Our Work

The federal government shutdown also shuttered our park volunteer programs. Learn how many hours of stewardship we unfortunately lost—and how you can now help us get back on track, with a big planting season just around the corner!

Along with preparing plants for the busy winter planting season, nursery staff members are also keeping their eyes peeled for a signature seed of the season: acorns! Vital to our restoration efforts in the parks, they’re also important to the indigenous Ohlone tribes of the area.

As a nature lover hiking through the Marin Headlands, you might be able to quickly identify a couple of raptors flying overhead. At first glance, you also might discern their relative sizes. But what does that tell you about the sex of the raptors?

Have you been met by chain-link fences while wandering the trails that lead to the Golden Gate Bridge? Curious about what is happening behind the fence? Discover how the Presidio Bluffs remediation project aims to create a healthier ecosystem.

Every summer, Park Stewardship welcomes youth interns who help organize and energize volunteer and visitor programs. They also researched and wrote about the parks’ history and resources. Read on for a fresh look at the history of Sutro Heights.

The Golden Gate National Parks have been selected for the next BioBlitz, an opportunity for the public to participate in documenting the parks’ amazing biodiversity. Mark your calendars for two days of fun, exploration, and science on March 28–29, 2014!

Crissy Field Center often works with schools and individual students—but did you know that we also work with community organizations? Our Community Group Programs lead programs and trainings throughout the year, all over the park. Learn how you can get involved!

You may have heard about the incredible restoration effort going on at Mountain Lake in the Presidio, but did you know that this project also entails learning about and growing mysterious (and slightly stinky) submerged aquatic plants? Plunge in for a soggy adventure.

Do parks have a role in educating us about the local impacts of climate change? Would you listen? This November, the Institute at the Golden Gate’s will convene Parks: The New Climate Classroom to contribute to the growing movement for meaningful, practical, and local climate change education and communication in parks and communities nationwide.

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and see how the Golden Gate Trail Crew—alongside teams of dedicated youth volunteers—restored a portion of the Tennessee Valley Trail. Learn about the wonderful properties of a favorite trail feature: the box step.