Conservation Groups San Francisco

Mountain Bike Downhill Run in Wildcat Canyon’s Designated Natural Area?

Join John Taylor IN PERSON to learn about the East Bay Regional Park District’s plan to construct a mountain bike downhill run within the designated Natural Area of Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. **PLEASE NOTE:** This month's meeting takes place in person in Orinda and won't be livestreamed or recorded. The East Bay Regional Park District has set in motion a plan to construct a mountain bike downhill run within the designated Natural Area of Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. Dr. John Taylor will illustrate the issues that would result from placing a high-intensity recreational facility in the park's natural area. CNPS East Bay Chapter Conservation Committee Chair Jim Hanson will describe simple ways you can comment on the location of this recreational facility as well as the East Bay Regional Park District's "21st Century District Plan." **John Taylor** is a professor at UC Berkeley in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology. Visit his Google Scholar page to access his publications. **Jim Hanson** is chair of the CNPS East Bay Chapter's Conservation Committee. He formerly managed large restoration projects as a landscape architect and served as statewide conservation chair for the California Native Grasslands Association. He has hiked the hills of the East Bay since he was a child. *CNPS East Bay Chapter meetings are free of charge and open to everyone. We provide light refreshments at our in-person meetings. Email programs@ebcnps.org if you have questions.* **MEETING LOCATION** Garden Room, Orinda Public Library [26 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA 94563](https://goo.gl/maps/Dkt9vsjPdiLpYzjk6) The Garden Room is on the second floor of the building, accessible by stairs or an elevator. **Transporation** 4 blocks from the Orinda BART station Plenty of free parking in the immediate vicinity of the meeting venue

Adah's Stairway Community Volunteer Workday

Join this months rescheduled workday on Saturday June 20th, from 10am to Noon and help us take care of the garden at Adah's Stairway in the Haight. Adah's Stairway is a community partnership: a public stairway, garden, and bird/wildlife habitat located in the Buena Vista Park and Haight Ashbury neighborhoods. Nature in the City is working with local residents to enhance the wildlife potential for this park-– once a forgotten place, which had become blighted by illegal dumping and graffiti, is now a tribute to local walking guru Adah Bakalinsky, author of the Stairway Walks in San Francisco. What's more, our work here will create a bird sanctuary for resident and migrating birds designed with the Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) in mind. Cedar Waxwings are gorgeous birds that pass through San Francisco during spring and fall feeding on berries and fruits along the Pacific Flyway migration route. If you'd like to learn more, please check out our website: [https://natureinthecity.org/adahs](https://natureinthecity.org/adahs) Please bring your own gloves & gardening bucket if you have them. We will provide them if you need! Dress in clothes that can get dirty: long pants, close-toe shoes, and layers for changing weather. Bring your own sun protection and reusable water bottle. We encourage you to sign our Volunteer Waiver ahead of time by visiting the following link: [natureinthecity.org/waiver](natureinthecity.org/waiver) \*\*\*Note\*\*\* There is no public restroom in the garden. Please plan accordingly.

Hike: Elk Creek Conservation Area

Hi group, Sharing a great hike route I came across: 🥾 Elk Creek Conservation Area 📏 3 mi ⏱ ~1 h 17 min I'd love to organise a self-hosted meet to do this hike together on Saturday, June 6. No commercial host, just members of the group meeting up to enjoy the route. Bring water, weather-appropriate gear, and the route loaded on your komoot app: https://www.komoot.com/smarttour/e1356812164/elk-creek-conservation-area Looking forward to it!

Native Plant Nursery Workday

Join the Backyard Nursery Network on the ***fourth Saturday of every month*** and assist us in transplanting, pruning, weeding, seed sowing, and general upkeep of our nursery at McAteer Farm on the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts campus. Nature in the City started the Backyard Nursery Network to preserve native plants like coast buckwheat, seaside daisy, and deer weed as they provide habitat for local species. Growing these plants from resilient native seed genetics ensures the survival of both the endangered plants and our local butterflies, bees, birds, and other wildlife. Most of these plants are going to the Green Hairstreak Corridor planting projects in the Inner Sunset. The workday tasks vary from month to month, but be ready to get your hands dirty! **Getting to the nursery:** * Parking is available in the parking lot off of O'Shaughnessy Blvd. * MUNI lines 44, 48, 52, and 36 all have close-by stops * **From the O'Shaughnessy Blvd. gate:** * Walk along the road * Enter the lower parking lot and find a staircase on the far left side of the parking lot that leads to the track * The nursery is on the far side of the track behind the bleachers. You can find out more about our organization and the Green Hairstreak project here: https://natureinthecity.org/

