Mortar and Grotto Rock Parks

Berkeley's Mortar Rock Park is named for the many hollows worn by Native American women pounding acorns and other seeds. The small park, with magnificent bay and buckeye trees, was little used, overrun by ivy that hid broken glass and smelly dog poop. Beginning in 2007, Friends of Five Creeks volunteers rolled up and hacked out the choking ivy, planted natives, and installed an interpretive sign.

At nearby Grotto Rock Park, with magnificent sunset views, volunteers did heavy-duty invasives removal and built safe new trails and steps. Volunteers from UC Berkeley moved 10 tons of decomposed granite in one day to make a new path!

Click here for our two-minute March 2022 slide show, "Mortar Rock Park: Urban Nature in a Nutshell.

Scroll down for a two-minute slide show of our work in Mortar and Grotto Rock Parks: