Park E-ventures Newsletter Archive

Top 10 Movies Made in the Parks

Golden Gate, meet silver screen. With the Oscars coming up (Feb. 24), we’re handing out (figurative) statuettes to the most memorable movie scenes filmed in the Golden Gate National Parks.

We also want to hear from you! “Comment” below and share with us your favorite movies or scenes that feature these... more >>

Layers of Stories in the Headlands

Around 1882, a small boy huddled on a beach south of Sausalito watched his father swim his morning regimen in San Francisco Bay. The man cut through wavelets until he reached a buoy.  Tapping it, he exchanged a “hi” sign with his much-relieved son, and then swam back. 

Poet Robert Frost... more >>

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 >>

Broadwing Bonanza on Hawk Hill

On September 27, 2012, on Hawk Hill, we counted 295 Broad-winged Hawk sightings, 10 times our previous one-day count for that species. We even exceeded our season-total record—248 sightings—in just that one day. Why is this exciting?

Broad-winged Hawks are soaring hawks that nest throughout the eastern broad-leafed forests. They do... more >>

Red-tail, phone home!

This season, the GGRO is able to use brand-new technology to help us track bird movements. On Friday, August 23 we put out a GSM (cell phone) transmitter on a female juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, nicknamed Augusta. This device utilizes a GPS device, similar to a hand-held or car GPS unit,... more >>

Exploding the Myth of the Raptor Peak Week

Throughout the 1980s–90s, the GGRO Peak Week—that is, the seven-day stretch that contained the highest hawk count days of the year—truly happened in a week (or roughly a week). In those not-so-ancient times, we recorded highest count days as early as September 15 (569 sightings in 1987) and as late... more >>

Here Again, Gone Again: Red-necked Phalaropes

By Robyn Smith, GGRO Intern

For many visitors to the Marin Headlands, the main draw to Rodeo Lagoon may be a willow-lined walk to the beach, a picnic by the historic buildings of Fort Cronkhite, or a chance to watch some interesting wildlife.

In August, the east end of Rodeo Lagoon... more >>

Time to Play: Name that Trail!

To build excitement for National Trails Day on June 2, we are putting you to the (trail) test. Flex your brain muscles to identify the park and the trail in the photos below and discover what type of trail aficionado (or not!) you are. (Scroll down... more >>

A Bloomin' Good Time

The Big Show is back. One of the most beautiful natural phenomena in our Golden Gate National Parks, the spring wildflower display generally begins in March and reaches its peak in April and May. This year, however, splashes of color are hitting the landscape-sized... more >>

Breezy Redtails and Their Feather Secrets

“Is that hawk on a leash?!” The absurdity of the question nearly stopped me in my tracks last fall. As an intern and new docent with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, I had heard many of the same questions over and over again. Where... more >>