Threatened with closure, Anderson Marsh gains new lease on life
Most rural California state parks have languished in obscurity, but Anderson Marsh has been buoyed by those who value its history.
Author Archives: Christine Sculati
Christine Sculati is a Bay Nature contributor and writes about state park closures and nature on her blog, christinesculati.com.
National Trust hopes to save slice of history at state park
Ceramicist Marguerite Wildenhain left her legacy at Austin Creek State Recreation Area in Sonoma County. What happens when the interests of art history and state parks coincide?
Under new management: China Camp volunteers take the helm
After six months of fundraising, the nonprofit Friends of China Camp raised $250,000, enough money to take over operations of the cultural and historical landmark along the northwest shores of the San Francisco Bay. Just one day after assuming the … Read more
State parks win reprieve but face uncertain future
This past week I received a flurry of excited emails from Robert Hanna, the great great grandson of John Muir, who has possessed a fierce determination to keep open every state park in California slated for closure. On Friday he celebrated victory at the State Capitol in Sacramento after learning that all but one of the 70 parks on the closure list will stay open.
Faulty water system pulls Russian Gulch off closure list
A mechanical breakdown could, oddly enough, be one of the reasons Russian Gulch State Park comes off the state parks closure list just before a July 1 shutdown.
Despite Promise of Developer Funds, Candlestick Point Will Close
Candlestick Point State Recreation Area in southeast San Francisco is California's first urban state park, and offers city-dwellers a slice of nature along the Bay. State budget cuts landed it on the list of park closures, even though a massive redevelopment project next door promises to deliver $50 million to Candlestick.
Invasive Weeds Awareness Week
One of the challenges faced by rare native plants like the buckwheat is the spread of invasive nonnative plants. July 18 to 24 is Invasive Weeds Awareness Week, and weed groups across the state will be spreading the word on … Read more
Legacy of Karl Linn
”Karl Linn spent his lifetime bringing people together in community, in an urban setting, in nature,” says Carole Bennett-Simmons, project coordinator for the Peralta Community Gardens, one of five Berkeley projects built by the prominent landscape architect, social justice activist, … Read more
Proposed Development Near Livermore
The city of Livermore might be most famous for its national laboratory, but native plant enthusiasts and biodiversity advocates will tell you that the area should be just as well known for its many “botanical hot spots.” On the north … Read more
Rediscovery of Mount Diablo Buckwheat
It’s rare that a species gets taken off what seems an ever-growing list of extinctions, but that’s exactly what happened in May, when Berkeley-based botanist Michael Park found about a dozen Mount Diablo buckwheat flowers (Eriogonom truncatum) growing in a … Read more
