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Tag Archives: golden gate park
How tall was John McLaren?
The statue of John McLaren in Golden Gate Park is a little bit shorter than I am (I’m just under 5’7″). Is it life-sized, I wonder? Somehow I always imagined John McLaren as a major physical presence, given the stories about the fear and trembling that he … Continue reading
the bowling lawns in golden gate park
The bowling lawns in Golden Gate Park are vivid green and very flat, a striking backdrop to the traditional white that lawn bowlers wear on tournament days. To me these lawns are beautiful, but they also look almost unreal, more like carpeting than grass. … Continue reading
aquarium’s unexpected virtue: drought tolerance – SFGate
I often wonder about the impact of the current drought on Golden Gate Park. Here’s an uplifting article about the water supply at the aquarium in the California Academy of Sciences. ‘The Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences opened at its new home … Continue reading
butterflies in golden gate park: anise swallowtail
I have been noticing butterflies in the park lately. This Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) was flitting around a patch of yarrow and sticky monkey flower near the reservoir above the falls on Strawberry Hill this past week, while I was busy sketching a … Continue reading
Posted in animals, insects, wildlife
Tagged butterflies, golden gate park, native plants, urban ecology, urban parks, urban wildlife
4 Comments
zen in golden gate park: the art of nature journaling
Recently I spent a week in the Sierras “nature-journaling” with John Muir Laws: http://www.johnmuirlaws.com If you aren’t familiar with Jack Laws, I highly recommend getting to know him. Whenever I’m in the Sierras I depend on The Laws Field Guide … Continue reading
the oldest trees in golden gate park: coastal oak woodlands predate the park
In the north east corner of Golden Gate Park, along Fulton Ave. behind McLaren Lodge and the Conservatory of Flowers, a grove of native coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia) offers a glimpse of what the San Francisco peninsula was like before the … Continue reading
red tailed hawk on strawberry hill in golden gate park
This weekend, on another sketching expedition in Golden Gate Park, I spotted a young red tailed hawk in a tree just at eye level on Strawberry Hill. It paid no attention to me. Barrel-chested and looking mighty puffed-up, with a haughty affect like a brigadier general, it … Continue reading
Posted in animals, birds, wildlife
Tagged birds of golden gate park, golden gate park, nature journaling, urban ecology, urban parks, urban wildlife
4 Comments
Last weekend, on the monthly bird walk in Golden Gate Park (meets at the main gate of the Botanical Garden at 8 a.m. on the first Sunday of every month), my favorite sighting was four ravens lined up sociably on a branch … Continue reading
a timeless grove in golden gate park
How fitting that a grove of redwoods in Golden Gate Park commemorates those who have lost their lives to AIDS. For me, a stroll through these magnificent giants is a spiritual experience whenever I encounter them. Even more than stone circles and … Continue reading
Posted in gardens, plants, trees/urban forest
Tagged AIDS Memorial Grove, golden gate park, urban parks, walk in the park
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weeds of golden gate park: nasturtium
A weed is “a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants.” Nasturtium is my favorite weed, of the many growing in golden gate park. Its gray-green, disk-shaped leaves and bright orange-red-yellow flowers are … Continue reading
Posted in blooming, plants, urban ecology, weeds
Tagged flowers in golden gate park, golden gate park, invasive plants, urban ecology, urban evolution, weeds, wildflowers
7 Comments
golden gate park: views from the thicket 