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Nature and Sustainability

Learn how the Presidio protects and shares nature while reducing our environmental impact.

The Presidio is a wonderful place to experience the wild outdoors.

The Presidio is home to wildflowers, wildlife, and wetlands — including endangered species that can’t be found anywhere else. It’s one of the most biologically diverse national park sites in the country, right in the heart of a big city.

As a national park site where people live, work, and visit, the Presidio is in a unique position to take on two critical environmental issues: the extinction crisis and climate change. For nearly three decades, park ecologists and volunteers have been restoring natural habitats, conducting research, and nurturing native plants and animals so visitors can enjoy them for years to come.

But our strategy goes further than that. The park is also a lab where we’re testing ways to greatly reduce our negative impact on the environment. In short, we’re working toward a nature-positive Presidio. 

Nature Snapshot

Great Blue Heron at Crissy Field.

323+ Bird Species

Including 65 neo-tropical migrating species that rest here.

Birds of the Presidio
Pink clarkia flower in the Presidio.

300+ Native Plant Species

Including wildflowers, trees, and grasses.

Plants of the Presidio
Lupine flowers in bloom at Baker Beach dunes.

12 Native Plant Communities

Including dunes, grasslands and wetlands.

Franciscan manzanita soon after outplanting above Battery Crosby.

5 Endangered Species

Including the last known wild Franciscan Manzanita.

Endangered Species
Checkerspot butterflies at El Polin.

82 Butterfly & Moth Species

Including monarchs and white-lined sphinx moths.

Butterflies & Moths
Adult coyote walking in the Presidio. Photo by Soichi Furuya.

21 Land Mammal Species

Including coyotes, foxes and bats.

Mammals of the Presidio
Western Fence Lizard

5 Reptile Species

Including lizards and turtles.

Reptiles of the Presidio
Pacific chorus frog sitting on a cabbage leaf. Photo by Frank Zawilla.

4 Amphibian Species

Including frogs and salamanders.

Amphibians of the Presidio

Habitat Restoration and Biodiversity

We’re restoring habitats, bringing back lost species, and demonstrating how everyone plays a role in nurturing biodiversity for future generations. 

Ecological Restoration and Stewardship

The Presidio Trust partners with the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy to restore natural grasslands, wetlands, sand dunes, and creek systems. 

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Creating a Sustainable Forest

We’re revitalizing the 306-acre historic forest planted by the U.S. Army, preserving it as part of the National Historic Landmark while increasing its ecological value.

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Bringing Back Native Species

Habitat restoration has allowed many Presidio native species to come home. Reintroduced species include chorus frogs, western pond turtles, three-spine stickleback fish, the San Francisco forktail damselfly, the variable checkerspot butterfly, and California floater mussels.

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Wildlife Management

We test innovative management and awareness strategies to help people and wildlife coexist at the Presidio.

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Reporting Our Results

We aim to be a model of environmental stewardship — so it’s essential to share our progress. View our scorecard and explore the data.

View Reports
Newt release at El Polin Spring.

Coyotes in the Presidio

These animals are an important part of the ecosystem. Learn how we coexist with coyotes in the Presidio.

Alert coyote in the Presidio. Photo by Soichi Furuya.

Bringing Back the Quails

We’re exploring how to bring the official state bird back to the Presidio

Quail standing on wood

Volunteer to be a Nature Steward

Volunteers in the Presidio. Photo by Alison Taggart-Barone, NPS.

Habitat & Forest Stewards

Habitat restoration is a hands-on way to revitalize ecosystems.

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Adults and children volunteering at Presidio Nursery. Photo by Charity Vargas.

Presidio Nursery

Help care for more native plants used in Presidio restoration sites.

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Places to Explore Nature

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Camp in the Presidio

Rob Hill Campground offers national park camping just minutes from the city. Make a reservation and then enjoy the tranquility of ocean waves and the sound of owls in the cypress trees.

Two girls enjoying s'mores at Rob Hill Campground.

From our Blog

Visit Our Blog

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