Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Saturday October 4: Free Family Bike to School Workshop

Fun and free...

Family Bike to School Workshop and On-Road Practice

Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014  /  10:00am - 12:00pm
Sports Basement's Bryant Street Store
Yes, you can bike to school! Parents and children: get your bike checked out, learn the rules of the road, and practice riding together. Safety session is followed by on-road practice as a bike train. Children must be accompanied by an adult and have basic biking ability. Family bikes also welcome. Presented by Sports Basement and SF Bicycle Coalition. 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Park and Rec events week of September 24th 2014

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National Public Lands Day at Youngblood Coleman on September 27 
In partnership with the Friends of Youngblood Coleman PlaygroundB-MagicParks 94124 and the YMCA, Rec and Park will host a special volunteer event in honor of National Public Lands Day at Youngblood Coleman onSeptember 27, from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will help with weed removal, litter pickup, baseball field improvements and a tile project on the park's chess tables.

Last year, volunteers spent 183,000 hours of their time improving our parks and programs. If you want to volunteer onSeptember 27, email recparkvolunteer@sfgov.org.
Saturday in the Park McLaren Concert on September 27 
The Friends of Jerry Garcia Amphitheater present a special Saturday in the Park McLaren event with Charity and the JAMband, which brings award-winning concerts to children and their families, Saturday, September 27, at 1 p.m. at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park. This free event is perfect for kids of all ages.  Bring a picnic basket and enjoy the afternoon.  Click here for more information. 
Save the Date: Scaregrove Halloween Event at Stern Grove on October 24  
Celebrate Halloween with Rec and Park on October 24! Our annual Scaregrove event at Stern Grove is fast becoming one of the city's premier Halloween destinations for families.  Come dressed in your favorite costume and enjoy carnival rides, a haunted house, live entertainment, music, food for sale, hay rides and much, much more!  Cost is $8 per person; children under 2 years old are free.  Click here to download our event postcard, or visit sfrecpark.orgfor more information, including how you can purchase advance tickets.

WANT TO VOLUNTEER FOR THIS EVENT? Email recparkvolunteer@sfgov.org
Volunteers Tidy Up City Parks in Observance of California Coastal Cleanup Day   
Every year, on the third Saturday in September, people join together at sites all over California to take part in the state's largest volunteer event, California Coastal Cleanup Day. In 2013, over 58,000 volunteers removed almost 750,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from California's beaches, lakes, parks and waterways.

On September 27, Rec and Park joined the effort to divert even more waste from entering our precious bodies of water by serving as site captains at three different locations in San Francisco-- Heron's Head Park, and the Murphy Windmill and North Lake in Golden Gate Park.  In all, 126 volunteers came out to our sites to pick up trash and clean our parks.  A hearty thank you to everyone who pitched in.  We couldn't have done it without you. 
Rec and Park Kids Making Big Strides in Tennis and Baseball 
Rec and Park GM Phil Ginsburg and the Recreation and Park Commission were proud to welcome some talented young athletes to City Hall on September 18.  The youths took time out of their regular school schedules for a special recognition of some pretty spectacular sports accomplishments.   

First, Rec and Park's Golden Gate Park 14 & Under Coed Tennis Team qualified for the USTA Junior Team Tennis Sectional Playoffs in Fresno this past August, where they overcame an early deficit to capture the NorCal 14U Coed Sectional Championship title.  Throughout its run, the team was able to beat some well-established tennis programs from all over the Bay Area and will now travel to South Carolina in October to compete in the USTA Nationals!

Also, Rec and Park's PONY League Mustang Division 10 & Under All-Star Baseball team had a similar run this past summer, winning the PONY West Zone Regional Championship and the PONY NorCal Super Regional Championship in July.  The team then went on to compete in the PONY West Zone tournament in Los Alamitos, the only team from Northern California to do so.

Congratulations to all of our young athletes, who are proving that public recreation is alive and thriving.
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Mobile Rec at Visitacion Valley Middle School Family Play Day on September 27  
Come out to Vis Valley Middle School (450 Raymond Ave.) for a Mobile Rec event on Saturday, September 27, from11a.m. - 2 p.m. This free recreation event features non-traditional sports like a climbing wall, slack lining, disc golf, skateboarding and BMX bikes . We provide the gear and safety equipment on site. Get out and play.
Tricycle Music Fest with the Library Kicks Off on September 27
The San Francisco Kids' Public Library announces the 6th annual Tricycle Music Fest, bringing more concerts, more bands, and more opportunities to rock, play, and learn at the library! San Francisco Public Library and San Mateo County Library are teaming up again to present the biggest little music fest on the West Coast. The 2014 Grammy Award-winning lineup will be coming to your library on weekends in September and October. Tricycle Music Fest features 20 free events from the coolest and most acclaimed kindie rock performers. For more info, click here.
Intro to Fishing Classes at Lake Merced Begin September 27 
Come and fish at San Francisco's beautiful Lake Merced this fall beginning Saturday, September 27, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  These classes are perfect for fledgling anglers,ages 8 and up, and will cover basic fishing techniques taught by our experienced staff.  Lake Merced is home to common species such as rainbow trout, catfish, black bass, carp and sunfish.  We provide the equipment; all you need is a fishing license if you're 16 or older.  Meet at the Lake Merced Boathouse at 1 Harding Drive.  Fishing licenses can be purchased via the California Fish & Wildlife website at dfg.ca.gov/licensing or at your local fishing shop. $25 per student. Register online at sfreconline.org.For more information, email rex.biteng@sfgov.orgSee the class flyer here
Explore and Play in Celebration of SF's Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights on October 18
Come out to Mountain Lake Park on October 18, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., for a day of fun and exploration in celebration of the San Francisco  Children's Bill of Rights.  Featuring lawn games, wildlife viewing, bike rodeo, and much, much more!  For more information, visit sfcan.org. 
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This Month in Parks   
Bob Palacio, Rec and Park's Superintendent of Recreation and Community Services, talks about fall programming and some of our event highlights from the past month.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Outdoor Education Facilitator for the Grade School - apply now

Grade School Outdoor Education Facilitator

San Francisco Waldorf School seeks an Outdoor Education Facilitator to research and report on outdoor education opportunities that correlate with Waldorf grade school curriculum. The purpose of the research is to support class and subject teachers in their efforts to extend outdoor-rich, environmental education up to grade eight. 
Tasks would include, but are not limited to:
  • Interviewing faculty to establish existing outdoor education practice, from the smallest to the largest outdoor classroom activities; 
  • Conducting a curriculum study by grade and by subject to recommend ways curriculum could be enhanced by further outdoor opportunity/experience;
  • Researching best practices in outdoor education at schools, both locally and nationally; 
  • Presenting research to faculty; publishing findings in both paper and electronic form.
  • Organizing outdoor activities and field trips; cultivating relationships with local natural resources and institutes; 
  • New hire will be mentored by Amy Belkora and Karmin Guzder. The candidate will report to the Grade School Steering Committee.

The ideal candidate will have completed Waldorf Teacher Training, have experience teaching in a Waldorf Grade School and have a deep knowledge of the developmental phase and pedagogical impulses of each grade. It is essential that the candidate have a passion for and experience in outdoor education. This is a temporary, hourly position with no benefits, for 6 hours per week, with the possibility for occasional additional hours. The position will end in June of 2015.
If you are interested, please email jobs@sfwaldorf.org.

Autumn Nature Exchange



Check out this great idea to share found objects from our local ecosystems with new friends in far off areas.
 Rainy Day Riot Blog


Thursday, September 18, 2014

Peter Gray at the SF Public Library on October 2 6-7:30pm

In this talk Boston College Professor Peter Gray will define play as activity that contains the following five characteristics:  It is (1) self-chosen and self-directed; (2) motivated by means more than ends; (3) guided by mental rules; (4) imaginative; and (5) conducted in an alert, active, but non-stressed frame of mind.  He will explain how each of these characteristics of play contributes to play’s amazing educative power.  Play is nature’s way of ensuring that children will acquire not just the physical skills, but also the intellectual, social, and emotional skills essential for a successful, healthy, happy life.


Wednesday, September 17, 2014

San Francisco Park and Rec events September 17, 2014

e-News from the SF Recreation and Park DepartmentFind us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our videos on YouTube
  
  
Join Rec and Park for Coastal Cleanup Day on September 20   
Every year, on the third Saturday in September, people join together at sites all over California to take part in the State's largest volunteer event, California Coastal Cleanup Day. In 2013, over 58,000 volunteers removed almost 750,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from California's beaches, lakes, and waterways. Families, friends, coworkers, scout troops, school groups, service clubs, and individuals come together to celebrate and share their appreciation of California's fabulous coast and waterways. The event is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by the Ocean Conservancy, which is the largest volunteer event on the planet!

Please join SF Rec Park's efforts to join in and divert even more waste from entering our precious bodies of waters this year. We are serving as Site Captains at three different Locations in San Francisco. See links below and register at your preferred location.

East Side Location:
West Side Location:
To learn more about the history of Coastal Clean-up, please click HERE.
Camp Mather 90th Anniversary Party and Rim Fire Benefit on September 20       
The Friends of Camp Mather, in partnership with San Francisco Recreation & Parks, cordially invites you to Camp Mather's 90th Anniversary Party & Rim Fire Benefit on Saturday, September 20, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the newly renovated boathouse at Lake Merced.

Silent and Live Auction & Live Music
Wine, beer, soft drinks, hors d'oeuvres & cake

We will also be honoring the SF Firefighters who helped save the Camp from the Rim Fire. Proceeds from the Benefit will go toward making the Camp safer from future fires.

Tickets are $50 each and only 200 can be sold for this event on a first-come, first-serve basis. (Donations are also gratefully accepted!)

For more information on how to purchase tickets or make donations, visit the Friends of Camp Mather website.
SF Chronicle: Community Gardens Show Off Work to Visitors
(The San Francisco Chronicle and reporter Carolyn Jones featured Rec and Park's community gardens and urban agriculture program on September 13. Photo by Jessica Christian-The Chronicle)  

By Carolyn Jones 

San Francisco's chard never looked crisper or tastier.

Same with its artichokes, lettuce, sweet peas and leeks. Even the butterflies seemed more vibrant Saturday for the city's first community garden open house.

The Recreation and Park Department threw open the gates at 21 of its 38 community gardens to show off the handiwork of its volunteer gardeners and encourage newcomers to enroll.

Visitors could tour the gardens throughout the city, take classes on pollination and other topics, and even bring home a bag of free mulch."

"We want to make sure the public knows about these wonderful gardeners and sees the hard work of these folks," said Hannah Shulman, the city's urban agriculture program coordinator. "We also want people to know that at some gardens they can sign up right away."

San Francisco has no shortage of gardening enthusiasts. More than 1,600 residents maintain plots in community gardens, from Bayview to Pacific Heights to the Outer Sunset and all points in between.
 
Neighborhood Kids Get Their Kicks at the New Minnie & Lovie Ward Athletic Field
ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Lee at the new athletic field at Minnie and Lovie Ward Rec Center
The Minnie & Lovie Recreation Center Athletic Field reopened on September 14 after an extensive $7 million renovation project that transformed the old tired facilty into a field of dreams. Mayor Ed Lee stopped by along with Supervisor John Avalos, John Fisher and family members of the late Minnie and Lovie Ward, community leaders after whom the park is named,  This multi-purpose athletic field can host a variety of sports, including soccer, football, softball, baseball, lacrosse, volleyball and general sports play.  This field renovation was part of the Playfields Initiative, a project of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the City Fields Foundation to provide safe, accessible athletic fields for every local child who wants to play sports.
Renovation Highlights:
*    Synthetic turf athletic field
*    State-of-the-art, automatic field lights
*    Baseball/softball dugouts and backstops
*    New fencing
*    New landscaping and walking paths

Minnie & Lovie Ward Rec Center and Park is located at Capitol Avenue and Lobos Street. View our event photos here.
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McINerny Kiln Dedication at the Sharon Art Studio on September 20 
Please join the Friends of Sharon Art Studio, the San Francisco Recreation & Park Department, and the members of the McInerney family on SaturdaySeptember 20th, from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at the Sharon Art Studio, for an evening of remembrance and renewal, celebrating the installation of two new high fire ceramics kilns. We will be dedicating the new kilns in honor of Kitty and Jim McInerney, whose humanitarian spirit and legacy gift established the Kitty Kiln Fund to ensure a thriving ceramics program at Sharon Art Studio for many years to come.

These two new kilns were funded largely in part by the Kitty Kiln Fund which is now nearly depleted. All donations and proceeds from a silent auction of unique, one-of-a-kind pieces crafted by Sharon Art Studio instructors and staff (past and present) will replenish the Kitty Kiln Fund.  

Refreshments and hors d'oeuvres will be served, and the entire event is FREE! Tickets can be reserved here. For more information, click here.
Mobile Rec at St. Mary's Rec Center on September 20 
Come out to St. Mary's Rec Center (Murray and Justin Dr.) for a Mobile Rec event on Saturday, September 20, from11a.m. - 2 p.m. This free recreation event features non-traditional sports like a climbing wall, slack lining, disc golf, skateboarding and BMX bikes . We provide the gear and safety equipment on site. Get out and play.
National Public Lands Day at Youngblood Coleman on September 27 
In partnership with the Friends of Youngblood Coleman PlaygroundB-MagicParks 94124 and the YMCA, Rec and Park will host a special volunteer event in honor of National Public Lands Day at Youngblood Coleman onSeptember 27, from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will help with weed removal, litter pickup, baseball field improvements and a tile project on the park's chess tables.

Last year, volunteers spent 183,000 hours of their time improving our parks and programs. If you want to volunteer onSeptember 27, email recparkvolunteer@sfgov.org.
Tricycle Music Fest with the Library Kicks Off on September 27
The San Francisco Kids' Public Library announces the 6th annual Tricycle Music Fest, bringing more concerts, more bands, and more opportunities to rock, play, and learn at the library! San Francisco Public Library and San Mateo County Library are teaming up again to present the biggest little music fest on the West Coast. The 2014 Grammy Award-winning lineup will be coming to your library on weekends in September and October. Tricycle Music Fest features 20 free events from the coolest and most acclaimed kindie rock performers. For more info, click here.
Intro to Fishing Classes at Lake Merced Begin September 27 
Come and fish at San Francisco's beautiful Lake Merced this fall beginning Saturday, September 27, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  These classes are perfect for fledgling anglers,ages 8 and up, and will cover basic fishing techniques taught by our experienced staff.  Lake Merced is home to common species such as rainbow trout, catfish, black bass, carp and sunfish.  We provide the equipment; all you need is a fishing license if you're 16 or older.  Meet at the Lake Merced Boathouse at 1 Harding Drive.  Fishing licenses can be purchased via the California Fish & Wildlife website at dfg.ca.gov/licensing or at your local fishing shop. $25 per student. Register online at sfreconline.org.For more information, email rex.biteng@sfgov.orgSee the class flyer here
Saturday in the Park McLaren Concert Series Heats Back Up on September 27        
The 2014 Saturday in the Park McLaren concert series continues beginning Saturday, September 27.  Organized and hosted by the Friends of the Amphitheater, the free concerts at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park is the perfect way to spend a fall weekend afternoon.  For more information, click here. 
Friday Night Market at UN Plaza in September, October        
  • What:        Friday Night Market at UN Plaza
  • Date:         Every Friday from Sept. 5 through Oct. 24
  • Time:        4 p.m. - 9 p.m.
  • Location:  United Nations Plaza, Eighth and Market streets
  • What:        Food Trucks, Drinks, Vendors, Entertainment and Activities
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California Coastal Cleanup Day 2014   

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