Celebrate Earth Day at the Presidio

Presidio of San Francisco (April 15, 2010) — One of the “greenest” buildings in the Presidio will form the perfect backdrop for the park’s fourth annual Earth Day celebration. Earth Stroll, a family-friendly, interactive adventure around Crissy Field, takes place Saturday, April 17, from 10 am until 2 pm at the Crissy Field Center’s spectacular new “green” facility, located at 1199 East Beach Drive in the Presidio (near the Marina Gate).

Guided by their own Eco-passports, kids and families can play eco-games, meet live animals from Wildcare, spin and card their own wool courtesy of the sheep from Slide Ranch, and make traditional tortillas with “Juana Briones,” one of the founding residents of Yerba Buena, the pueblo that would become the city of San Francisco — all while learning about healthy living and creating a healthy planet.

“The activities are designed to help people connect in fun, engaging ways with our little corner of the planet,” says Damien Raffa, education and volunteer program manager with the Presidio Trust.

“Earth Stroll at the Presidio celebrates the special natural heritage that abounds in the park,” Raffa continued. “The Presidio is a living museum of the habitats that once covered the landscape before it was fully developed. This natural history belongs to all of us. We want the community to know and value these living treasures.”

Among the many activities available at stations around Crissy Field, people will be able to:

• Navigate their way through the shorebird marsh maze
• Dress up as their favorite marine animal
• Play edible geology and “healthy eating” twister games
• Meet “Chipper,” the eco-conscious city squirrel who eagerly recounts his adventures in his latest book, Let’s Stroll Crissy Field

Now housed in its temporary facility along the eastern edge of Crissy Field, Crissy Field Center offers programs and workshops to school groups, community organizations and the general public. Working in partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the National Park Service, and the Presidio Trust, the center encourages new generations to become bold leaders for thriving parks, healthy communities and a more environmentally just society.

The center incorporated as many “green” elements as possible in the design and construction of its interim home. Advanced pre-engineering dramatically reduced the demand for raw materials and made construction of the 7,200 square foot building virtually waste free. The center will remain in the temporary buildings until the completion of the new Doyle Drive parkway, at which time it will move back into its original building on Mason Street. The temporary structures will then be reused, moved to another location in the park or sold back to the builder.

The new center was also designed to maximize natural light and minimize the use of artificial lighting; and it made use of construction materials – including the roof insulation, carpeting, and the concrete used to pave the center’s entrance plaza – that contain as much as 95 percent recycled contents.

The fourth annual Earth Stroll takes place Saturday, April 17, from 10 am to 2 pm at the Crissy Field Center’s new facility, 1199 East Beach Drive in the Presidio. There is a $5 fee for activities passports, which will be waived for kids who draw a picture of nature in their neighborhoods and submit it for a giant map of nature in San Francisco.

Earth Stroll is a partnership of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, and the Presidio Trust.

The Presidio Trust was established by the United States Congress in 1996 to administer the Presidio of San Francisco, an urban national park that is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is located at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The areas overseen by the Trust include expansive open space and spectacular views, a 300-acre historic forest, and rare and endangered plants and wildlife. The National Park Service oversees the coastal areas of the Presidio. The park comprises nearly 6 million square feet of buildings, including 469 historic structures that contribute to the Presidio’s status as a National Historic Landmark District.