Thursday, September 26, 2013

6th Grade Goes to Mt. Lassen


On September 9th the Sixth Grade left to spend the week in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Their teacher, Laurence Jacquet, former High School Outdoor Educator Ellie Capers, and several parents accompanied the children. Upon return, the children wrote reflections in their main lesson books. Some are excerpted here.

Reflections on my Field Trip to Mt. Lassen

On September 9th my class and I went on a field trip to Mt. Lassen. Mt. Lassen is a very beautiful place and I enjoyed hiking up a cinder cone, going into a lava tube in the utter darkness, and seeing stars every night. The thing that was so different and an absolutely wonderful experience was having a solo (and no, it is not a singing solo), it's a solo in nature where we have time to sketch the beautiful landscape, write or just sit there and enjoy nature. And while I was one who decided to write a while, I came up with the poem "Nature".

Nature

I watch the grass around me move low on the ground
I see the trees calm and still, silent on the rocks.
I watch as the stillness comes across the mountain tops,
the ski is clear and blue,
the bees humming all around me fill me with the stillness brightly.
I sit among the rocks of basalt, later in the day
I see the clouds start to move across the mountain range.
I lay my head down on a rock and look around me like a clock.
"Everything is so beautiful"
I think again, and try to take in the loveliness of
Nature.

-Athena



Reflections on my Field Trip to Mt. Lassen

On our field trip we went to the Subway Cave. It was formed a long time ago by a lava flow. The tunnel was formed because as the lava flowed, the outsides cooled creating a perfect tunnel, while the inside kept flowing down the mountain.
When I went through the tunnel, I experienced pitch-black darkness and chilly air. The walls were rather rough and the floor of the tunnel was rocky.
It was rather creepy walking through the darkness alone, with only my left hand on the wall to guide me.
Here is a small poem I wrote about the experience:

Darkness surrounds me
Coldness wraps round me
Silence engulfs me
Stones all around me.

-Sydney




My class and I went on a field trip to Mount Lassen.
We climbed a cinder cone, and walked through and walked through a cave. But the experience that I enjoyed the most was the solo hour.
Now, one might think that out of all the things I did, why would I pick sitting?
I picked the solo hour as my favorite experience because I never get the time to sit in nature, just sit, hearing nothing but the sound of the rushing water.
I believe that at Mount Lassen, nothing could have been better. It was truly a form of nature at its highest.
That is why, sitting by King's Creek Waterfall, I was inspired to write this descriptive paragraph.

At Its Highest
Soft flowing water rushes past high trees. Sounds of the water flowing fill the air, and utter peace was never so close. A sky, filled with soft white clouds covers the landscape like a blanket, beautiful and wholly complete. Thick air fills the emptiness, completing a form of nature at its highest.

As I wrote this paragraph, sitting on a beautiful rock, I noticed many rocks around me. Writing this now, I picture the rocks shooting out of a volcano as a mountain is being born, and I think: nature does not just appear. It takes many years to perfect. I do believe it is worth it to wait that long.

-Erin

Photos by Sam Lising

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Upcoming Events in the Greater Bay Area


Ongoing...




September 27-29 
Friday 1-9pm; Saturday 10:30am-9pm; Sunday 10:30am-5pm

Jack London Square, Oakland
Eat Real Festival

Three days of street food vendors, food crafts, demos and workshops. See the schedule here.




Saturday, September 28th 9am-4pm

National Public Lands Day

National Public Lands Day


Help us celebrate our priceless open space on National Public Lands Day by lending a hand on projects ranging from, trail work, habitat restoration, weeding and vegetation management, growing plants, beach clean-ups, and more. Enjoy some time in the Golden Gate National Parks while making a difference. Bring your family and friends.



Volunteer Opportunities


Marin

San Francisco


San Mateo



Saturday, September 28th  9am-4:30pm

San Francisco Bay Chapter Sierra Club

Sierra Club 13 mile hike: Slide Ranch, South Beach, tidepools. Meet at Dias Ridge trail head at 9am sharp. Contact 

Saturday, September 28 from 10am-4pm

Local honey sale!

For sale: recently harvested honey that the Bee Farm colonies created from nectar collected from Summer flowers.  The honey tastes distinctively different from the honey created from nectar collected from Spring flowers.  The Summer honey has a distinctive buttery-nutty flavor, probably due to the wild fennel. 

Come support The Bee Farm by buying a jar or two of our honey to tide you over until the Holiday Honey Sale.  As always, honey is sold in 1/2 lb (8 oz net wt) "queenline" glass jars for $10 each, cash only. 

 *WHERE:  The Bee Farm is located on San Bruno Avenue, x-street is Ordway, just off the Paul Street exit from 101 South.

*PARKING:  All along The Bee Farm side of San Bruno Avenue


*TRANSIT:  You can get to The Bee Farm via SF MUNI Bus Lines 9, 8X, 8AX and 29; each stops on San Bruno Ave one block away at Mansell.