HAbitat restoration at McLaren Park- Mansell-Vistacion Lookout

**It's May for McLaren (Park)! McLaren Park is San Francisco's second largest park and is treasured for the biodiversity that remains intact here.** Our May habitat restoration workdays with SF Rec & Park will all focus on this amazing place where we'll contribute to conserving this biodiversity! As usual. please wear closed-toed shoes and dress in appropriate clothing for physical work. Everyone 14 years old and older is invited; anyone under 14 yo must be accompanied by a guardian. Tools and gloves will be provided. Please be punctual. This week's location is: **McLaren Park: Mansell-Vistacion Overlook** [Map:,](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ACVbKi2qdS4E8WVN6) Meet the parking lot at the corner of Mansell St & Visitacion Ave. San Francisco, CA 94134 Please sign up [here](https://sfrpd.my.salesforce-sites.com/SFRPDJob?sShiftId=a09Pi000008ixhJ) with SF Rec & Park. Meet at the parking lot at the intersection of Visitacion Ave & Mansell St. For more information, Contact Cathy Lewis at (415) 297-5170 or [cathyYerbaBuena@gmail.com](mailto:cathyYerbaBuena@gmail.com)

Republican Club of San Francisco Presents Trevor Loudon, Marxist Hunter

Foraging Wild Sea Urchin (Uni) to Restore Balance

**\*\*Register [here](https://forms.gle/khFPU5JZiwGxfKi5A), NOT on Meetup:** [https://www.forkinthepath.org/schedule](https://www.forkinthepath.org/schedule)[**](https://www.forkinthepath.org/schedule**) Save Kelp, Eat Urchin! Join us at sunrise for a sea urchin foraging class, where we will help remove some of the overgrown sea urchin population - so we can eat it! We will teach you how to open and enjoy this incredible delicacy. You may have heard it called “uni” in a sushi restaurant, but it’s SO much tastier when it’s fresh. Take home up to 35 urchin - if you can carry that much! Learn how humans can be a helping hand to restore balance to ecosystems impacted by climate change. Class Dates (not a series) * May 17 * May 31 * June 14 Sonoma Coast, California All registrations must be completed on our website [here](https://www.forkinthepath.org/registration-urchin) #### **What You'll Learn** We're thrilled to bring you to the ocean to forage for sea urchins on the gorgeous Sonoma Coast. This 3-hour class is all about sea urchins or uni, as you may have heard it called in a sushi restaurant. Learn where they live, what they eat, and who eats them...but more specifically, who hasn't been eating them and how that has impacted our kelp forests, and how humans eating them actually lends a helping hand to bringing our intertidal zone back into balance! Take home up to 35 urchins. You'll have a deeper understanding of how some of our ocean habitats are the first major biomes to experience sudden collapse due to a rapidly changing climate, and how we can mitigate the damage. #### **Where** A beach in Northern Sonoma, about 2.5 hours north of San Francisco. Exact location provided with registration. **Instructor** **Ricardo Romero Gianoli** has been living, foraging, and cooking in Northern California since 2008. One of his passions and career focuses is kelp forest restoration. Ricardo is a certified restoration scuba diver and kelp forest monitor who has surveyed sites from the Salish Sea to Orange County but he focuses his restoration efforts on the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts. It is his greatest joy to connect people with the ocean through adventure, food, and education in the intertidal zone. **Ryn Sullivan** brings over 10 years of experience in outdoor education and nature-inspired crafts to our team. As a backpacking guide, naturalist, and lifelong maker, they’re always finding new ways to work with what’s around us while caring for the ecosystem. They’ve been foraging since childhood and diving headfirst into their passion for the intertidal zone and all the creatures that call it home. They are involved in many sea urchin projects and are excited to teach Fork in the Path's students how to find and eat urchin as part of their holistic restoration efforts. When not foraging, you might find them teaching wilderness first aid classes, free diving for purple urchins, or crafting cordage from the irises in their backyard. Ryn is a certified Wilderness First Responder, yoga teacher, and California fishing guide. **Pricing** Our pricing is sliding scale $55-$125 with scholarships available. Kids are welcome too! **More Important Details** These programs are very popular and often fill up very quickly. We encourage you to register right away if you'd like to attend! If you are reading this, the class is not full. Space is updated daily. **About Fork In The Path** Fork In The Path offers transformational foraging experiences in California for the adventurous of all ages. You can check us out on Instagram [here](https://www.instagram.com/forkinthepath100//).

Palou Phelps Park Volunteer Workday

On the first Saturday of every month, we meet at the base of the Palou & Phelps hill and join the Friends of Palou Phelps community group and SF Rec & Park on their volunteer workday. Our workdays will vary every Saturday, but both the hill and the garden will be the focus on these days. So come ready to get your hands dirty! **\*\*\*\*Please sign up through the official SFRPD portal here; THANK YOU:** [https://sfrpd.my.salesforce-sites.com/SFRPDCalendar](https://sfrpd.my.salesforce-sites.com/SFRPDCalendar) *** Background: Nature in the City started the Palou Phelps project as a means to preserve a native grassland habitat from the threat of development. The habitat is one of the few native grasslands remaining in San Francisco and is vital to local pollinators. website: https://natureinthecity.org/palou-phelps/

Alemany Farm Native Plant Volunteer Day

Everyone, young or old, experienced or still learning, is welcome to join our California Native Plant workdays on the **first Monday and third Saturday of each month.** [Registration](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alemany-farm-native-plant-volunteer-day-registration-155900126475) is required in advance\*\*. *\*\*Please only sign up for what you can 100% commit to and let us know ASAP if you do not plan to attend so we can open your space to someone on the waitlist.* Please plan to **arrive on time at the start of the work session.** **Volunteers will be required to sign a waiver upon arrival.** **Each person in your party** (including children) must be signed up **Bring a mask:** Masks are recommended when working closely with others. **What to bring\* --** we will provide all of the tools you need. If you prefer to bring your own gloves, hori hori, or clippers, please do so. * Mask or face covering * Water Bottle * Hat * Sturdy Shoes * Jacket with layered clothing underneath * Sunscreen * Snacks \*Travel light! The farm is an open public space and we have no secure storage for bags. Leave valuables at home and be mindful of your personal belongings, as you would in any park setting. **COVID-19 Precautions:** * We will have a hand washing station, hand sanitizer, and clean gloves available * Please do not come to Alemany Farm if you develop COVID-19 symptoms on or before the day of your volunteer shift (fever, chills, repeated shaking/shivering, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, feeling unusually weak or fatigued, new loss of taste or smell, muscle pain, headache, runny or congested nose, or diarrhea) * Please do not sign up for a volunteer shift if you are unwilling or unable to adhere to the above guidelines. Friends of Alemany Farm reserves the right to end your volunteer shift if any of the above guidelines are not followed. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alemany-farm-native-plant-volunteer-day-registration-155900126475

Sunrise Urchin (Uni) Foraging (Sonoma Coast)

**\*\*Register [here](https://forms.gle/khFPU5JZiwGxfKi5A), NOT on Meetup:** [https://www.forkinthepath.org/schedule](https://www.forkinthepath.org/schedule)[**](https://www.forkinthepath.org/schedule**) Save Kelp, Eat Urchin! Join us at sunrise for a sea urchin foraging class, where we will help remove some of the overgrown sea urchin population - so we can eat it! We will teach you how to open and enjoy this incredible delicacy. You may have heard it called “uni” in a sushi restaurant, but it’s SO much tastier when it’s fresh. Take home up to 35 urchin - if you can carry that much! Learn how humans can be a helping hand to restore balance to ecosystems impacted by climate change. Class Dates (not a series) * May 17 * May 31 * June 14 Sonoma Coast, California All registrations must be completed on our website [here](https://www.forkinthepath.org/registration-urchin) #### What You Will Learn We're thrilled to bring you to the ocean to forage for sea urchins on the gorgeous Sonoma Coast. This 3-hour class is all about sea urchins or uni, as you may have heard it called in a sushi restaurant. Learn where they live, what they eat, and who eats them...but more specifically, who hasn't been eating them and how that has impacted our kelp forests, and how humans eating them actually lends a helping hand to bringing our intertidal zone back into balance! Take home up to 35 urchins. You'll have a deeper understanding of how some of our ocean habitats are the first major biomes to experience sudden collapse due to a rapidly changing climate, and how we can mitigate the damage. #### **Where** A beach in Northern Sonoma, about 2.5 hours north of San Francisco. Exact location provided with registration. **More Important Details** These programs are very popular and often fill up very quickly. We encourage you to register right away if you'd like to attend! If you are reading this, the class is not full. Space is updated daily. **About Fork In The Path** Fork In The Path offers transformational foraging experiences in California for the adventurous of all ages. You can check us out on Instagram [here](https://www.instagram.com/forkinthepath100//).

