Whether you’re an art lover or a volunteer with a penchant for planting, these (hopefully wet) winter activities will be sure to whet your appetite. Here’s the need-to-know lineup for January-March 2019.

Alcatraz Island is one of the most unique places to work in the Bay Area, and many Parks Conservancy team members keep coming back year after year. 

Facing the sunrise on a terraced hillside behind the General’s Residence at Fort Mason, Black Point Historic Gardens looks out on San Francisco’s Aquatic Park and the San Francisco Bay. This historic piece of land is just under one acre but manages to connect and open up the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) to the city. 

They’re green. They’re ghoulish. And they’re right here in the Golden Gate National Parks. Because of their name, their look, or their poison, these boo-tanical specimens are fit for a witch’s brew, a Halloween party, or a little shop of horror. Read on, if you dare….

Even Charles Darwin, the preeminent biologist, had trouble defining a species. The more we learn, the harder it gets. Life does not always supply black-and-white categories—which can impact how we conserve and protect the species around us.

Ever sent a postcard of the Golden Gate Bridge to someone? In Crissy Field Center school programs this year, we had the kids send their postcards to us! 

Bats are much more than a spooky and superhero symbol: They’re a seldom-studied species that are important to the overall health of an ecosystem. In Marin County, researchers have recently started studying populations and colonies of the these nocturnal, winged animal.

A new year brings a new start for an extraordinary plant once thought to be extinct. Learn how our Presidio Native Plant Nursery is helping to re-establish the Franciscan manzanita—and its close relative the Raven’s manzanita—in your national park.

California Coastal Cleanup Day 2012 was another tremendous success because of the amazing effort and enthusiasm of our community volunteers, as well as the leadership of our site captains and generosity of our sponsors. THANK YOU!

In San Francisco alone, 3,500 volunteers collected over 10,000 pounds of debris—from our shorelines,…

In this article, we’ll get you set up with some tips to explore Alcatraz like a seasoned park ranger. Visit for those views, for the lush gardens, and the history that ties into present-day social justice movements. Here are some of our insider tips.