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Tag Archives: urban ecology
S.F. breaking ground on wastewater recycling plant
The sprawling lawns of Golden Gate Park and two major San Francisco golf courses are very thirsty places, and in the coming years, recycled wastewater will satisfy that thirst, thanks to a new treatment plant being built by the city’s … Continue reading
Posted in infrastructure
Tagged drought, golden gate park, irrigation, urban ecology, urban parks, waste water reuse
1 Comment
Solar Eclipse 2017: Life Responds | California Academy of Sciences
In case the clouds part and you want to experience the eclipse in Golden Gate Park, here’s a citizen science project that you can participate in, thanks to the California Academy of Science: “The next solar eclipse is crossing the … Continue reading
Getting To Know The Great Horned Owls Of Golden Gate Park | Hoodline
A great article about Great Horned Owls in Golden Gate Park: Living near Golden Gate Park means getting used to nocturnal wildlife encounters, whether it’s raccoons, skunks or the occasional coyote. But there’s another neighborhood animal that’s more often heard than seen: … Continue reading
Posted in animals, birds, urban ecology, wildlife
Tagged birds of golden gate park, great horned owl, urban ecology, urban wildlife
2 Comments
Some Snags at Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park
As both an artist and a naturalist I’m drawn to the dead trees on the islands in Stow Lake. Their skeletal remains stand out dramatically against the sky and they exemplify the natural life cycles in the park. Heavy with ivy, nasturtium and other creeping … Continue reading
Posted in animals, arts, birds, insects, plants, trees/urban forest, urban ecology, wildlife
Tagged art in golden gate park, golden gate park, urban ecology, urban evolution, urban forest, urban wildlife
2 Comments
blackbird attacks pedestrians in Golden Gate Park
A fairly common bird in Golden Gate Park, the Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) is easily recognizable by it’s bright yellow eyes and blue-black plumage. The iridescent blue-green sheen of the male is gorgeous in the sunlight, belying the dull-sounding “blackbird.” Often lined … 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
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
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 