Sunday September 29th 1 pm

Pulpit rock
Excelsior Sunday Streets

You love to bike, and now you're a parent -- or pregnant? Do you need to stop biking? How long can you bike while pregnant? When can you begin biking with your baby or toddler? Is it safe? What kind of seat should you get? Is your bike baby- or toddler-ready?

Register for this (free) class to learn the medically reviewed facts about biking while pregnant and with a baby and/or toddler, as well as tips and tricks. Meet other parents and parents-to-be who want to bike. This class is funded in part by the SFMTA, SFCTA and Kaiser Permanente.   eventbrite.com/event/8350906787.

If you'd like to teach your child how to ride a bike, we offer Freedom from training Wheels programs at Sunday Streets. And, if your child(ren) are already riding and ready to learn how to bike to school together, we offer an On-Road with your Family course, as well! From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday Streets will be transforming the Excelsior into an open space for people to walk, run, skip, jump, bike, and play. The SF Bicycle Coalition will be teaching our Freedom from Training Wheels workshop, and we'll have a Service Station at the event as well offering free air for your tires.


Sunday, September 29th  11am-1pm

Phat Beets Produce

Join Phat Beets for our FREE Food N' Justice Series Workshop on "Freeing Land for Food: Urban Greening Projects and Gentrification" this Saturday, September 28th.

Workshop Description: Why are urban soils so toxic in communities that have the least access to healthy foods? Is a community garden in your neighborhood always good for the community and does it meet the needs of the community? How does gentrification impact people's ability to access healthy food? Come hear perspectives from the food justice movement in this panel discussion and primer on urban farming. w/ Doria Robinson (Urban Tilth), Ashoka Finley (Occupy the Farm), Gopal Dayaneni (Movement Generation), and a member of Phat Beets Produce

Date/Time: 9/28 @ 11 am - 1:00 pm

Location: North Oakland Farmers' Market
942 Stanford Ave. @ Lowell
Oakland, CA 94608


Monday, September 30 1-5pm

Alemany Farm Volunteer Day (every Monday)


Alemany Farm

Nestled behind St. Mary’s Rec Center, Alemany Farm combines growing fruits and vegetables in an urban setting with native plant restoration. These urban farmers work tirelessly to produce literally tons of produce every year. If you’re interested in learning about urban gardening, Alemany Farm is the project for you. Please wear closed toed shoes, long pants and layers. Each weekend volunteer work day begins with a orientation farm tour. Please note that there are no bathrooms on site. Meet at Alemany and Ellsworth. For more info or to sign up, please email community.gardeners@gmail.com

A Guide to San Francisco Farmers' Markets




I just received an email from the San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance alerting me to a new and helpful publication about Farmers' Markets in San Francisco. The Women's Initiative for Self Employment put the document together. It is geared toward entrepreneurs who want to sell at City farmers' markets.

The guide lists all agents that oversee markets in the City and their related neighborhood specific markets. It also has useful links for small business start ups: liability insurance, CA Homemade Food Act, La Cocina's guide to becoming a market vendor.

Farmers' Market Guide


9th Grade Orientation Week

The Grade 9 orientation week from August 27-30 included movement, writing, and artistic activities in the high school building and outdoor service work at Ardenwood. We continued a project begun by last year's 9th grade on this property behind the High School building to remove ivy and debris. We uncovered a set of steps, cleaned paths, and removed hundreds of pounds of mud from the pond below the spring. Students and teachers pictured below are working on the area around the pond. The themes of this project included the ecology of this area of San Francisco, native versus introduced plants, our effects on our environment, and picturing the future of the site.

- Ben Pittenger, High School teacher




Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Upcoming Events in the Greater Bay Area



2013 PARK(ing) Day Highlights           Friday, September 20, 2013
List of confirmed 2013 events:
  • SPUR Park(ing) Day Last year was a miniature golf course patterned after Golden Gate Park, what will they dream up for 2013? | 654 Mission St., SF | 10am
  • Freespace Dream Bar A parking space with where people discuss their dreams with a “dream bar-tender” | Noon to 4pm | 1131 Mission St.

  • Park(ing) Day with Free Yoga & Games Greenhouse Cafe hosts a day of music, games yoga and art in a parking space in West Portal | 9a-6p | 329 West Portal Ave.
  • Park-a-licious – Interstice Park(ing) Day 2013Interstic Architects will inflate inhabitable bubbles at 741 Valencia Street for Parking Day. Join us for a Tacolicious treat in the Ultimate Public Bubble
  • Urban Gardening Parklet Want to grow herbs and veggies on your balcony, terrace, or windowsill? Zurich startup VEG and the City shows you how, all in a temporary parklet in front of swissnex. 1pm to 7pm | 730 Montgomery Street
  • SF Environment Fair Themed Parklet Join SF Environment and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority to celebrate in front of City Hall. We will be hosting County (Transportation) Fair-themed parklet, featuring a bean bag toss, prize wheel, and more | In front of City Hall on Polk just south of McAllister | 9a-3p



Coastal Cleanup Day in Golden Gate Park and Heron's Head Park on September 21 
Pitch in for California Coastal Cleanup Day and lend a hand for the largest volunteer event in California hosted by the California Coastal Commission. Last year, over 50% of the debris collected was diverted from the landfill with the help of Recology.

