Tag Archives: mount sutro

A Unique Forest

Posted on September 20, 2010 by webmaster

We’ve been convinced about the health and beauty of this amazing forest, but we’re not arborists. So we asked one to look at the forest for us. The letter below is from ISA-certified arborist, Jocelyn Cohen, who is a member … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Neighborhood impact | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Hiking in Mount Sutro Forest – Pointers and Map

Posted on September 13, 2010 by webmaster

We’ve been talking about the beauty of this forest, especially on a foggy day – and it occurred to us that hikers less familiar with it might want better information. This article has been reprinted from Mount Sutro Forest. [Edited … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Wind. Fog. Mount Sutro Forest

Posted on September 8, 2010 by webmaster

The wind was strong this afternoon, blowing over trashcans, swishing the tops of the eucalyptus like great lace fans, swirling the fog into romantic curls. The sun was AWOL. A perfect day for a walk in San Francisco’s own cloud … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

A Tree House Dream

Posted on September 4, 2010 by webmaster

UCSF’s building a new community center in the Aldea Student Housing area. There’s nothing especially wrong with the building, a practical-looking structure that’s going where a student residence used to be. [ETA Aug 2011: Here’s a picture of the completed … Continue reading →

Posted in UCSF | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Native Plants, Chaparral: Conversation with ‘Charlie’

Posted on August 1, 2010 by webmaster

From time to time, people come by to comment and engage with the information on this website. We appreciate that. ‘Charlie’ commented on several posts, but this comment was long and complex enough that it deserved a separate post. ******************* … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, nativism, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged , , , , | 62 Comments

UCSF “Community Input”: The Opposites Game

Posted on July 28, 2010 by webmaster

We’ve been concerned that the only community input UCSF has been accepting is from the Mount Sutro Stewards and their supporters. Grade school kids sometimes play an infuriating game called Opposites: They do the opposite of what you ask. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbicides, Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, Maps, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Making Wildlife Into Vermin

Posted on July 19, 2010 by webmaster

Just like weeds are plants growing in the wrong place, vermin are animals in the wrong place. Most often, in the context of a  city like San Francisco, that would be in or near our homes, interfering in some way … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbicides, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact | Tagged , , , | 13 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 , , , , , , | 13 Comments

More Sutro Forest Birds

Posted on July 8, 2010 by webmaster

Some time ago, we’d posted a bird-list from birder Keith McAllister: Nearly 30 species seen or heard in a single morning in the Sutro Forest. From several other people, and covering several separate visits to the forest, we have yet … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , | 12 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 , , , , , | 3 Comments

The 1976 UC Regents’ Resolution

Posted on June 24, 2010 by webmaster

As promised, Barbara Bagot-Lopez of UCSF sent us a link to the 1976 resolution by the UC Regents. Most of it pertains to housing on Third Avenue, but it also makes the Open Space Reserve Permanent. For your convenience, we … Continue reading →

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

Report: UCSF’s Agenda Planning Meeting #2

Posted on June 8, 2010 by webmaster

This evening we had the second of three scheduled agenda planning meetings. Those present were the usual agenda-planners, with the addition of Walter Caplan (President, Forest Knolls Neighborhood Organization) who had been outside the country at the previous one. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, nativism, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Urban Forests and Migratory Birds

Posted on May 23, 2010 by webmaster

We’d like to thank “Sutro Resident” for a comment with a link that led us to an interesting piece of research: That migratory birds may depend heavily on small urban forests as they pass through, and even small forests are … Continue reading →

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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 , , , , , , | 7 Comments

A Forest Full of Birds

Posted on March 29, 2010 by webmaster

Sutro Cloud Forest is always alive with birdsong. We couldn’t identify the birds from their calls; we’re not that expert at birding. We were delighted, therefore, to hear from someone much more knowledgeable. Keith McAllister sent us a list of … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

Sutro Forest 2010-2011: UCSF Meeting update

Posted on March 25, 2010 by webmaster

UCSF’s meeting was intended to inform the neighbors about the reasons for the withdrawal of the FEMA application; reaffirm their commitment to a safe, healthy, beautiful and usable forest; and lay out next steps. Barbara French opened the meeting with … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Herbicides, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 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 , , , , , , , , | 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 →

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

Low Fire Risk and the “Historic Trail”

Posted on February 9, 2010 by webmaster

I attended a meeting called by Parks and Rec this evening, to discuss opening access to the forest at 17th and Stanyan in Cole Valley. This the black dotted line in the map below. [ETA: The map was distributed at … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Maps, Meetings, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, Neighborhood impact, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk" | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Stewardship of a Forest

Posted on November 28, 2009 by webmaster

Two weeks ago, I visited the forest surrounding the Meiji shrine, in Tokyo, Japan. As with the Sutro Cloud Forest, I was struck by the wonderful old trees growing in the heart of a city, and wanted to find out … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, nativism, Neighborhood impact, UCSF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Herbicide Moratorium on Mt Sutro

Posted on November 18, 2009 by webmaster

Earlier on, we posted about the use of Roundup on the Aldea campus. (We had heard reports that it was used in the Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, too; but there were contrary reports at the October 19th meeting. Until we … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, Neighborhood impact | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Cutting Down Trees

Posted on November 15, 2009 by webmaster

Someone brought over the November/ December 09 copy of the Sierra Club Magazine. It fell open to the centerfold. There in a big blue box and large letters it said: ————- “It’s cool because people are cutting down trees instead … Continue reading →

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

Slate magazine on Invasives

Posted on November 10, 2009 by webmaster

Someone sent me a link to a thoughtful article in Slate magazine called “Don’t Sweat the Invasion” by Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow. The author starts out with the example of tamarisk, also known as salt-cedar; it’s an “exotic invasive” that spreads along … Continue reading →

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

Volunteers, pizza, and $30/hour

Posted on November 5, 2009 by webmaster

On the new improved web-page about Mt Sutro, UCSF has included some information on how they work with the Mount Sutro Stewards, a volunteer nativist group (responsible for the Native Garden at the summit),  which builds and maintains the trails … Continue reading →

Posted in UCSF | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

November Fog Log

Posted on November 1, 2009 by webmaster

As we said in the original Fog Log post, we’re keeping track of that crucial “September to November period when fire risk is greatest,” according to the UCSF letter. “Mount Sutro is squarely in the fog belt. The question is, … Continue reading →

Posted in Sutro Forest "Fire Risk", UCSF | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Least Visible” South Ridge and Edgewood

Posted on October 27, 2009 by webmaster

UCSF’s presentation suggested that the planned cut areas are inconspicuous from offsite. This is South Ridge (above). The yellow dots outline the planned Cut Zone. The homes below it are the Forest Knolls neighborhood. ———– And this shows the Edgewood … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Neighborhood impact | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Fire Hazard Map(s)?

Posted on October 22, 2009 by webmaster

Fire Hazard maps are critical to substantiating that there even is a hazard. The maps associated with this Plan don’t achieve that. TWO MAPS THAT DON’T MATCH UCSF’s 19 October presentation included a map called City-Wide Wildfire Hazards. (Page 18 … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, Maps, Meetings, Sutro Forest "Fire Risk" | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Cloud Forest’s Driest Day

Posted on October 13, 2009 by webmaster

It’s raining now, the evening of Monday Oct 12th. This may herald the beginning of winter’s wet weather. In October we had the longest stretch of fogless rainless weather – seven days. In recent days, we’ve had high clouds, but … Continue reading →

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1 acre = 30 cars

Posted on September 23, 2009 by webmaster

I stole this graphic from the Nature Conservancy website (which I’ve linked here, so I hope they won’t mind). We’ve been hearing about the carbon impact of chopping down all those 120-year old trees. Until now, I didn’t have an … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

California Eucalyptus: A Biological Treasure

Posted on September 22, 2009 by webmaster

Someone posted an intriguing note on the A Historic Forest page of this website. It suggested something we hadn’t thought of before: that the eucalyptus here may be a repository of genetic material not found even back in Australia. Here’s … Continue reading →

Posted in eucalyptus, nativism | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments