Dying Albany Hill eucalyptus trees will get a second life
Free workshops in Albany and El Cerrito will feature live milling demonstrations. You may even get your own lumber.
Albany and El Cerrito will host two free workshops where residents can watch eucalyptus logs from Albany Hill become lumber for community use.
The wood could eventually become city benches, retaining walls, steps and garden boxes. Attendees will also hear from the urban wood recycling company handling the project.
The workshops are part of a joint wildfire resilience project funded by a State Coastal Conservancy grant of up to $850,000 awarded to Albany in late 2025.
Prior to obtaining the grant, the Albany City Council adopted the Albany Hill Forest Management and Habitat Restoration Plan, which calls for phased removal of dead and dying blue gum eucalyptus trees to reduce wildfire risk.
Tree removal will be carried out in stages, with the timing dependent on funding and assessments of site conditions, city spokesman Brennen Brown said.
The city says trees will be inspected for wildlife before removal and that work will avoid trees used by overwintering monarch butterflies.
The grant also funds the planting of 24 trees on Albany Hill to improve monarch habitat.
The four selected species are karri eucalyptus, Canary Island pine, Santa Cruz Island ironwood and California foothill pine, according to the city's restoration plans.
Allyson Aleksey
The logs from removed eucalyptus trees will be turned into lumber by Bay Area Redwood.
The company previously milled eucalyptus logs from Albany Hill in 2022, producing more than 2,000 linear feet of lumber for reuse.
The first workshop is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the El Cerrito Recycling Center, 7501 Schmidt Lane. Attendees should park on Schmidt Lane and walk to the rear staff parking lot, where the milling demonstration will take place.
The second workshop will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 7 on Albany Hill, at the far north end of Taft Street. The first 25 attendees will receive a free cutting board. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
Albany Natural Areas manager Margot Cunningham said attendees will also be able to "take home some lumber after signing a waiver."
Both workshops are free and open to all ages. Registration for the Nov. 7 workshop is available through the Albany city website.
Read more about Albany Hill's eucalyptus on Bay Nature
Guananí Gómez-Van Cortright
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