Golden Gate Park, West End Inland Clean Up
Join forces with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Presidio Trust in supporting an inland Golden Gate Park West End Inland Clean Up with RPD. Please RSVP to  http://www.parksconservancy.org/events/volunteer-events/special-events/california-coastal-cleanup.html.  Groups of 10 or more volunteers, please call (415) 561-3077.

Herons' Head Park Clean Up
Join the Port of San Francisco and the Greenagers Team in picking up debris around Heron's Head Park alongside the east side in the bayview. RSVP is required for individuals and for groups, please contact  recparkvolunteer@sfgov.org for more information, this is a youth friendly site.



 When: Sunday, September 22, 2013
Where: The Marine Mammal Center
Come celebrate the beginning of Sea Otter Awareness Week with The Marine Mammal Center!  Free classes at 12 and 2 about our favorite, fuzzy sea otters will be a treat for Otter fans of all ages.  Docent-led tours of the hospital provide a look at the patients currently in our care and the inside stories on how we are taking care of them.


Presidio Teachers' Night October 3, 2013  (RSVP by Sept 25)







Join us on Thursday, October 3rd for LITERACY MATTERS, The Language of Learning.

Every fall the Presidio invites teachers to get inspired, gather support, and engage with a broader
community to help kick-start their school year.Guests have the chance to hear various presentations
from leaders in their field, collect educational materials, network with other educators, and learn about opportunities and resources available outside the classroom. The Presidio provides a great outdoor classroom serving more than 20,000 Bay Area students and teachers each year.

This year’s program includes a visit to the Welcome to the Presidio exhibit from 4-5 pm, followed byConnecting to Our Heritage, a professional development opportunity from 4:30-5:15 pm. A special program from 6-6:30 pm will include student works from the International Poetry and Art contest
presented by Pamela Michael, Co-founder of River of Words and Director of The Center for
Environmental Literacy at St. Mary’s College.

Teachers' Night is sponsored by the Presidio Trust, with support from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the National Park Service, and others.
To RSVP, call (415) 561-2000 by Sept 25th.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Upcoming Events in the Greater Bay Area

Saturday, September 14 from 9-11am at McLaren Park.

Morning Dew & Scenic Views 




Meet at the parking lot at Visitacion and Mansel. MUNI #25, 56. 
Co-sponsored by Save McLaren Park and RecPark's Harvey Milk Photo Center, this is the final photowalk taking place all summer. All skill levels, all ages, and all camera types are welcome.

Can only stay an hour? We'll loop back near the parking lot half way through the walk for those who can't stay for the full time. 


Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays from 12:30-3:30

Visit the Pt Bonita lighthouse in the Marin Headlands.

View of Point Bonita Lighthouse and surrounding cliffs.

Saturday, September 14 and Sunday the 15th at 2pm

Free Shakespeare in the Presidio -Macbeth!



Sunday, September 15 from 12-3pm in Mill Valley

Donations of $20 for adults/$30 per couple are appreciated, children are especially welcome and free. RSVP and for more information at www.climateparents.org 


Wednesday, September 18 at 12:30


SPUR sponsors a talk on the Green Transformation of SF Schools, featuring Arden Bucklin-Sporer, Executive Director of Education Outside  and co-author of How to Grow a School Garden.

http://www.spur.org/events/calendar/green-transformation-sf-schools



Thursday, September 19   6-9pm City Forest Lodge, San Francisco
NB: RSVP is due Friday, the 13th!



Sponsored by the Sierra Club: Muir Ramble Route: Walking in the Footsteps of John Muir.

 In April 1868, only days after arriving in San Francisco by steamship, John Muir set out on a six-week-long walk across California to Yosemite. Inspired by Muir’'s 300-mile journey, award-winning book artists Peter and Donna Thomas walked his route as closely as possible - 138 years later. Join Peter and Donna for a digital presentation of their 2006 ramble across California, which led to their creation of the Muir Ramble Route (MRR) from San Francisco to Yosemite over Pacheco Pass. Peter and Donna will show you some of the unique landmarks of this cross-California route, designed for urban backpackers and cyclists to discover still-wild places in the greater Bay Area and beyond. As they share highlights from their book, “Muir Ramble Route: Walking from San Francisco to Yosemite in the Footsteps of John Muir”, they will also tell us the story of their reconstruction of Muir’s first trip to Yosemite, drawn from his various writings, and give us new insight into the inspiration behind the preservation of wilderness areas and the creation of our treasured national parks. Send a check for $16.50 make out to "Sierra Club, S.F.Bay Chapter" to Gerry Souzis, 1801 California St., #405, San Francisco, CA 94109. Please indicate number of guests and your phone number.
Checks must be received by Friday, Sept. 13. Non-members are welcome. Bring your own wine or soft drinks. Glasses and ice are available. Let us know if you are a vegetarian. For questions, contact Gerry at gsouzis@hotmail.com


Thursday, September 19  7pm   917 Bryant St, SF.

The Studio for Urban Projects presents Freeways without Futures. A panel discussion re-imagining San Francisco without the 280 freeway. To see the Center for Architecture and Design's 280 Freeway competition winners, click here.



Friday, September 20th is Parking Day!

Started in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco art and design firm. Click this link for information on what is now a world wide Parking Day event, and, to find local ideas for turning parking spaces into opportunities for beauty and fun. http://rebargroup.org/parking-day/


parking-day-22



parking-day-13


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Upcoming events in the greater Bay Area

Have you heard about the second faery door in Golden Gate Park? Go looking for it this weekend!
http://richmondsfblog.com/2013/09/03/the-hunt-is-on-find-the-new-faery-door-in-golden-gate-park/



Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy: Park Stewardship at Land's End      September 7, 2013

The Studio for Urban Projects: Tigers on Market Street        September 8, 2013
a walking tour of urban butterfly habitat

Batch Made Market, the next step for the Underground Market and ForageSF.com    September 8, 2013

The National Heirloom Exposition at the Sonoma County Fair Grounds, Santa Rosa
September 10, 11, 12th 2013
This event has a portion dedicated to biodynamic farming. See the list of speakers here. It's an amazing line up of biodynamic practitioners, ranging from bee keepers to market farmers to vintners. 

An Evening with Richard Louv

On August 27, 2013 twenty faculty, staff, parents and students attended Richard Louv's lecture at the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco. Mr. Louv is well known for his book The Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder and has recently published The Nature Principle: Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual Age. Richard Louv helped found the Children and Nature Network, an international collaboration of nature-focused programs and researchers interested in the work and study of children in nature.

At the talk, Mr. Louv dwelt on his four largest concerns regarding the environment:
                            biodiversity collapse
                            climate change
                            disconnection of children to nature
                            and the lack of a vision for a great environmental future

Mr. Louv highlighted this last concern, critiquing what he sees as environmentalists' propensity to carry nature in their briefcases rather than their heart. In my words, a worry that environmental activism lacks a soul connection to nature. Mr. Louv made the case that one must have transcendent experiences in nature to inculcate a life dedicated to environmental stewardship.  This goal is what drives his work to get children outdoors in order to create the conditions for transcendence.

Louv points to the vision of Martin Luther King Jr., a man who believed deeply in painting a picture of a world people want to go to. Louv stresses that we reach beyond a vision of sustainability, instead we move toward creating a world that is "nature-rich". A short essay by Louv on this topic can be found here.

Listening to Louv, I recognized this practice of focusing on the good, on the richness of things. At the San Francisco Waldorf School we call it "creating an environment worthy of imitation". The idea that beauty and good nourish the senses, the whole human being. The Ohlone villages in the November kindergartens, the scarlet runner beans climbing up the balcony to Grade 6's front door, the cozy corners in the Grade School library, the High School Eurythmy Troupe's graceful offerings - all examples of wonder, of possibility.

Come join us as we work to ensure all our students have the possibility of transcendence outdoors.

- Amy Belkora






Tuesday, September 3, 2013

4th Grade to Pt. Reyes, March 2013

In the spring of 2013 Ms. Fendell took her Fourth Grade class with High School Outdoor Education Coordinator, Ellie Capers, to the Clem Miller Environmental Ed Center at Point Reyes National Seashore. The trip took place during their block on Human Being and Animal study. 

The children spent four days before Spring break in the heart of the Point Reyes wilderness area at the beautiful camp. This environmental education center is for the exclusive use of educational groups who, after an orientation session, are left on their own to explore the surrounding areas and experience the beauty. 

The class hiked four miles round trip to the seashore and walked four miles another day down the side of a mountain through a canopy of a newly blossoming Bishop Pine in the rain. The children spent an afternoon meandering alongside a native herd of Tule Elk and built sand castles along a creek at McClures Beach. 

The Fourth Graders used binoculars and telescopes to try and count as many of the Northern California Elephant Seals and their pups as possible. Without the Outdoor Classroom grant, this class would not have had these wonderful experiences in such a unique environment that is a part of all of our heritage.

-Ellie Capers