Category Archives: Environment

Commonwealth Club: 3 Important 2014 Lectures

Posted on December 22, 2013 by webmaster

The year’s winding down, and many of us are making plans for the next few months. An email from the Commonwealth Club told us of an interesting new series of lectures  in January, March and April of 2014. It’s the Science … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

“Invasive” Plants can Save Native Wildlife

Posted on December 15, 2013 by webmaster

We recently came upon this article by author Toby Hemenway, on his blog Pattern Literacy.  Written from the point of view of a permaculturist, it responds to nativist objections that the permaculture community plants non-native or even “invasive” species. Since … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, nativism | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Trails Report: Dry October in Mount Sutro Forest

Posted on October 20, 2013 by webmaster

About ten days ago, we went up into Mount Sutro Forest. There’d been a string of sunny days, the closest to summer that San Francisco gets. The trails were  dry and  last month’s puddles were gone. Unusually, there’s no mud. … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Hiking, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Sutro Forest Report: What’s Been Done?

Posted on September 21, 2013 by webmaster

On Sept 11th, UCSF emailed its list that it had “completed urgent fire-safety measures on approximately 12 acres on Mount Sutro.”  In the same email, UCSF said that the measures were “in response to an assessment this summer by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mt Sutro Cloud Forest Evening: Puddles, Not Fire

Posted on September 10, 2013 by webmaster

The fog blowing in last evening softened all the colors to gray. It was growing late, too late for the forest. We went anyway. These are some of the most beautiful times in the Cloud Forest, and we’d been away … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk" | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Sutro Forest – Protesting the Tree-cutting

Posted on September 1, 2013 by webmaster

The peaceful demonstration last Thursday drew a number of supporters, both those who have already been active and newcomers. A few people approached us to find out what was happening, then offered to carry signs or distribute materials themselves. We … Continue reading →

Posted in deforestation, Environment, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Peaceful Protest for Sutro Forest: Aug 29, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m

Posted on August 25, 2013 by webmaster

A peaceful protest is planned for August 29, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 500 Parnassus, outside UCSF’s Millberry Union building. Please come, bring as many people as you can, try to bring a sign to carry.  Bright colors are … Continue reading →

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Sutro Forest Tree-felling Notices Posted

Posted on August 22, 2013 by webmaster

The tree-felling and vegetation removal in and around Sutro Forest that we wrote about HERE is imminent. Notices have been posted on trees in the Forest Knolls neighborhood. We have a number of concerns about this action, which is being … Continue reading →

Posted in deforestation, Environment, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Getting the Word Out: Media Coverage of Sutro Forest

Posted on August 7, 2013 by webmaster

In the last few days, there’s been quite a lot of media coverage of the plans to gut Sutro Forest; and the related issue of Mount Davidson, where SF Recreation & Parks Department plans to fell 1600 trees. Some has … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Invasion Biology – Pseudoscience? – Talk in Berkeley, 14 July 2013

Posted on July 11, 2013 by webmaster

David Theodoropoulos, author of the book “Invasion Biology: Critique of a Pseudoscience” will be giving a talk in Berkeley this Sunday. It’s jointly sponsored by East Bay Pesticide Alert and the Social Justice Committee of the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Herbicides, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Making of the Mt Sutro Tree Spirit Project

Posted on July 11, 2013 by webmaster

Yesterday, we published a picture made in Sutro Forest for the Tree Spirit Project, which creates art photographs of sylvan nudes to draw attention to endangered forests and trees. (Click here to go to the Tree Spirit page for Mount … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

One More Year for Sutro Forest

Posted on June 28, 2013 by webmaster

We recently learned that UCSF will delay project implementation, which was otherwise likely to start in August 2013. With the unprecedented number of written comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and the spoken comments at the February 2013 … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Tasmania Saves its Forests: Thanks, Miranda!

Posted on June 24, 2013 by webmaster

Some readers will recall we wrote to support of Miranda Gibson, who’s been fighting to save areas of Tasmanian forest that were to be destroyed by commercial logging. She spent a year up in a tree in the forest, the … Continue reading →

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War on Trees in the Bay Area

Posted on June 21, 2013 by webmaster

In a world where climate change is a reality, and trees our only defense (aside from actually reducing carbon emissions), it would seem to be a no-brainer that preserving existing trees would be environmentally important. The carbon sequestration and storage … Continue reading →

Posted in deforestation, Environment, eucalyptus, Herbicides, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, nativism, Natural areas Program, UCSF | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Action Alert: TODAY is Deadline for East Bay Tree-felling Comments

Posted on June 16, 2013 by webmaster

This article is reprinted with permission from SFForest.net The deadline for comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the East Bay Tree-felling plan is TODAY. From the FEMA website: Submitting Comments on the Draft EIS Written comments must … Continue reading →

Posted in deforestation, Environment, eucalyptus, Herbicides, nativism | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How Many Butterflies? San Francisco Butterfly Count, 2013

