2017 Report to the Community

For more than 20 years, Women Helping All People (WHAP)—a family resource center based in Marin City—has been engaged in outdoor education and volunteer programs in the Golden Gate National Parks. And since its founding in 2000, WHAP’s Scholastic Academy has been bringing its young scholars — in K through 8th grade — to the park for Conservancy-led habitat restoration projects and hands-on lessons in ecological stewardship, according to WHAP Director Royce McLemore. While learning the history of the land and contributing to its future, the kids also benefit from fresh air and the opportunity to “forget all the cares of their world.” “They can just be children,” Royce explains.

Many residents of the Bayview and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods of San Francisco have never been in a forest — let alone a national park, according to Francisco Ferrer, a program coordinator for Edgewood Center for Children & Families (a nonprofit that helps youth and their families with mental and behavioral health issues). Five years ago, Edgewood began partnering with the Conservancy, Presidio Trust, and NPS to bring their community to Golden Gate on guided shuttle trips. Since then, hundreds have found comfort, joy, and fun at Crissy Field and other sites. “They pull their pants up, they get in, and they feel the water,” Francisco says. “That’s the magic that takes place.”

For a mom and two daughters busy with school, soccer, and other activities, finding quality time can be challenging. But two years ago, a mother-daughter group introduced Jennifer, Caroline (now in 8th grade), and Cate (7th grade) to the Presidio Native Plant Nursery. They have been avid volunteers ever since — collecting seeds, transplanting plants, pot-washing, and “giving grass haircuts” (Cate’s favorite). They talk, catch up, and learn together the wonders of botany. Jennifer marvels at each seed’s amazing journey, as it grows with loving care into a plant that is finally returned to the wild to flourish and restore the park for many generations to come. It’s a path — and a future — any parent would wish for her child.

As a teen growing up in southeast San Francisco, Ashley was — in her words — “a little different, a little weird.” But she joined I-YEL (Inspiring Young Emerging Leaders) — a youth leadership program at Crissy Field Center, where she found community and discovered self-confidence, a love of the outdoors, and a powerful voice. Now a student at City College, Ashley aspires to a career in education. She’s come back to the “family environment” of the Center as the middle school programs academic intern, leading youth from underserved communities in the City. “We spend a lot of time trying to expose them to not only nature and environmentalism—but to learning about who they are,” Ashley explains.

During a childhood shuffling between shelters, Yoseline found “escape from unhealthy environments” in the outdoors, through a nonprofit called A Home Away From Homelessness. Located next door to Parks Conservancy offices at Fort Mason, that organization introduced Yoseline to nature. But the Conservancy’s LINC (Linking Individuals to their Natural Community) program showed her the value in caring for it. Through LINC, the self-described “really shy” high schooler gained courage, a sense of belonging, and a passion for science. Presently studying at Skyline College, Yoseline is giving back as the Park Stewardship team’s youth programs intern—mentoring the next generation of young leaders.

Not only was Dennis involved with Urban Trailblazers and I-YEL all through middle and high school, he also saw his older brother participate in I-YEL, and his father — a first-grade teacher in San Francisco — take a National Park Service course that applies ranger educational techniques to the classroom. Dennis has seen, first-hand, how Crissy Field Center’s positive influence continues to spread. “I’ve seen a lot of alumni from the programs go out and really be very impactful in their own communities,” he explains. A recent graduate of San Francisco State University with a degree in environmental studies, Dennis is now a project assistant with Park Youth Collaborative, which aims to further amplify the impact of park programs through partnerships.

In summer 2016, shuttles taking patrons from San Francisco libraries to nearby national parks were so popular that staff had to hire additional vehicles. In addition to the guided shuttle tours, collaborative efforts of the Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, and San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) also set up “trailheads” at branch libraries, arranged ranger talks, and themed the library’s summer reading/learning program around the NPS Centennial. “We were just wowed by everything that happened last summer,” says Michelle Jeffers, chief of community programs and partnerships with SFPL. The upshot? The shuttles, along with other programs, are back for 2017 — ready to “wow” even more first-time visitors to the parks.

For young, first-generation immigrants from across the globe, it’s likely difficult to relate to musty forts and dusty tales from 150 years ago. That’s why a new program for 4th graders, called Migratory Story, offers such value, says Kelsi Ju, an NPS ranger and education manager for school programs at Crissy Field Center. In partnership with Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, this program brings kids to Hawk Hill, where they see birds of prey winging their way from Canada to Mexico—and vividly understand why. Recognizing parallels between the birds’ long journey and their own, the kids — most of them visiting a national park for the first time — begin a lifetime of connection with their parks.

A longtime supporter of the Conservancy and our Trails Forever work, Nancy Benjamin has become an energetic community ambassador for One Tam — a collaboration among four public land agencies and the Conservancy to sustain Mt. Tamalpais. Inspired by the urgency of ecological challenges facing the mountain, and the memory of her late husband (with whom she shared many joyous adventures on Mt. Tam), Nancy rallies the community to support partnership programs that protect Mt. Tamalpais ecosystems and educate young people. Time and time again, she is reminded of how much Tam gives us — clean water, recreational bounty, beauty, memories, and much more. “The mountain supports us,” Nancy explains.

For almost 25 years, Siobhan Ruck has been trekking to Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands, 40 to 50 times every year, as a Golden Gate Raptor Observatory volunteer bander. After placing small bands around the legs of birds of prey, GGRO staff and volunteers gain insights into bird behavior and migration when the bands are later spotted or found. By studying hawks, falcons, and eagles over time, over 300 GGRO volunteers contribute to our understanding of raptors — and overall ecosystem health. “Community scientists” like Siobhan take pride in seeing raptors such as the Peregrine Falcon rebound in number. “A lot of us have been transformed into being ambassadors for the birds,” she says.