Park E-ventures Newsletter Archive

A Hawkwatcher’s View of the New Hawk Hill

I wrote an earlier article on the background of the Hawk Hill restoration issue and its ecological intricacies (December 2011 Park E-ventures article), but here I wanted to address the big question that I heard only a few hundred times this autumn: what happened to the hawks as a... more >>

Getting Out While Powering Up

When addressing technology in education, schools have been striving to keep up with the changing world and their students. Pencil sharpeners and black boards have been joined by newer devices like computers and digital scanners. It is apparent from this trend that as technologies are increasing in their applicability, society... more >>

Setting the Table for the New Year

As we enter the New Year, we look ahead to what’s next for the Institute at the Golden Gate. With a newly approved action plan and launch deadlines quickly approaching, we are excited to jump feet first into our program work.

Parks and Public Health
Since 2009 the Institute at the... more >>

Family Dinner: Holiday Foods' Park Relatives

At your next holiday feast, impress friends and family with some fresh knowledge. Read on to learn the origins of popular holiday foods and discover their closest relatives, found in our parks. Please don’t forage for these items (quite a few are inedible)—but fill your plate with some food for... more >>

Holly-daze: A Case of Mistaken Identity

Did Christmas come early this year? Well, if you are out hiking in our parks this month it may seem like it.

Heteromeles arbutifolia—otherwise known as Christmas berry or toyon—is in full glory right now. With its brilliant display of bright red berries and leathery serrated leafs, it can often get... more >>

My Friend, the Turkey Vulture

It has been said vultures are cleansers of the environment, or that they are symbols of motherhood for their ability to make life from death. But I say that Turkey Vultures are, above all else, loyal. They are the truest friend, at least to other vultures, because being a Turkey... more >>

Intern Spotlight: Kaitlin De Blanc

After completing her first-year term with us, Kaitlin came back for a second.

Before joining the team in 2011, Kaitlin was finishing up her two degrees in Environmental Studies and French. She was interested in the internship because of its relation to Environmental Studies but she accepted it because it also... more >>

Don't Tip the Scales: Hike a Park Trail

Do you feel heavy, like the whipping cream used to top off the pumpkin pie? Do you feel slow, like the lethargy created by a tryptophan overdose? Do you find that your sweatpants go with everything, like when you’ve grown tired of your wardrobe and nothing will do?

If you answered... more >>

Critical Mast: The Boom and Bust of Acorns

Oak trees stand huge in our landscapes. At Oakwood Valley I walk under the unofficially named “Grandmother Tree.” If you have walked in the valley you know what I’m talking about. Oak trees are the foundation of the ecosystem they are found in, providing food and shelter for many species.... more >>

Where Do We Go From Here?

As the Institute enters its fifth year, staff members are poised to emerge from the initial start-up phase—ready to build on early successes and launch into a broader range of programmed activities to affect change.

Recently, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Board of Trustees reviewed an “action plan” for the... more >>