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urban legend: the ghost in the park
Stories about ghosts seem to haunt public parks. In Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, La Llorona (The Weeping Woman) is said to wander through the ancient forest, exiled from heaven and eternally weeping for her drowned children and her lover. In Central … Continue reading
Posted in "lost" golden gate park, legends, people
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benches in the park for hugging?
The following editorial, quoted by Raymond Clary in The Making of Golden Gate Park, The Early Years: 1865-1906 (p. 39) is from The San Francisco WASP April 30, 1881. Goodness gracious! “The law-abiding people of this community were startled a few days … Continue reading
quail in golden gate park
According to the Golden Gate Audubon Society web page: “The haunting call of the California Quail, the California State bird, is now rarely heard in Golden Gate Park. Historically, San Francisco’s streams and coastal scrub vegetation provided the food, cover, … Continue reading
horses and the founding of golden gate park
A horse actually played a key role in the founding of Golden Gate Park. The story goes like this: In the early 1870s, faced with the daunting task of establishing a vegetative cover on the sand dunes that had been … Continue reading
horse stable to open in central park
The following excerpt is from a recent article in the New York Times: ‘Central Park is laced with bridle paths and dotted with pastures, and its plants were once fertilized with manure. But though carriage horses trot through it, police … Continue reading
chicken point: a long-forgotten story involving chickens and coyotes
In The Making of Golden Gate Park: The Early Years, 1865 – 1906, Raymond Clary recounted some fascinating anecdotes from the early history of Golden Gate Park. Many of them have long been forgotten. One story that caught my eye … Continue reading
Posted in "lost" golden gate park, history, people
Tagged golden gate park, golden gate park history, lost golden gate park
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perils of the park: man beaten in early morning attack
Lately there have been reports of some violent incidents in Golden Gate Park, fueling official discussions about possibly restricting use of the park at night. This echoes for me a long journalistic tradition, commencing in the nineteenth century, focusing on … Continue reading
Posted in "lost" golden gate park, events in Golden Gate Park, health and safety, people
Tagged golden gate park, safety, urban parks
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urban ecology: how native ants are faring in golden gate park
Have you been worrying about the health and safety of native ants in Golden Gate Park? I recently realized that maybe I should be paying more attention to these small creatures. This epiphany occurred after I read a scientific paper published … Continue reading
the vigor of weeds: got to admire them!
Working at the San Francisco Botanical Garden nursery, repotting native plants for the past few weeks in preparation for the annual plant sale, I’ve noticed a miniature battle going on in the pots. It’s actually the same battle that goes on … Continue reading
Posted in plants, san francisco botanical garden, urban ecology
Tagged golden gate park, invasive plants, native plants, urban parks
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great horned owl chicks wow birdwatchers
The following is excerpted from an article by Katie Worth in the San Francisco Examiner (4-9-11): “In the mottled light behind the trunk of a pine tree, four poofs with eyes huddle together. And they’re watching. Those poofs are in … Continue reading
Posted in urban ecology, wildlife
Tagged golden gate park, nature photography, urban wildlife, wildlife photography
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golden gate park: views from the thicket 