Park Stories

Move over, Art in the Parks. It’s time for KART in the Parks—a new project of the Parks Conservancy to bring the family fun of go-kart racing to the Crissy airfield!

In a new podcast, hear from some of the amazing staff and interns working to preserve and restore the Presidio and the Golden Gate National Parks. Then find out how you can add your voice—and volunteer energy—to this chorus of care.

Sure, the newly formed Tamalpais Lands Collaborative (TLC) will play a major role in the long-term stewardship of majestic Mount Tamalpais. But you can make a difference by bringing your own “TLC” to a special hands-on volunteer day, April 26, 2014.

You don’t need a Seussian doctorate to celebrate BioBlitz (March 28–29, 2014)—just a love of learning about all the organisms in our parks! Participate in a species inventory, enjoy the Biodiversity Festival, attend special programs, or volunteer alongside event staff. We’re “counting” on you to make Golden Gate’s BioBlitz the best one yet!

Two weeks before thousands of naturalists and community volunteers perform species inventories in the parks during BioBlitz, a group of high school students will unveil their own hands-on, citizen-science research. Learn how they’re getting “wise” to environmental issues.

Through BioBlitz, you’ll help illuminate biodiversity in the parks. Through this Institute at the Golden Gate event, you’ll understand why it is so important to our community. On March 13, 2014, engage with experts from UC-Berkeley, Free Range Studios, and Green for All.

With our unusually dry winter, you might be wondering what you can do at home to help reduce water usage. Liz Ponzini (Manager of the Tennessee Valley Nursery) shares her expertise, and tips you can use in your own backyard!

Repeated over time, warm and dry winters alter the timing of natural events such as flower blooms, and those changes can produce a ripple effect throughout the food web. Learn more about phenology—the study of seasonal phenomena and how they’re affected by climate change.

Asphalt has its faults. Once an acceptable trail-building material, it poses a threat to ecosystem health in Muir Woods. As part of an ongoing replacement process, the Trail Crew recently installed a new area of boardwalk among the redwoods. Find out where—and why.

A green lawn all year-long? Nowhere near as fascinating or entertaining as the transformation of native plants from one season to the next.

Ravens are among the most fascinating birds to observe here in the Headlands. Their antics are unpredictable, and you never know what these ultra-intelligent “corvids” will be up to next.

Bioblitz (March 28–29) offers the entire community a chance to appreciate the full biodiversity of our parks, all across life’s spectrum. Learn more about this volunteer opportunity to tally species—and take a colorful quiz to test your organism ID skills!