The San Francisco Bay Area is bejeweled with hundreds of parks and open space preserves as well as a rich set of laws and policies meant to ensure the survival of vulnerable species and ecosystems. Real people made this happen through a dedicated call to stewardship.

Decontaminating Navy Land

January 1, 2005 •  by

Along the Mountain View shoreline in the South Bay, activists are pressuring the U.S. Navy to fully decontaminate bayside property that borders thousands of acres of salt ponds slated for restoration. Without a full cleanup, the Moffett Field Superfund Site … Read more

Sonoma Baylands Purchases

January 1, 2005 •  by

As Tolay Creek pools and spills on its journey to San Pablo Bay, it passes several recent acquisitions by the Sonoma Land Trust (SLT), an organization that is piecing together a wide swath of land stretching across the shoreline of … Read more

Tolay Ranch Purchase

January 1, 2005 •  by

Nestled in a hidden valley southeast of Petaluma lies Tolay Lake Ranch and an “untold story of California history,” says Philip Sales of Sonoma County Regional Parks. The parks department has teamed up with the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and … Read more

Revitalizing Urban Creeks

January 1, 2005 •  by

Urban creek restoration involves more than removing nonnative plants and substituting local ones. Add to that: volunteer management skills and detailed knowledge of bird, amphibian, fish, and mammal habitats; flood plain control; water quality; government ordinances; and the right size … Read more

Getting Grounded

January 1, 2005 •  by

Long, long ago, in a time before time, the place where we now live was a deep sea. Beneath the waters, however, the earth stirred. A coast range was lifted up. Rains fell upon the bare slopes. Rivers and streams … Read more

Resources for Healthy Soil

January 1, 2005 •  by

General Information Sources and Websites Bio-Integral Resource Center www.birc.org (510)524-2567 Extensive information resources for least-toxic pest management. California Integrated Waste Management Board www.ciwmb.ca.gov/organics/gardening Information and resources for organic materials management and home gardening, including grasscycling, home composting, and worm composting. … Read more

Soil-Friendly Practices

January 1, 2005 •  by

Organic matter is the most important part of the soil because it is fodder for the many organisms that keep soil alive and elastic. And because it is consumed by these organisms, soil organic matter needs to be replenished. The … Read more

Taking Refuge

January 1, 2005 •  by

At this small, sandy National Wildlife Refuge on the industrial outskirts of Antioch, you’ll find great views of the San Joaquin River, and rare plants and insects that don’t exist anywhere else.

A Modest Majesty

October 1, 2004 •  by

Seventy-five years ago, there were only 900 acres of public parks in the East Bay. Today, the East Bay Regional Park District encompasses over 95,000 acres. From its humble beginnings in the Berkeley hills, the EBRPD has blossomed into the nation’s largest regional park district, making beaches, redwood forests, oak woodlands, tidal wetlands, and so much more, forever accessible to the people of the Bay Area.

Daylighting Codornices Creek

October 1, 2004 •  by

After six years of research and intense negotiations, the Berkeley-based Waterways Restoration Institute (WRI) and Urban Creeks Council (UCC) reached an agreement with local property owners and other stakeholders to break ground on a project that will daylight a 3,000-foot … Read more