Park E-ventures Newsletter Archive

Citizen Scientists Root for the 'Sea Hawks'

This coming February marks the first meeting of the Citizen Science Association, to be held in San Jose, Calif., and one of the more interesting and powerful CS concepts is the idea of “outcomes.” How is a citizen volunteer changed by participating in scientific research? The results might be mundane,... more >>

One Cool Cucumber: Marah and its Frightening Fruit

Known by a number of names (including wild cucumber, man root, and big root), Marah fabaceus, or Marah oreganus, isn’t what you would call a soft and fuzzy native plant, or one that might incite “oohs” and “ahhs” as you hike the park trails.

This creeping ground cover, which you’ll find... more >>

“Cat” Café: Quick and Easy Cattail Recipes

You may have seen cattails’ tall green shoots poking out of a wetland, or glimpsed its distinctive brown seed heads while swimming in a lake. But, did you know that they are also highly edible? 

From roots to shoots, different parts of the plant can be ground into flour, sautéed, or... more >>

Growing Gains: Reflections from Two Nursery Youth Interns

Last summer, we were a part of LINC (Linking Individuals to their Natural Communities), an internship with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy that strengthened our personal connections with the natural surroundings. We went around to different parts of the Golden Gate National Parks, such as Alcatraz, Mori Point,... more >>

8 Must-Do's at the New Presidio Officers' Club

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Touted as San Francisco’s most historic building, the Officers’ Club—once a social hub for U.S. Army officers and their families—has roots that go back to the earliest days of Spanish settlement, in the late 18th century.

The Presidio Trust’s October 4–5 reopening celebration culminates a three-year revitalization... more >>

Oh, How We Have Grown

Retiring as director of our Native Plant Nurseries gives me an excuse to think about how far the nurseries have come. When I arrived in the Golden Gate National Parks in 1997, there were already habitat restoration efforts in place—but park plant ecologists were realizing that the need for planting... more >>

Coastal Cleanup Day 2014: Let’s Make Trash Extinct

Whether or not we realize it, we all depend on a healthy ocean. Despite this fact, humans produce one of the greatest threats to our ocean’s health—pollution. What kind of pollution? The California Coastal Commission uses the term “marine debris,” and defines it as any manufactured or processed solid waste... more >>

GGRO at 30: A Bird’s-Eye View of Its Successes

The Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO) is 30 years old this fall (you might even say it’s peeking into middle age). The year 1984 was indeed a long time ago; Ronald Reagan had just been re-elected. George W. Bush was between political campaigns and fully focused on starting small oil... more >>

Trail Tracks: Our Favorite Park Jams

Music and song—like the Golden Gate National Parks—are wrapped around so many of our best memories. We asked park staff to share their favorite songs that evoke the landscape, the spirit, their adventures, and their work across the parklands.

We’d love to hear from you, too! Contribute to our collective soundtrack... more >>

Give Back and Take Four Volunteering Benefits

There’s no doubt about it—giving your volunteer time helps the Golden Gate National Parks in tangible and quantifiable ways. In fact, in 2013, over 35,500 volunteers across the parklands contributed more than half a million hours of work—valued at $11 million!

And while volunteering is a wonderful selfless act that greatly... more >>