Our Work

Valentine’s Day not exactly your favorite holiday? Just for you incurable curmudgeons—here’s a bouquet of plants with some less-than-romantic names that you certainly won’t be hearing about in any love sonnet.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s a time to show some love for those who have made a positive and lasting impression on our lives. Here in the Golden Gate National Parks, one incredible community stands out—our PARK VOLUNTEERS.

Crissy Field—San Francisco’s beloved front yard and one of the Conservancy’s signature projects—continues to evolve as a visitor destination. As we assess its uses and evaluate maintenance needs, we’d love to hear your ideas on improving this shoreline park.

As you stand in the new parking lot at Muir Beach, you may notice the expanse of tan fabric covering the restored floodplain. What is this strange, straw-looking material? The simple answer is jute fabric—but what exactly is it?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’” On MLK Day of Service in 2014, we hope you’ll be volunteering in our Golden Gate National Parks.

Once a dairy farm, later an Army parade ground, and now an overflow parking area, the “surfer’s lot” at Rodeo Beach is being transformed. Learn more about the project, and some of the plants—grown by the Marin Headlands Nursery—that will help restore wildlife habitat.

We’re thrilled to report that 2013 may have been the most successful year yet for the Institute at the Golden Gate. Look back on a remarkable year of influential reports, national convenings, and impactful pilot programs tackling some of society’s most pressing challenges.

One of the things winter visitors in the Marin Headlands might notice is the abundance of waterfowl at Rodeo Lagoon. Most people brush the birds off as just “ducks,” but a closer look reveals a far more complex avian world.

The year 2013 was an eventful one for the Crissy Field Center. We were able to serve more youth, said goodbye to some dear staff, welcomed new colleagues, celebrated life events, and even had a few special visitors. Hear what our staff had to say about the memorable year.

We sent our somewhat-slothy reporter out on a steep, clifftop trail with a 40-pound Google Trekker. Read on to discover how he felt—and what he learned—while volunteering for this pioneering effort to capture “Street View”-like images of all our park trails.