San Bruno Mountain Stewardship Project Heart of the Mountain is a program headed by the Yerba Buena chapter of the California Native Plant Society. The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) initiated the San Bruno Mountain Stewardship Project to serve as a model that can be used by county government. Working closely with the San Mateo County staff, we have developed a restoration project that offers opportunities for local community and corporate groups, teachers, and schoolchildren to become involved in the many dimensions of landcare: planning, weed removal, seed collection, nursery propagation, and outplanting. |
|
Our Mission
Our mission is to protect San Bruno Mountain, especially
its threatened Colma Creek, and inspire community appreciation and stewardship
through education, advocacy, and resource management.
At the end of this three-year initiative, we hope to have demonstrated the
power of stewardship so effectively that the county will take over this
program and replicate it throughout the county park system. Stewardship
is good for the land, for people, and for the taxpayer. Like other efforts
that encourage community involvement, every dollar spent in coordination
can bring dozens of dollars in donated labor. Such demonstrations of community
support also attract in-kind donations as well as private philanthropy and
grants from other public agencies.
Community-based stewardship is all about education through service. Our
project began in early 2001 and already we’ve reached more than 400
people and enabled volunteers to donate more than 1,300 hours. While our
geographic focus is strongly centered on northern San Mateo county, especially
the four cities that surround San Bruno Mountain (South San Francisco, Colma,
Daly City, and Brisbane), volunteers also come from other parts of San Mateo
County and sometimes even further afield. For a Macy’s Mountain
Cleanup Day held in August 2001, 270 employees from several western states
helped us clear out 11 dumptruck loads of invasive Cape ivy from the
Colma Creek headwaters.
About the California Native Plant Society
The Yerba Buena chapter of the California Native Plant Society, covering San Francisco and northern San Mateo counties, is one of thirty-two chapters closely tied to the state organization. Over the last decade, the Yerba Buena chapter has been at the forefront of community-based stewardship efforts in the Bay Area. Our advocacy was a key factor in the successful transformation of the Presidio’s Crissy Field, where a restored tidal marsh abuts a pioneering education center dedicated to teaching diverse communities about the land and environmental justice. Our leadership also contributed to the phenomenal growth—from 100 hours annually in 1990 to 100,000-plus in 2000—in volunteer support for stewardship programs run by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.
Related links
California
Native Plant Society–Yerba Buena
Crissy
Field
Golden
Gate National Recreation Area
San
Francisco Recreation and Park Department
Join Us!
Work outdoors to restore a beautiful and endangered freshwater wetland in the headwaters of Colma Creek. You may help remove invasive plants, collect seeds and cuttings, propagate marsh and scrub plants, and then outplant them. Get involved in the cycle of restoration and become a steward of the land. The healing land brings great satisfaction to those who love nature, the outdoors, and life in all its wondrous diversity. We provide the tools, training, gloves, and goodies. Bring your energy and enthusiasm to help make a real difference and become the "Heart of the Mountain!"
Join the "Heart of the Mountain" volunteers on most Saturdays (see calendar) for two hours of good company, good work, and tasty goodies. We meet at 10 AM at the park’s Main Parking Lot. Heavy rain cancels, but when in doubt call (650) 355-6635 after 8 AM. Dress in layers and sturdy footgear. Entrance fee waived for volunteers. All are welcome!
