. >> reporter: glen scheider has never been afraid to get his hands dirty. the nurturing began years ago on this section of skyline trail. >> when my oldest daughter was 11, we got an idea, let's see if we can hike in one day from our house in berkeley to grandma and grandpa's house over in martinez. >> reporter: they did it. it took 14.5 hours. but they did it all on public land. at the same time, glen was shocked by what surrounded them. >> the trail on both sides was thistles up to your knees. >> reporter: so he started clearing little bits of the trail himself. 25 years later he has a skyline gardens group of volunteers to bring back native plants. >> you also bring back the mix of butterflies, bees, birds, small animals and everything. >> reporter: you can see from the views why protecting this area is so important to glen. he says that on a clear day, you can see to the sierra. east bay m.u.d. which owns the land as part of its watershed is one agency helping fund the group. cynthia attkisson is now a volunteer after retiring from the water company. >>