people will continue to use this natural wonder and cultural institution as a free dump. For Round 14*, the trash pandas were back at the main pullouts, tongs clackin' and bags packin'! We grabbed at least a ton and a half of Grizzly Peak's gross garbage, including most of a car, several creepy shrines, and a doll that made me feel decidedly uncomfortable. We also made a giant elephant trash slug, which is pretty rad. A huge shout-out to today's hard-workin' pandas, including Judith, Zach, Jacob, Scott, Eric, Renee, and the four incredibly hard-working gentlemen whose names my uncooperative brain can't recall - I am incredibly sorry! You guys are absolute rockstars - this team effort never would have happened without you! Also, a huge thanks to the peerless Pengweather for stopping by - great chatting with you today my friend! Another huge shout-out to all the fantastic folks who’ve donated to our Amazon Wishlist, including Mystori with the reflective vests and poppy seeds! Unfortunately Amazon deleted the ability to reorder stuff on a list - if anyone's feeling generous, here's what we need! - Three bags of wild poppy seeds - one of my goals is to reseed trashed areas with native wildflowers as a sort of floral cultural jam. - Five trash tongs - the grabbers break easily and are hard on the panda's paws. - Five lawn and leaf barrels - they make hauling trash bags around way easier, and keep sharp / gross stuff away from our fantastic fur. Thanks so much everyone, very well done!!! *We skipped Round 13 because Grizzly Peak doesn't need any more creepy juju. |