Posted on June 12, 2013 by webmaster

Each year, in June or July, a group of volunteers goes out and counts butterflies. This year’s butterfly count in San Francisco was on June 8th, and yielded 751 individual butterflies, of which 703 were identified by species. (The spotters … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Hiking through Mount Sutro Forest – Tony Holiday (Part 2)

Posted on May 29, 2013 by webmaster

Tony Holiday is a San Francisco resident who likes hiking the area. This is republished with permission and minor changes from “Interior Greenbelt Unmarked” on his blog, Stairways are Heaven. In this, the second of two articles, Tony hikes up … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Hiking, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Hiking Through Mount Sutro Forest by Tony Holiday (Part I)

Posted on May 29, 2013 by webmaster

Tony Holiday is a San Francisco resident who likes hiking the area. This is republished with permission and minor changes from “Both Historic Trails” on his blog, Stairways are Heaven. This, the first of two articles, describes a hike that … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Hiking, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

People Overwhelmingly Favor Preserving Mount Sutro Forest

Posted on May 9, 2013 by webmaster

In recent weeks, we’ve had several developments regarding Sutro Forest. COMMENTS OVERWHELMINGLY FAVOR PRESERVING THE FOREST UCSF has compiled and published the public comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR).  Though the comments are meant to address the DEIR, … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Sutro Stewards: The Good, The Bad, and the… ???

Posted on May 8, 2013 by webmaster

In recent months, many people have asked us about the Sutro Stewards, and we’d like to explain our position. We’re not affiliated with them. The Sutro Stewards are a volunteer group that works primarily on Mount Sutro. Craig Dawson is … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Herbicides, Mount Sutro Stewards, nativism, UCSF | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

May 2013: Mount Sutro Forest Hike in a Dry Spell

Posted on May 6, 2013 by webmaster

We’ve had an unusually dry winter here in California, and even San Francisco’s had a hot spell recently. So what’s happening in Mount Sutro Forest, usually so damp and green? In brief: It’s not damp, but it is green. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk" | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Sutro Forest “Fire Hazard” – Lesson from the Oakland Hills

Posted on April 27, 2013 by webmaster

We are publishing, with permission and minor edits, this statement from a Board Member of the Hills Conservation Network.  This East Bay organization includes among its Board people who were directly impacted by the Oakland fire, and are dedicated to … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk" | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

San Francisco Bay Guardian: SH!T H@#PENED – The Battle of Mt Sutro

Posted on April 23, 2013 by webmaster

Who can resist a title like that?  “SH!T H@#PENED – The Battle of Mt Sutro” So when one of our readers told us about this SF Bay Guardian article, we went looking online. No luck. We went right out for … Continue reading →

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The Importance of Eucalyptus

Posted on April 22, 2013 by webmaster

It’s Earth Day today, and we’d like to talk about the importance of Eucalyptus trees. Surprisingly, even some people who identify as environmentalists have no idea of the far-reaching value of these trees in our environment. San Francisco has a … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Mount Sutro Stewards, nativism, Natural areas Program, UCSF | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

March End, 2013 – Mount Sutro Forest Hike

Posted on April 1, 2013 by webmaster

By the time we went up to the forest, the day’s rain had stopped. The world of Mount Sutro forest was fresh and green. The world of homes and automobiles fell away at the trailhead. It’s a wonderful time in … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mount Sutro Stewards, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Mt Sutro landslide risk | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Flaws in UCSF’s Sutro DEIR: Public Comments Due 19th March 2013

Posted on March 15, 2013 by webmaster

This post is about flaws in UCSF’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve. It isn’t comprehensive, but hits some of the high points. Here is the PDF of the DEIR: Mount_Sutro_EIR_1-16-13_with_Appendices MISLEADING PICTURES The DEIR … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Sutro Forest Statement by Dr Joseph Mascaro

Posted on March 14, 2013 by webmaster

This is the statement of Dr Joseph Mascaro at the February 25th 2013 hearing UCSF held about the Draft Environmental Impact Report regarding Sutro Forest. It is published here with permission and added emphasis. ——————————- My name is Dr. Joseph … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Meetings, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

UCSF’s Mt Sutro DEIR: How Many Felled Trees – 30,000 or 22,000 or zero?

Posted on March 14, 2013 by webmaster

As we’ve noted before, UCSF’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on the Management Plan for Sutro Forest has been published, and public comments are due by March 19th, 2013. It covers what UCSF designates the Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve, … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mount Sutro Stewards, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Tree Wars by Joel Engardio

Posted on March 8, 2013 by webmaster

Joel P. Engardio lives West of Twin Peaks and serves on the Board of Directors of Plan C and the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club. You can follow his blog at http://www.engardio.com or find him on Facebook. The article … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Fimrite’s Forest: The Evil Twin of Sutro Forest

Posted on March 5, 2013 by webmaster

Fimrite’s Forest is the evil twin of Mount Sutro Cloud Forest. It occupies the same space, but it’s quite different from the forest we know and love. It’s described in Peter Fimrite’s recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments