Tag Archives: cloud forest

Is UCSF’s Sutro Forest Actually Unhealthy?

Posted on February 13, 2013 by webmaster

The main argument UCSF makes for the plan to remove 30,000 trees is that the forest is unhealthy. But is it? The letter below is from Alma Hecht, a Certified Arborist who evaluated the forest. SAN FRANCISCO’S FORESTS by Alma … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged arborist, cloud forest, drying out the forest, eucalyptus, Mt Davidson, Sutro Forest | 8 Comments

A Hiker’s Letter: Sutro Forest A Midcity Treasure

Posted on February 8, 2013 by webmaster

We received this letter recently, and publish it here with permission. I’m a solitary hiker who loves San Francisco’s beautiful parks and am concerned about all the overdone enthusiasm lately for baring our forests so that there will be mostly … Continue reading →

Posted in deforestation, Mount Sutro Stewards, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged cloud forest, mount sutro, native plants, trails, UCSF | 5 Comments

Fact Check: Nothing Grows UnderEucalyptus? (Allelopathy)

Posted on September 6, 2012 by webmaster

Like most people in the US, we’ve been listening to some of the political speeches and the discussion around them recently. And we’re rather heartened by a newly emerging trend: fact-checking. In the last few months, one “fact” we’ve heard … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, nativism | Tagged birds, cloud forest, eucalyptus myths, Mount Davidson, mount sutro, wildlife | 1 Comment

Mt Sutro Cloud Forest: An August 2012 Hike

Posted on August 18, 2012 by webmaster

The summer fog’s been hanging around the Cloud Forest, and when we went up there late last weekend, it had lightened but not lifted. We climbed up by the Christopher entrance to the South Ridge trail. It was cool and … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Maps, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged cloud forest, drying out the forest, eucalyptus, mount sutro, Sutro Forest, trail conditions | 1 Comment

Mount Sutro Forest: Sounds of the Cloud Forest

Posted on July 19, 2011 by webmaster

Bay Area Sound Ecology, an organization promoting awareness of the soundscape, conducts “soundwalks.” These are expeditions that focus on listening rather than just looking. Last evening, Jeremiah Moore and Andrea Williams led such a soundwalk in the Mount Sutro Cloud … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged andrea williams, bay area sound ecology, cloud forest, eucalyptus, jeremiah moore, listening exercise, mount sutro, Sutro Forest | 2 Comments

Mount Sutro Forest Ecosystem and Wildlife Habitat

Posted on January 24, 2011 by webmaster

We’ve talked earlier about how Sutro Forest works as a Cloud Forest, and why it’s always damp. Today, it’s Sutro Forest as an ecosystem and a habitat. UCSF recently had a scoping meeting for its Environmental Impact Review for their … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Mount Sutro Stewards, UCSF | Tagged acacia, birds, blackberry, cloud forest, english ivy, eucalyptus, mount sutro, Sutro Forest, wildlife | 19 Comments

UCSF, Mt Sutro Stewards, and the Fate of Sutro Forest

Posted on January 7, 2011 by webmaster

In an article about East Africa, conservationists WA Rodgers and ND Burgess spell out some of the difficulties faced in preserving coastal forests: the attitudes of the people. “At best the local inhabitants see their forest as a resource to … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mount Sutro Stewards, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged cloud forest, mount sutro, mt sutro stewards, native plants, Sutro Forest, Twin Peaks, UCSF | 2 Comments

Excerpts from the Arborists’ Report

Posted on October 6, 2010 by webmaster

As we said in an earlier post, we asked two arborists to look at the Mount Sutro Forest and give us a report. Jocelyn Cohen, a Certified Arborist, holds a seat on the Urban Forest Council for the City of … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged cloud forest, eucalyptus, mount sutro, mt sutro stewards, Sutro Forest, UCSF | 1 Comment

Mount Sutro Forest: A Walk in the Fog

Posted on August 8, 2010 by webmaster

Summertime, and San Francisco is cool and misty, and this summer even more so than usual. It’s a wonderful time to visit the forest, which is right inside the fog belt. In foggy weather, Mount Sutro Cloud Forest may be … Continue reading →

Posted in Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged cloud forest, drying out the forest, eucalyptus, opening up the forest, Sutro Forest, tree killers, trees, weather | Comments Off

Report: UCSF Forest Meeting, July 2010

Posted on July 27, 2010 by webmaster

UCSF’s Forest meeting this evening had a reasonably good turnout with a few new faces among the familiar ones. Janet Kessler, the Jane Goodall of San Francisco’s coyotes, was present but preferred not to speak in public. We suggested she … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Herbicides, Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged birds, cloud forest, drying out the forest, fire risk?, herbicide, native plants, Sutro Forest, UCSF, wildlife | 4 Comments

Report: Agenda Planning Meeting #3

Posted on July 13, 2010 by webmaster

This agenda planning meeting discussed the four demonstration sites, herbicide usage, and more fundamental issues of process and input. It clarifies what UCSF/ Sutro Stewards want: to remove the forest, and convert the mountain to a park with broad trails, … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Herbicides, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged cloud forest, drying out the forest, herbicide, mount sutro, opening up the forest, Sutro Forest, UCSF | 13 Comments

The “Demonstration Projects”

Posted on July 5, 2010 by webmaster

At the June 30 meeting, Ray Moritz, the forester hired by UCSF, presented the Demonstration projects. As we mentioned in the report on that meeting, we were surprised. We’d thought the areas discussed at the Agenda Planning meeting had been … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged birds, cloud forest, drying out the forest, mount sutro, Sutro Forest, wildlife | 3 Comments

Report: UCSF Sutro Forest meeting, June

Posted on July 1, 2010 by webmaster

This meeting, held at small Faculty center, was large and contentious. The Native Plant supporters were well-represented. There were some irate opponents, and some interested neighbors/forest-users who have not been continuously involved in the process. The most important issue discussed … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Herbicides, Meetings, UCSF | Tagged cloud forest, drying out the forest, Sutro Forest, UCSF | 10 Comments

Six Reasons Not to Destroy Sutro Forest’s Understory

Posted on June 29, 2010 by webmaster

We have been talking about the destruction of the forest’s understory in several areas. This is not an innocuous activity. Here are six reasons why: Creating a fire hazard. We have explained at length that the Cloud Forest, in its … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk" | Tagged cloud forest, drying out the forest, Environmental Impact Report, opening up the forest, parks, thinning, UCSF | 6 Comments

Report: UCSF’s Agenda-Planning Meeting

Posted on May 11, 2010 by webmaster

After withdrawing its FEMA proposal, UCSF decided to go ahead on its own. It convened a small group of supporters and opponents for an agenda planning meeting prior to its planned Community workshop. UCSF plans to hold three such meetings, … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged cloud forest, drying out the forest, Environmental Impact Report, mount sutro, UCSF, weather, wildlife | 7 Comments

Protecting Mount Sutro Cloud Forest Helps Biodiversity

Posted on May 7, 2010 by webmaster

We’d like to put Mt Sutro Cloud Forest in the context of the bio-diversity in the Western part of San Francisco. This is an 80-acre forest (including both the UCSF portion and the Interior Green Belt). That’s fairly large for … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Herbicides, Maps, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF | Tagged cloud forest, habitat, herbicide, san francisco, Sutro Forest | 13 Comments

Dialogue with Sutro Biker

Posted on April 22, 2010 by webmaster

This conversation with Sutro Biker started in the Comments. We felt it was interesting enough to have it in a separate post instead of buried at the bottom of a page. ************************************************************************ Sutro Biker (SB): I still can’t believe all the misinformation … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Herbicides, Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, nativism, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged cloud forest, fire risk?, Garlon, native plants, Sutro Forest, Twin Peaks, wildlife | 7 Comments

UCSF Update and March 24 meeting

Posted on February 26, 2010 by webmaster

We attended a meeting at UCSF today, in which they addressed several planning items. On Mt Sutro, UCSF was seeking money from FEMA to gut a quarter of the forest in the name of fire hazard mitigation. What UCSF’s Lori … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged cloud forest, Edgewood, EIR, Environmental Impact Report, Farnsworth, mount sutro, sutro, Sutro Forest, UCSF | 8 Comments

Old Growth Forest on Mt Sutro

Posted on February 25, 2010 by webmaster

Some months ago, we got into a discussion with “Jimbo” about old-growth forests, in the comments section of the front page of this website. (Scroll down to see the discussions.) At the time we said: “As for old-growth, I don’t … Continue reading →