News
Bevy of Blues Emerges in a Breeding Frenzy
LA Times
Hidden by the darkness of a half-moon sky, nine students and their biologist mentor waded through waist-high brush one night last week, hunting for yellow-flowering deer weed to shelter one of the rarest butterflies in America.
One student hugged a big, red cylindrical cooler. "I come bearing endangered species," she said.
Read the full LA Times article from March 18.
Last Child in the Woods: 2nd Edition
April marks the release of the second edition of "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder," by Richard Louv. This revised edition has been updated and expanded to include a "Field Guide" with 100 practical actions you can take; 35 discussion points for book groups, classrooms, and communities; new and updated research from the U.S. and abroad; and a progress report on the movement. Visit Richard's website to learn more about the book.
Mission Greenbelt Update
fom Amber Hasslebring
The Mission Greenbelt Project is a proposed urban earthwork that invites San Francisco residents to build a connected corridor of native plant sidewalk gardens along a selected route in the Mission District. Sidewalk gardens will meander through Mission District communities, connecting Dolores Park to Mission Playground/Pool and Alioto Park to the garden at John O'Connell High School and to Franklin Square Park.
Phase 1: Mission Greenbelt Public Awareness Campaign
With support and enthusiasm from the people of San Francisco, I was able to transform the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery into Mission Greenbelt Campaign Headquarters.
During November/December 2007, Gallery Headquarters hosted an exhibition and a series of public outreach events. We were also granted permission to install a temporary native plant garden on the Civic Center lawn.
Phase 2: Mission Greenbelt Planning & Design
This phase of the project has just begun, and there are many exciting possibilities, including:
• A possible partnership with Livable City to redesign the gardens at the entrance of Dolores Park at 19th & Dolores.
• A future collaboration with CityApartments to design and build a sidewalk garden at 20th & Capp.
Phase 3: Building Mission Greenbelt Gardens
Mission Playground/Pool Staff, Nature in the City, Supervisor Bevan Dufty, Department of Public Works and Sunset Scavenger.
Five-part collage installed in the windows of BRAVA Theater along 24th at York, through April 10.
Earthday Posters & Postcards Are In!
The new McLaren Park Earth Day Posters and Postcards are hot off the press! Go to the Earth Day page at www.natureinthecity.org and print one off, or check out a local cafe or community center to see if they have one up already!
Don't miss this year's Earth Day at McLaren Park, April 20th with Nature in the City and all our friends!
Support Volunteer Restoration of Lagunitas Watershed
Please send an email letter to support SB 1345 to allow non-profits to use volunteers.
Senator Migden is supporting the bill and would like to hear from constituents so she can communicate the public response to the other committee members.
The bill at issue, SB 1345, would amend an existing bill to allow non-profits to use volunteers for projects like watershed restoration. (An existing law that allowed this is set to expire this year.) SB 1345 is currently stalled in the Senate Labor Committee; there will be a re-vote on April 9. Read more about the bill from this SF Gate article.
Please contact Senator Migden by email, by visiting or call her office at (415) 479-6612.
You can be as brief as saying that you write to urge passage of SB 1345 to allow non-profits to use volunteers on projects like watershed restoration.
On March 12, a crew of natural resource managers attended Weeds Awareness Day at the Capitol, the fifth year of the event. Thanks to those of you who were able to make the time to come! Some highlights:
- teams of three were able to visit the offices of all 120 legislators, and found broad recognition of the weed problem and of the importance of funding for the Weed Management Area program. So far, funding for WMAs remains in the budget. If you haven't done so yet, please send a support letter from your organization.
- associations of County Agricultural Commissioners and of local Resource Conservation Districts presented their ongoing dedication to collaborative weed management efforts through WMAs.
- wildlife advocates presented opportunities for conservation organizations to play a powerful role in the future through climate change measures instigated by AB 32.
- departments of Resources and Food & Agriculture are working with the Governor's office on a plan to create an invasive species council to strengthen interagency coordination.
Volunteer Opportunities
Wednesday April 2Presidio Park Stewards @ Battery Crosby
California Native Plant Society
Presidio Nursery
Thursday April 3
Crissy Field Landscape
Lands End Stewards
Friday April 4
Presidio Plant Patrol @ Mountain Lake
Saturday April 5
Mt. Sutro Stewards
Buena Vista Restoration
Friends of Mt. Davidson
Presidio Park Stewards @ Lobos Creek
Fort Funston
Friends of Lake Merced
Lands End Stewards
Presidio Nursery
San Bruno Mountain- Brisbane Acres
For more information, contact info, and directions to natural areas go to the Community Calendar on the Nature in the City website.
More Eco News and Events
ACT locally, ADVOCATE globally
Water Recycling Efforts Spark Policy Debate in California
PBS
In water-strapped southern California local authorities are exploring new approaches to water usage, launching new programs that send highly treated wastewater back into the groundwater supply to serve as drinking water.
Read the full transcript at PBS.org
One More Reason to Ride the Bus
Treehugger
Bus-riding is for lovers. So proved Amanda Hodson and Brendan Miles, who were both taking the bus one fateful day in Calgary about five years ago. Amanda, who got on first, was riding with her friends when they bet her $40 to kiss the next person who hopped aboard. That person was Brendan, and she won the bet.
"I walked on the bus, she walked up to me and all of a sudden she was kissing me," Brendan said. "And I just said, 'this is great!', and so I kissed her back." She offered some of her winnings to take him to coffee, which led to more dates and, finally, a wedding last week. Of course, their wedding pictures were taken in a bus. Just something to keep in mind the next time you consider climbing behind the wheel (alone) of your car.
Angel Island Bike Tour
Sunday, April 6
10:30 a.m.
Ferry at Pier 41 (The Embarcadero at Powell Street)
Native Spaces Director Casey Allen leads a free tour of Angel island , but make sure to bring ferry fare, $15. Mr. Allen and other NS directors will ride an easy loop around the island's perimeter road surveying native plants and talking about their use at home and in the built environment. Bring lunch for midday at the beach. Contact, Casey at sflandscapes@yhaoo.com for more information.
