Downtown San Francisco, California
Tigers on Market Street
Amidst the bustle of San Francisco’s Market Street, western tiger swallowtail butterflies (Papilio rutulus) have been living a precarious existence since the 1980s, when Market Street was first planted with London plane trees.
From the butterfly’s perspective, Market Street, with its tall buildings lined with trees and nearby sun-filled plazas and parks, resembles its natural habitat: a river canyon with the butterfly’s larval food trees and nectar flowers in nearby meadows. But there is one big problem, nectar plants are scarce in this “canyon.” Thus, the Tigers on Market Street project began to enhance habitat with a particular focus on adding nectar plants. new homes are being developed – homes for the western tiger swallowtail butterfly, that is!
Nature in the City, in partnership with Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MUNI) is entering the next phase of the BART/MUNI Canopy Living Roofs project to create native habitat atop canopy structures over public transportation entrances along Market Street. The canopies will support the Western tiger swallowtail butterfly and other native wildlife whose habitat has been impacted by urban development.
How can you help?
Become a corporate sponsor and support habitat design and implementation. Corporations will have the opportunity to sponsor the project at varying levels. Email info@natureinthecity.org to learn more.
Project Details
Background on Tigers on Market Street project
Western tiger swallowtail butterflies (Papilio rutulus) have been the main butterflies seen on Market Street since the 1980s. They lay their eggs on the London plane trees lining both sides of the street, living a complete life cycle there and in nearby parks.
Where is the Tigers on Market Street project?
The Tigers on Market Street (TOM) project is located along Market Street between Civic Center and the Embarcadero in San Francisco. It also includes Sue Bierman Park at the corner of Washington and Drumm Streets.
Why is the Tigers on Market Street important?
The project, which began in 2013, engages the public in this unique butterfly phenomenon and connects people to wildlife in San Francisco—one of the most densely populated cities in the US. The SF Bay Area is a biodiversity hot-spot, defined as, "... a biogeographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction." With this well-earned reputation, the City is committed to safeguarding the biodiversity of urban species by restoring natural habitats.
When nature thrives, humans thrive! As Richard Louv describes in his concept of “nature deficit disorder”, nature is an essential part of human life. We are biologically hardwired to connect with nature. The TOM project seeks to reestablish this human-nature connection – for the health of the butterfly and other native fauna and flora, as well as for human health. Motivated by large-scale public health problems such as obesity, depression, and pervasive nearsightedness, all associated with time spent indoors, scientists are looking at how nature affects our brains and bodies. Building on advances in neuroscience and psychology, they’ve begun to quantify what once seemed divine and mysterious. Measurements of stress hormones, heart rates, brain waves, and protein markers all indicate that when we spend time in nature, our physiological and psychological health soars.
What is the goal of the Tigers on Market Street project?
The TOM project is part of the City's Better Market Street Project, a multi-million dollar effort to reinvent San Francisco’s civic spine. Nature in the City is advocating for biological diversity and wildlife habitat, as an advisor, advocate, and fundraising partner in the redesign process. Since 2013, we’ve advocated for more habitat, and had ongoing conversations with MUNI, SF Public Works, SF Planning Dept., Building Owners and Managers Association of SF, SF Dept. of the Environment, Yerba Buena Community Benefit District, SFRPD, and with Market Street businesses to further this aim the tigers and other wildlife, including ourselves, will thrive.
As of 2022, we are in partnership with BART and MUNI to install Living Roofs on station canopies on Market Street!
Future plans include field stations at the Embarcadero and Civic Center as entry points to the route with butterfly overlooks, mobile classrooms, living roofs, exhibition stations, and opportunities for community (yes, you!) science projects.
Nature in the City Map Snapshot
Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly in Downtown San Francisco
Address
Market Street
San Francisco, CA