Saturday, September 21, 2024 offered a beautiful “Second Summer” day as about 40 people gathered to attend the annual meeting of the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association at Live Oak Park. The event followed a well-attended morning Path-a-thon.
Ina Coolbrith: California’s First Poet Laureate
Steve Price: Walking the Walk
Steve Price is the El Cerrito-based author/artist of the digital book Imagining a Walkable America: Visualizing Low-Carbon Cities, Towns, and Neighborhoods, Step by Step. First published in 2020, it’s just been updated with a new introduction and fresh images to reflect the country’s changing transportation landscape.
Charles Keeler: Modeling the Simple Life
Many who wander Berkeley’s paths are familiar with the name and work of Bernard Maybeck (although, surprisingly, there is no Maybeck Path). Fewer know about his friend and colleague Charles Keeler, who was nearly as influential in the prominent Arts and Crafts movement of the early twentieth century.
Elsa Tranter Honored by Berkeley City Council
You might know Elsa from her longtime affiliation with the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association, serving on the board for four two-year terms from 2008 to 2016. She frequently uses both Acacia Walk and Acacia Steps, both of which are near her home, but her current favorite path is Halkin Walk, between Euclid and Hilldale Avenues.
In Memoriam: Steve Glaeser
A picture’s worth a thousand words
John Ewing began recording on-the-ground 360-degree videos of walking and bicycling facilities in the East Bay and uploading them to Google Maps Street View. To date, he’s submitted nearly 100 miles of trails with about 250,000 views. His hope is that, by being able to see the actual appearance of these trails and paths, more people will choose to experience the world around them on foot or by bicycle.
Welcome new board members!
Love Berkeley’s paths? Your donations help make them even better!
Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association is going strong. 2023 was our 25th anniversary year, and we commemorated it in style! In addition to receiving a proclamation from the city council, we led a walk series traversing every path in Berkeley and hosted a celebration (below) at Live Oak Park for all of our friends and supporters.
A poetic path
On October 14, about 20 people gathered at the Berkeley Rose Garden to experience one of our most popular paths in a new way: listening to “graffiti poet” Leslie Reed read some of the 60+ original poems she’s inscribed on the “Running Fence” of Tamalpais Path. Reed has been writing on the redwood fence since 2019, transcribing verse that she channels from a higher source.
Two Davids repair aging El Mirador Path
Walkers awarded “I Walked Every Path in Berkeley in 2023” pins at 25th anniversary celebration
Twenty-two proud walkers completed our Every Path in Berkeley walk series and earned their “I Walked Every Path in Berkeley in 2023” pins. The 6-walk series covered 130 paths and 36 miles! The pins were awarded on August 6 at Live Oak Park, the finish line of the final walk, when the community met to celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary.
City Proclamation Honors BPWA'S 25th
In recognition of 25 years of mapping, constructing, and maintaining the public stairs and pathways, the Berkeley City Council issued a proclamation recognizing the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association’s community volunteer effort.
New handrails for Stevenson Path
Volunteers give Jeronimus Alley a clear coat
Under the leadership of Jeff Anderson, the Jeronimus Alley mural is now complete. “Three protective clear coats were applied, and the mural looks much brighter and fresher now,” says board member Tamara Gurin, who spearheaded the mural project for Berkeley Path Wanderers Association.
Meet Board Member Angus Dunstan
Meet Board Member Patty Callahan
New Handrails on 2 Paths
We are proud to share that — with your donations — Berkeley Path Wanderers Association has purchased and installed new handrails for Acacia and Atlas paths! Atlas Path connects Hill Road and Grizzly Peak Boulevard, and Acacia Steps (pictured above) connects Cragmont Avenue and Spruce Street. Both are steep paths that benefit greatly from handrails.
