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Nature in the City News
Southeast Shoreline Redevelopment
Commission on the Environment Policy Committee Meeting
The Commission on the Environment Policy Committee is meeting TONIGHT, January 13 at 5 pm. Items 5 and 6 deal with the Candlestick/Hunters Point Shipyard Redevelopment. This is your opportunity to contribute your ideas about this major project.
The agenda is available on the Commission on the Environment's website.
Chances are, if you live in San Francisco, your backyard is full of wildlife. Plant natives this winter and help protect and restore nature in the city by gardening for wildlife!
Have you been wondering where you can purchase local San Francisco native plants? Look no further! Nature in the City and the Haight-Ashbury Neighborhood Council haveentered into a partnership to promote & manage HANC's Native Plant Nursery, located inside the recycling center at Frederick & Arguello!
If you want to help restore habitat as part of the Green Hairstreak Corridor or Mission Greenbelt, visit the nursery!
End of the GGNRA Endangered Species BIG YEAR
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Mission Blue on San Bruno Mountain - Photo by Margo Bors |
The 2008 GGNRA Endangered Species BIG YEAR is officially over - closing ceremonies were held on January 10 at the Crissy Field Center, where winners were announced and awarded their prizes. The winners are:
1st Place: Liam O'Brien/Steve Price (tie)
2nd Place: David Seaborg
Congratulations to the winners and all of the participants of this project! There will not be a BIG YEAR 2009, but you can sign up to be notified of another contest in 2010! The BIG YEAR website will remain active, providing information on all 33 of the park's endangered species.
Back in November, we sent an informative supplement to our regular newsletter with updates of our projects & programs, a list of our 2008 accomplishments, and easy ways to help Nature in the City.
Take another look and donate to Nature in the City today!
Why give to Nature in the City? |
Over the past weekend the Sangati Center, a non-profit space for Indian classical music, and artist Amber Hasselbring (Mission Greenbelt) teamed up to bring you a sidewalk garden of California native plants at 22nd & Shotwell - the Mission Greenbelt Garden for the Birds.
In the garden, you'll find drought-tolerant plants with flowers, seeds, berries and insects that attract birds. Unlike concrete sidewalks, gardens absorb rainwater that is otherwise processed by the city's overburdened water treatment system.
If you weren't able to make the workdays, stop by later, as there will be new collages explaining the garden in the windows of Sangati Center on the southeast corner.
What a fantastic way to kick off the year on Mt. Sutro! The Stewards and over 40 volunteers from One Brick, SF Urban Riders and the neighboring communities expended much energy and contributed another 150+ hours of labor to the Open Space habitat restoration and trail programs.
Read the full update and take a look at pictures from the January 3 workparty!
Check out the recent Sunset Beacon article about Mt. Sutro and the Stewards - Mt. Sutro's Forgotten Trail Discovered.
Last month, Nature in the City organized a meeting with Jared Blumenfeld, Interim RPD General Manager, and several other local environmental organizations including the California Native Plant Society, Golden Gate Audubon Society, Sierra Club, San Francisco Tomorrow, SWALE and San Francisco League of Conservation Voters.
The Natural Areas Program was the subject of course, and many issues are current regarding the functioning and ultimate success of the City’s only natural resources management entity. The public process of environmental review for the Significant Natural Resource Areas Management Plan (SNRAMP) is supposed to begin with scoping meetings in March. We are waiting to see a realistic timeline for the SNRAMP, so that the public can keep RPD and Planning on track. The Trails Program portion of the Neighborhood Parks Bond is moving forward as the Department works on selecting criteria to help prioritize among identified high need trail projects. We are helping RPD with developing appropriate guidelines for how the money should be spent.
We are deeply concerned about the status of some wild private parcels adjacent to the Palou-Phelps Natural Area in Hunter’s Point. A developer wants to create access via City land to build. We need to make sure that RPD and the Planning Department DO NOT let this happen! CALL (415-831-2701) INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER, JARED BLUMENFELD, AND THE RECREATION AND PARK COMMISSION (415-831-2750) AND TELL THEM THAT RECREATION AND PARKS SHOULD AQUIRE THE LOTS NEXT TO PALOU-PHELPS.
We haven’t heard much about the status of the search for a new general manager for Recreation and Parks, which we hope some day will be led by a stellar individual with actual park and natural resources management knowledge and experience.
The City’s budget situation is dismal, so we are holding on to what we’ve got in terms of staffing for the Natural Areas Program. When the outlook improves, we will continue to promulgate the message of how critically understaffed the program is. The location of the Program’s operations is also under threat, and so we are having to advocate strongly for appropriate treatment in how they are housed.
Click for more information about the Natural Areas Program and our efforts.
Lake Merced Natural Area
Wednesday, January 28
The largest coastal lagoon between Point Reyes and Pescadero, Lake Merced is an incomparable natural resource for San Francisco.
Go to the Winter TALKS page for more information.
Join Nature in the City!
Become a member today and get a new map! Check out our last newsletter for 2008, which focused on ecological economics Nature in the City is a project of Earth Island Institute, a 501(c)3 California non profit public benefit corporation. |
Wednesday January 14
Alcatraz Gardens
Presidio Park Stewards
@ Presidio Hills
California Native Plant Society
@ Lake Merced
Presidio Nursery
Thursday January 15
Crissy Field Landscape
Lands End Stewards
Friday January 16
Alcatraz Gardens
Presidio Plant Patrol
@ Lobos Creek
Saturday January 17
Friends of Glen Canyon
Presidio Trail Work
Area A Landscape & Maintenance
Presidio Park Stewards
@ Inspiration Point
Fort Funston
Friends of Shields/Orizaba Rocky Outcrop
Lands End Stewards
Presidio Nursery
Friends of Brooks Park
Sunday January 18
Ocean Beach Cleanup
Bernal Hill Native Grasslands
San Bruno Mountain
For more information, contact info, and directions to natural areas go to the Community Calendar on the Nature in the City website.