5th Sunday Event - Plant Trees in Oakland May 31st

Looking for a small but impactful way to help in the fight against climate change, and green your community over a weekend? Volunteer to plant trees! Our Tree Team plants trees in sidewalks all around Oakland. As these trees grow, they help to improve air quality, sequester carbon, and improve the environmental conditions of our neighborhoods. Many of the beautiful large trees you see along sidewalks are a result of our volunteers, and we still have so much more to do. No experience is required, but volunteers should be ready to do some digging and get a bit dirty. What: Planting trees along sidewalks and streets in Oakland for homeowners. After the training, we will split into smaller groups and drive to the sites. Who: You! Bring your friends and/or make new ones. No experience is needed. You should be able to lift 30 pounds (half the weight of a new tree). What to Bring: Wear closed-toed shoes, clothes that you can get dirty, and a hat for sun protection; bring your own water, lunch and a snack. We'll provide the shovels, picks, brooms, and gloves, but if you have your own please bring them along as we are short on supplies these days. If you are bringing a minor, please let us know. How: Dig a hole, take the tree out of its pot and put it into the ground, backfill the soil around the roots, and sweep the sidewalk clean. (Don't worry; we'll teach you whatever you don't know -- or take a peek at the guide here: http://www.treesforoaklandflatlands.org/plant-a-tree.html) Where: Meet at our staging area (**5917 Whitney St., Oakland 94609)**. The trees will be in other places around town, so **please be on time** so we can meet before we disperse. We can plant in light rain, but if we decide to cancel because of heavier rain, we'll announce it here by 8am. For more information or to join our email list, contact us at treesforoakland.org Note: There is no bathroom on-site so make sure to go before you arrive! If you are lost or running late, call or text Bart at 510 917 4352

Wildflower Field Trips on Ring Mountain, Tiburon

**Leader: Alison Pence or Karen Madsen** Join Ring Mountain Docents Alison Pence and Karen Madsen for short wildflower forays 10 am to 12:30. See schedule below. Each few weeks different wildflowers become showy. There are two possible meeting locations off Paradise Road in Tiburon. **Please check which trailhead to meet at for the date you plan to go.** See map below. · **Taylor Road Trailhead** **off** Paradise Dr. From Taylor Road Trailhead, the group will walk out and back about 2 miles. · **Phyllis Ellman Trailhead** **on** Paradise Dr. The Phyllis Ellman/Loop trail hike is about 2.5 miles, with about 600 feet of elevation gain and drop. | | **Date** | **Time** | **Name/location** | **Leader** | | --- | ---- | ---- | ------------- | ------ | | Sun. | 4/5/26 | 10-12:30 | Taylor Rd Trailhead | Alison Pence | | Thurs. | 4/23/26 | 10-12:30 | Paradise Dr. - Phyllis Ellman Trailhead | Karen Madsen | | Sun. | 5/24/26 | 10-12:30 | Taylor Rd Trailhead | Alison Pence | | Tues. | 5/26/26 | 10-12:30 | Paradise Dr. - Phyllis Ellman Trailhead | Karen Madsen | | Sun. | 6/7/26 | 10-12:30 | Taylor Rd Trailhead | Alison Pence | **Bring:** Water, lunch/snack, rain gear, and hiking poles if desired. **If you have not done so already, please sign the** [CNPS Marin 2026 Waiver](https://app.waiversign.com/e/605434825bd9a600198d4bcc/doc/605436925bd9a600198d4c79,6791226ab8771f0012d5789c?eventName=CNPS%20Marin%202026%20Waiver) **Note**: Destructive invasive plant pathogens and weed seeds can be transported to sensitive plant habitats when contaminated soil or plant material is shed from footwear, equipment (such as hiking poles), and other personal items. See these 2 brochures for how you can minimize your impact. [Pocket Guide - Every Step Counts](https://cc.cnps.org/phytophthora/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/PROTECT-OUR-NATURAL-AREAS-011525.pdf) and [Cleanliness Tips for Hikers](https://cc.cnps.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/CC-06/Trail-user-start-clean-stay-clean-ver5-16-23.pdf)