Park Stories

For hundreds of thousands of years, the coastal bluffs at Fort Funston have faced off against the Pacific Ocean, prevailing winds cleaving off inches of sandstone each winter. And each spring, hundreds of Bank Swallows (five-inch, globe-trotting bug-traps with wings) return to these cliffs to carve out nesting holes.

In April 2012, the Institute at the Golden Gate and Golden Gate National Parks will welcome the third National Parks Institute (NPI) Executive Leadership Seminar to Cavallo Point Lodge at Fort Baker. Park leaders from across the globe will come together to learn and share business management best practices to bring home to their parks.

The Spring Equinox is almost upon us and it’s the time of year when we all wait for the rains to get the wildflower show started. At the Redwood Creek Nursery, though, we are collecting something a little different this year.

For 15 years (as of April 2012), students at Oceana High School have been growing plants on campus for restoration projects in the parks. See what they have accomplished at this sixth Parks Conservancy native plant nursery—and learn how they took the initiative to expand their green oasis.

2012 marks a decade of Trails Forever—a tremendously successful initiative to improve trails and habitats across the Golden Gate National Parks. Take a walk down memory lane and check out images capturing our favorite Trails Forever moments.

A dry and relatively warm winter means the wildflowers are popping early this year (2012)! In March, the parks start unfolding their spectacular spectrum of color. Read on for our park botanists’ favorite petal-peeping spots.

Want your middle school student to get a job this summer? Consider applying for Urban Trail Blazers, Crissy Field Center’s paid internship program for middle schoolers. Interns will explore their national park, complete various art projects, and have fun this summer—all while getting paid!

Balancing precariously on the strong March winds, stilling Red-tailed Hawks are easy to spot in the Marin Headlands. But what’s the driving force behind this aerial feat? What adaptations do these majestic raptors rely upon to perch in the sky?

We recently caught up with some of the environmental leaders who participated in a Google Earth Outreach training workshop last year at the Institute at the Golden Gate. Read on to see how they are using mapping technology. Also, learn details about the next workshop!

Shamrocks are one of the quintessential symbols of the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, but have you ever wondered how these cute green icons compare to plants we see in the wild, here in the Golden Gate National Parks?

The seasonal game of hide and go seek has begun! It’s time for a favorite wintertime activity: mushroom hunting! With the late rains, we’ll be seeing mushrooms popping up later than usual in our parks. Let’s get started!

The National Park Service Trail Crew and Interns have built a new boardwalk at the entrance of Muir Woods National Monument. Get the inside story on how this magnificent new way into the woods was completed.