Tag Archives: urban evolution

Some Snags at Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park

Posted on October 8, 2015 by fromthethicket

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 , , , , , | 2 Comments

zen in golden gate park: the art of nature journaling

Posted on July 18, 2014 by fromthethicket

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 →

Posted in animals, birds, people, plants, science, trees/urban forest, urban ecology, wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 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 →

Posted on July 12, 2014 by fromthethicket | 3 Comments

weeds of golden gate park: nasturtium

Posted on June 26, 2014 by fromthethicket

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 , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Very Old Hospital in Golden Gate Park

Posted on January 7, 2014 by fromthethicket

Here’s an interesting bit of Golden Gate Park history, courtesy of sfcurbed.com. “Tucked in the parking lot of Kezar Stadium is the Park Emergency Hospital. Originally built in 1902 as the first permanent emergency hospital in San Francisco, it’s since … Continue reading →

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coyotes in golden gate park

Posted on August 22, 2011 by fromthethicket

It seems we may be seeing coyotes more frequently in Golden Gate Park, according to this recent column by C.W. Nevius, for SF Gate: ‘Four years ago, the city was in a tizzy over coyotes. It culminated with two of … Continue reading →

Posted in wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

urban evolution right under our noses

Posted on August 4, 2011 by fromthethicket

by Carl Zimmer, New York Times, July 25, 2011 ‘Dr. Munshi-South has joined the ranks of a small but growing number of field biologists who study urban evolution — not the rise and fall of skyscrapers and neighborhoods, but the … Continue reading →

Posted in plants, urban ecology, wildlife | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments