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2007 Best of the Bay: Tuning In |
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lllustration by Mie Hommura
Like many before me, and probably many to come, I arrived in San Francisco with almost nothing: rope-burned palms, a seabag full of molding, salt-crusted laundry, and the stub of my one-way plane ticket in the back pocket of my only decent pair of jeans.
I'd spent the past month aboard a 130-foot wooden schooner, the Harvey Gamage, known with scornful affection among the crew as "Heavy Damage." I'd gone to sea for the same reasons I'd always gone before - because I loved being on the water and I wasn't sure what else to do. I had it in mind that once we got to Charleston, S.C., I would know if I should find another berth or if it was time to move on with my life. There was a boy I loved who'd left me for UC Berkeley, and I had a feeling he might be too good to let go of.
The Gamage lived up to her nickname that trip - we dodged a couple of hurricanes, splintered a mizzenmast spar, nursed a generator through the later stages of cancer, and lost crew at every port of call. By the time we made fast the dock lines in South Carolina, I had made up my mind. I would swallow the anchor.
And so I came to a town that's surrounded by water. The beloved boy came and went, but I got another pair of jeans, a place to call home, and a few spare furnishings. I called my dad and told him to sell my car and ship my bicycle, which has become my solitary mode of transport and my primary source of recreation. When I gave up the sailor's life for the reporter's pen, I also traded long, raw days among the elements for a stuffy office and a flickering computer screen. At the end of the day, I need to get outside.
My favorite ride is along the 30 or so miles of our perimeter. It's a patrol of our borders, a self-guided tour of our varied coasts, and a visual lesson in the true cost of development. First I "wiggle" my way out of the center of the city into the Panhandle and head west, hanging a left onto Sunset Boulevard, looping around Lake Merced, and hitting the open road of the Great Highway along Ocean Beach.
From there I point north, up the heights of Sutro and into the Presidio via El Camino del Mar, through a landscape that always feels slightly haunted to me, as if everything that lives and grows here must be prepared to die at any moment - from the US Army base that once occupied it to the rare native species trying to reclaim what is now a national park.
There's a stiff breeze coming in through the Golden Gate, making the stretch along Crissy Field a downwind leg, my jersey puffed forward like a spinnaker, drawing me east. Fisherman's Wharf, no matter the hour, is like running the gauntlet, but I usually emerge onto the Embarcadero only slightly battered.
Here's where it gets interesting, where I start to wonder what will become of this city. The southern waterfront, really everything past AT&T Park, is the abused ex-lover of industry, shipping, and the military. Redevelopment has been scattered and slow, starting with the UCSF Mission Bay campus, more redolent of some futuristic fortress than a lofty center of higher education. Nearly everything else around it is either Superfund or super-underfunded, with great swaths of coastline dominated by empty warehouses and vacant lots locked away behind chain-link fences.
Tucked away here and there are the holdouts of a living coast - the Bayview Boat Club, where the word "yacht" curls the lips of members; the Agua Vista Public Fishing Pier, where it's possible to actually get up close to the water and, if you dare, dip your feet in; Heron's Head Park, where the diligent work of volunteers has supplanted a toxic waste site with a migratory bird bar. But high-rises are beginning to rear their blocky heads, and every day the air is filled with the shudder and thunk of construction as these buildings become a wall between the city and the sea. The wall blocks more than the view. It halts the flow of air. It pushes away the smell of the sea, the damp feel of the fog.
Still, there's a certain spot along Third Street, around where 18th Street stutters to an end, that still smells like the ocean. You have to be out in the air, walking or running, skating or pedaling a bike, to catch it, and it has to be early in the morning - before the hot press of human industry cranks into high gear. That smell stops me, a girl who gave up her life on the sea to be here, in my tracks.
That special scent, which always reminds me of the white flesh of a very fresh watermelon rind, is actually dimethyl sulfide, a gas that's released when phytoplankton die. The higher the concentration of the minuscule sea creatures, the stronger that ocean smell. Phytoplankton are the lowest of the low on Neptune's food chain, but their death is the herald of life. Seabirds tune in to it when they're searching for food, and as any good whale watcher or fisherman knows, you follow the birds if you want to find something worthwhile.
So to me it's a sign of hope to stand among the spoils of industry and still be able to encounter that particular smell, slipping in through the construction sites. It gives me hope that some visionary leader or driven community activist will smell it too and develop a real plan for restoring our eastern edge. Once upon a time high-rise condos were the vision for Fort Mason, and Alcatraz Island was going to host a casino. We have Rep. Phillip Burton's prescience back in 1972 to thank for Golden Gate National Recreation Area and all the beauty of our western and northern shores. Who will we thank, I wonder, for the restoration of our eastern one?
Editor's Picks
BEST GIRL-ON-GIRL ACTION FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
Educational experiences come in all shapes, sizes, and colors - including black and blue and curvaceous. For example, for the price of a credit at City College, you can have the sights, sounds, and smells of a roller rink as a classroom and a crew of punk rock ladies in fishnets and skates as teachers. Welcome to the hard-knock school of the Bay Area Derby Girls. These BAD Girls demonstrate important life lessons, such as how to work well on a team (use whatever means necessary to win), how to get what you want (looking hot in a helmet and knee pads helps), and how to successfully circumvent the corporate business model (the league is skater owned). We've got three all-women teams to catch bouting round the Bay - the Oakland Outlaws, the Richmond Wrecking Belles, and the SF Shevil Dead - and another season of BAD action starts in the fall; get ready to rumble.
BEST ROBOT VS. HUMAN PING-PONG
For those of you who eagerly embrace the sci-fi futuristic trappings of this fledgling 21st century, rejoice in the fact that we can now compete against robots in Ping-Pong. If you doubt such a Blade Runner-esque reality, then head down to AMD Trading Co. in North Beach and find out for yourself. As an official USA Table Tennis club, AMD conducts after-school and summer programs for local children to train and compete in table tennis tournaments. The robots help these kids get plenty of practice, and the location also serves as a first-rate shopping spot for all your table tennis accessory needs. Gear up well, because the TW 2000-05 Table Tennis Robot is not soft on the competition. Facing nine spinning techniques, a variety of serving speeds, and the robot's ability to fire out more than one ball per second, you'll be hard put to assert humanity's supremacy over machine.
1021 Stockton, SF. (415) 397-1532, www.amdtrading.us
While in principle we'd be the first to advocate sitting at home with a good history book on weekends, we'd also be the first to admit that such studious discipline can be hard to maintain on those rare summer afternoons when the sun is shining. Thanks to local activist Chris Carlsson's Bicycle History Tours, which depart regularly from CounterPULSE in SoMa, you can get your fun in the sun while simultaneously learning loads about San Francisco's various social, political, and ecological histories. As director and curator of the ambitiously far-reaching Shaping San Francisco history preservation project, Carlsson has amassed a wealth of local archival information regarding such absorbing topics as the subterranean waterways flowing beneath our streets and the Bay Area's long-standing penchant for protest. Usually the bike ride turns out to be the least strenuous activity of the day, but the great gray muscle that is your brain will definitely get a workout.
1310 Mission, SF. (415) 435-7552, www.counterpulse.org
BEST PERAMBULATING AMATEUR BOTANISTS
It's pretty hard to take a hike through Tilden Park and not encounter a birder, mushroom hunter, geocacher, geologist, budding photographer, natural history buff, or amateur botanist crouched down by the side of the trail. Occasionally you may even run across a whole gaggle of such folks, having a hoot sharing their knowledge of indigenous plants and the surrounding landscape. If you enjoy experiencing nature as a classroom as well as a playground, grab your binos and hand lens and join them by getting involved with the California Native Plant Society. Launched in the East Bay in 1965, the society now has five chapters throughout the Bay Area, so you can hike along no matter where you live. Each chapter offers outings and activities, such as plant identification workshops, invasive species removal, and native species propagation.
BEST CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH BAMBI
The deer on Angel Island may be native; kayakers have noticed them swimming in the Raccoon Strait to Tiburon. But after the US Army imported herds in 1915 and 1930, things got out of hand. With no natural predators, the population swelled unnaturally, and they began to starve, stripping the vegetation and causing soil erosion. Well-meaning picnickers fed the deer, which kept their numbers high but didn't do much for their overall diet. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals tried dispensing deer chow, which they wouldn't eat. A birth-control initiative didn't work. After an ill-considered proposition to import mountain lions and coyotes, some of the deer were booted to other parks. Of course, not being used to predators or cars, they all died off within 60 days. Finally, rangers had to resort to "culling" the herd - that is to say, shooting them. Nowadays, the herd is at a supportable number; rangers and researchers work hard to control the population, and culling hasn't occurred recently. Meanwhile, the well-fed and happy deer are remarkably friendly and likely to let you approach very near when you're walking a trail - just don't share your gorp, or Bambi's mom gets it.
We're of the opinion that exercising is better when you don't know you're doing it. At Trapeze Arts there's no chance to even think about your workout - you're too busy trying to keep on your toes as you walk the tightrope or land the next soaring flip. And unlike in the hugely popular pole-dancing weight-loss program, here you need not worry about any unsightly jiggling as you fly through the air with the greatest of ease. While Trapeze Arts is an ideal place for gaining enough skills to run away and join the circus, you don't have to dedicate yourself to a career under the big top to dabble in the overhead arts. Students range from 2 to 82 years old, and everyone progresses at his or her own pace. There's also a certain connection between mind and body that rests on the precision of every move, allowing you to take unimagined risks and achieve individual goals. Like fitting into those tights.
1822 Ninth St., Oakl. (510) 419-0700, www.trapezearts.com
It's one of the San Francisco dweller's classic frustrations, a riff on the famous line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge: water, water everywhere - and not a drop to swim in, unless you're extreme enough to don neoprene and shiver through the choppy waters of the bay. Enter McNear's Beach County Park, a strip of sand and grass at the tip of San Rafael looking out onto San Pablo Bay. Like most other shorefront parks, this one's got picnic spots, barbecues, and volleyball and tennis courts, plus a sandy beach and a fishing pier. But McNear's also has a swimming pool not 50 feet from the beach - a strange but convenient juxtaposition. The park also has a curious history. It was once the summer resort for the same McNear who founded the nearby quarry in the 19th century. As the area was settled, the pushy locals just up and drove in their picnic gear, and the magnanimous magnate shared his grounds. Note: if you're reserving a group site, the best two are 7 and 8, which front the bay and have volleyball courts. Swimming is $4 per person.
201 Cantera Way, San Rafael. (510) 272-4810, www.ebparks.org/parks/midlhar.htm
BEST KAYAKING THROUGH ELK-FILLED TRANQUILLITY
Communing with nature in the Bay Area can be something less than serene. Thronged Muir Woods and Tilden Park often feel more like Disneyland or the DMV, and good luck trying to score a summer-weekend campsite at Kirby Cove or Angel Island. But tranquillity's just a few strokes away. Much of Tomales Bay is only accessible by boat, and the friendly, superorganized staff at Blue Waters Kayaking rents out kayaks and teaches you how to use them. Guided tours include whale watching, tule elk or bird viewing, and oyster tasting, with paddles at dawn, by day, in the twilight, and under the full moon. Or you can spend the night: with a National Park Service permit you can scout your own boat-in camp along the Tomales shore. Your kayak has room for minimalist gear, and Blue Waters will also schlep your stuff via motorboat and even provide camp catering. You can't get closer to nature than while meandering along the bay's still waters, the hush broken only by the startling thwup-thwup of a pterodactyl-like great blue heron ascending into the sky.
(415) 669-2600, www.bwkayak.com
It's been a long time coming, but the triumphal unveiling of San Francisco's first permanent Disc Golf Course in Golden Gate Park this March made the wait seem worthwhile. More than 10 years of patient negotiation, endless fundraising, and 4,000-plus hours of volunteer labor have resulted in a community-supported 18-hole fairway that winds through the tall trees ringing that subversive little subplot, Marx Meadow. This isn't a typical Frisbee golf (or, to college Greeks, "frolf") course, though. Considered by experts to be a so-called technical course, it features basket "holes" tucked beneath the spreading boughs of Monterey cypress and towering eucalyptus trees - making accuracy, not distance, the main challenge. Stock up on official golf discs beforehand - even the casual enthusiast will show up with a small briefcase full of the brightly colored babies. Leave the Aerobie at home, brah.
Marx Meadow, Golden Gate Park, Crossover and Fulton, SF. www.sfdiscgolf.org
When you're the only equestrian shop in San Francisco, you are by default the most convenient option for any and all polo players in the area eager to keep their horses groomed and well saddled. It would be easy enough merely to hoof by on this "where else are the britches-wearing suckas gonna go" rationale. But Tal-y-Tara Tea and Polo Shoppe doesn't just offer a wide selection of quality riding gear for the Town and Country set; it also plunges mane grippers and the equine-challenged alike into the romantic fantasy of an invigorating gallop through the park followed by a delightful respite of tea and crumpets. While browsing its charming environment for shiny tack and apparel, patrons of Tal-y-Tara can raise their pinkies with a fine cuppa and tuck into delicious old-school pastries such as the shop's famed motorloaf bread (fashioned to be convenient for motoring - that is, wide and flat for resting on the floor of a vintage Aston Martin). Tallyho, there!
6439 California, SF. (415) 751-9275, www.talytara.com
BEST ODDS ON TIRING OUT YOUR THREE-YEAR-OLD
Whether your child is clinically hyperactive or just generally full of manic youthful exuberance, the Preschool Programs at AcroSports have the means to put your little one on a fast track to nap time. Long known as a top-notch institution for adult gymnastics and circus arts, AcroSports also offers a variety of gym classes and physical activities for the kids. Trampolines, trapezes, and obstacle tunnels always make for exciting exercise outings for the rug rats, especially when combined with a qualified staff of teachers who can juggle a pack of two-year-olds as well as a handful of rubber balls. Classes fill up quickly, so sign on early and mash up any chance of couch potatoes in your home.
639 Frederick, SF. (415) 566-0102,www.acrosports.org
BEST AFTER-DARK URBAN PARK SURREALITY
The Port of Oakland is an apocalyptic vision of the future: every inch of ground is covered with concrete and asphalt, monster cranes shaped like Star Wars Imperial Walkers, and huge steel containers stacked up like Legos behind wire fences. Incongruously tucked away in one corner, however, is the thin green haven of Middle Harbor Shoreline Park. Unusual during the day, it's almost dreamlike at night, illuminated by the neighboring Hanjin Terminal's otherworldly fluorescent yellow lights and, from across the bay, the San Francisco skyline. Bring a picnic dinner and watch cranes unload fruit from mammoth ocean liners, or browse among the superbly crafted historical plaques, including one featuring a photo of black socialist actor Paul Robeson serenading a crowd of port workers in the 1940s. Fair warning: the area can be sketchy, and the cops kick you out after 10 p.m.
Seventh St. and Middle Harbor, Oakl. www.ebparks.org/parks/middle_harbor
BEST OPPORTUNITY TO SEE GROWN MEN BEAT one anOTHER WITH STICKS
With the 49ers actively preparing to defect from the city of San Francisco, residents may now turn to the San Francisco Dragons to satisfy their "men savagely pummeling other men" fixation. Entering into their second season of national competition in Major League Lacrosse, the Dragons bring hard-hitting ball-flinging battles to Kezar Stadium in the Haight on periodic summer Saturdays, competing against professional teams from around the country with fierce-sounding names like the Chicago Machine, the Long Island Lizards, and (current champions) the Philadelphia Barrage. Lacrosse may have a long way to go before it attains the popularity of Super Bowl Sunday (or even Monday Night Football, for that matter), but unlike another helmet-wearing San Francisco team, the Dragons can at least boast something for city residents to be proud of: a winning record last season as play-off contenders.
BEST CURE FOR THE GUTTER-BALL BLUES
Every American bowls - it's a simple fact of life. Most of us have probably hit the lanes more times than we've downed an apple pie or revved a Chevy - let alone fielded a fly ball. So c'mon, fellow 'Merricuns - let's go bowling! Before we do, though, let's make sure we're stocked up on killer bowling gear - at Skip Pavone World of Bowling in San Jose. The pinhead's paradise carries a vast assortment of custom-made bowling balls with everyone and everything etched on them, from Homer Simpson to the Jack Daniels logo. And the gargantuan array of plaques on Skip's wall from the American Bowling Congress, congratulating him on all his 300-point games, are a mighty testament to the owner's dedication to the sport. Even if you're just a beginner, the shop will set you up right: $114 gets you a discount package of a ball, a bag, and shoes to start you on your way to becoming the next Roy Munson or, at the very least, Jeffrey "the Dude" Lebowski.
14900 Camden, San Jose. (408) 559-3768
BEST SPORTS ULTRALOUNGE THAT ATE SAN FRANCISCO
Sports bars generally offer few frills for game fanatics. An old TV, some stale pretzels, and cheap beer are standard. But six-month-old, 10,000-square-foot Fanatics in Bayview challenges this perception. "This is not your father's sports bar" is its motto. True, the swanky interior - decked out with suede couches, modern art, pool tables, and 25 flat-screen TVs showcasing a full array of sports games - also features custom bars serving buffalo wings and beer alongside Chef Hill's Marinated Herb Grilled Pork Chop and Belvedere cocktails. But at night the space transforms into an entertainment complex hosting VIP parties, live shows, and Sony PSP contests. Only in such a civilized interior could the 49er burger, smothered with smoky bacon, cheddar cheese, and BBQ sauce, and the Raider burger, topped with jack cheese and grilled mushrooms, sit side by side on the deluxe granite bar so harmoniously.
601 César Chávez, SF. (415) 826-1126, www.fanaticsf.com
Finding the perfect yoga studio in a town that seems to have one on every corner is like the most impossible asana. If you're looking to get past all the fluff and incense, the Yoga Loft will become your new home. Founded in 2002 by Jane Dobson and Meg Whitbread at the behest of a bereft Iyengar community, the studio offers more than 50 classes a week taught by 15 to 20 devotees of the Iyengar and Vinyasa traditions. In addition to being a Green Yoga Association member, the loft hosts special seminars, retreats, and 200-hour advanced-studies and teacher-training programs. "We're trying to get at the heart of the practice, to make it accessible without changing it or watering it down but by just being there," says Whitbread, who also schedules bodywork sessions, in case you're feeling a little sore from your practice. Once a dance studio, the space, with its cathedral ceilings and creaking, polished wood floors, has a holy feel, and the teachers work with a sense of professionalism your body will trust.
321 Divisadero, SF. (415) 626-5638, www.theloftsf.com
Tae kwon do reaches a level of badass that stretches back 2,000 years or so. This kind of history can't really be taught from a book - but luckily, it can be transmitted through intensive training and hands-on experience. Especially if you're attending Hwa Rang Kwan, the oldest Korean martial arts center on the West Coast, where instruction in ancient techniques will immerse you in the "foot fist way," South Korean-style, in no time. Along with teaching jump-kick-crazy-in-the-air spinning moves, the center's aim is to help you develop harmony between your mind and body and, in doing so, ultimately achieve perfection of the human spirit. Grand Master Dong Kie Shin founded the center in 1971 and numbers members of the Korean Tiger Division and the Green Berets among his students - but less-militaristic newbies are welcome. Yoga and kickboxing classes are offered as well.
371 Fifth St., SF. (415) 495-2025, www.hrksf.com
Watching a baseball game at AT&T Park without a bag of fresh-roasted peanuts in hand is like rooting for the Dodgers: something that shouldn't be done. (Yeah, that's right - we said it.) We salute the vendors who tirelessly tote their wares to the highest sections and the cheapest seats so that we need never miss a pitch while ducking out to the concession stands. But among this tireless nut-toting legion one man stands out: the stalwart Alex Plachutin. He can toss a bag across three seating sections with incredible accuracy, and his booming basso cry of "Nuts!" is so penetrating and distinct it can be recognized across the park. Even fans munching goobers at home in front of their TV or radio can often hear him through the game's background crowd noises and think, "Yep, sounds like Alex is working today."
The city of Oakland owns a choice plot in the Sierra foothills called Feather River Family Camp, where, since 1926, urban families have come to hike, ride horses, swim in a clear mountain river, and sing around the campfire. For one glorious week each summer, Feather River hosts Camp It Up, a program that welcomes all families - specifically providing a safe and relaxing getaway for gay, lesbian, and otherwise queer parents and their kids. Activity-filled children's, teen, and adult programs ensure there's something supportive and fun for everyone. The on-site tent cabins may be a bit weathered, and you shouldn't expect fine dining, but for those who don't require four-star outdoor accommodations, Camp It Up is a hassle-free adventure - a chance to connect with no worries about homophobia. This year camp runs Aug. 5 to 12, and there's still time to sign up.
(510) 338-0370, www.campitup.org
Carbon-fiber and aluminum bikes may be all the rage, but an increasing number of cyclists is rediscovering the joys of traditional steel-framed road models. Steel bikes look cool and offer a sleek, smooth ride and unparalleled durability - with a body that rivals aluminum weightwise. The best place to score one of these beauties is San Francisco's oldest bicycle shop, American Cyclery. American offers a mouthwatering range of quality steel-framed mounts from outfits such as Gunnar, Bianchi, Cinelli, and hometown heroes Soma Bicycles. On the custom side, you can order one of Waterford's yummy made-to-measure designs through American, or the store can set you up with an artisan frame builder for what will truly be the bike of a lifetime. Be forewarned: once you taste steel, you'll never want to go back to the tinny stuff.
510 Frederick, SF. (415) 664-4545
BEST SEA VOYAGE FOR TOE DIPPERS
What is the deal with open water? Elite snoot or everyday Jane, none of us are immune to the siren's call, which draws us to the salty air at the prow of an outgoing vessel. But if you want to get serious about it, you have to learn all sorts of complicated stuff, like fancy knots and nautical terminology. Screw that. On a sunny Sunday we prefer a slightly less labor-intensive way to get our dose of maritime bliss. For only $8 to $15 an hour, anyone can rent a paddleboat, rowboat, kayak, or yes, sailboat from Oakland's city-run Lake Merritt Boating Center. Lake Merritt was the first wildlife refuge in the country, and as you glide along on the emerald water, you can't miss seeing exotic migratory birds (OK, mostly Canadian geese) or help enjoying the greenery at the lake's edge. Now doesn't that sound lovely? And more fun than risking capsizing in the Pacific?
568 Bellevue, Oakl. (510) 238-2196, www.oaklandnet.com/parks/programs/boating.asp
Surfing in Marin County can be either a blessing or a curse. For most Bay Area surfers it's the latter. It only takes a few unsuccessful attempts to locate waves before the defeated drive back over the bridge really begins to wear on you. But there's no need to chalk your journeys to Marin as total washouts. Proof Lab Surf Shop in Mill Valley is the go-to store for all things surf. Owned and operated by local surfers Nate McCarthy and Will Hutchinson, the Lab offers a complete selection of boards and gear from all the top manufacturers. More important, it embodies what your average surf shop once was: the heart of the surf community. The shop serves as a second home for a steady stream of groms (and groms at heart). Head to Proof Lab to score a new stick, shred the backyard half-pipe, and probably get skunked on surf.
254 Shoreline Hwy., Mill Valley. (415) 380-8900, www.prooflab.com
According to Bob Kelly, owner of Golf Works California, most golfers are missing one of the most important details of the game: a decent set of clubs. "The stuff that you buy in the store, it's all junk," Kelly says. The clubs sold in typical golf shops are incomplete, he explains - pros know that good clubs should be custom fitted to their handler, a crucial last step toward achieving fairway glory. Kelly, whose business adjusts clubs and designs custom sets, says the wrong fit will prevent you from playing your best no matter how good you are or how expensive your clubs. The Golfclub Makers Association-accredited club calibrator even claims that if you bring him a complete stock set of clubs that doesn't need adjustments, he'll buy them off you. After many years in business, he's yet to buy a single set.
1907 Eddy, Ste. 2, SF. (415) 931-6122, www.golfworkscalifornia.com
It's a question that haunts us all, especially when we have visitors who want to explore some of our breathtaking Northern California landscape: what are we gonna do this weekend? Enter Weekend Sherpa, a free weekly e-mail newsletter bursting with ideas about where to go, what to do, and how to get there. Hiking, biking, overnighting, and just plain relaxing around the bay are all on the Weekend Sherpa agenda, as well as river sojourns, ski trips, and so much more. Founder Brad Day launched the Sherp last year, and we've totally, like, discovered nature and stuff because of it. Even better - we just print out the latest edition, hand it to our guests, and point 'em in the right direction so we can go back to our all-night party life sans sunscreen. And although it's become wildly popular, Weekend Sherpa offers so many options that you don't feel like everyone's in on the secret (and you therefore have to leave for your destination at 3 a.m.).
You've probably never experienced the singular pleasure of a 12-foot Burmese python named Julie slithering over your stomach or a giant iguana named Big Lou perching on your shoulder, but hundreds of local grade-school kids have, thanks to Chris Giorni's classroom nature-education program, Tree Frog Treks. Since 1999, Giorni and his associates have been bringing their awesome animal menagerie into schools to introduce kids to the wonders of exotic zoology, the meaning of biodiversity, and the interconnectedness of life on the planet. The tireless reps of the environment also conduct several nature treks for children that include activities such as tide pooling, tracking, and night scouting, and they put on a number of Wild Science! and Junior Explorer summer camps, during which lucky participants get hands on with such neato-sounding endeavors as Monster Mash Laboratory Smash and Rot, Snot, and Slime. Cool.
2112 Hayes, SF. (415) 876-3764, www.treefrogtreks.com
Have a little faith. The birds, the trees, and the buses can all live in harmony. We can turn back the tide of global warming and save the planet. To find out how, take one of the bioregional tours offered by Planet Drum Foundation, a local nonprofit devoted to teaching wasteful urbanites how to live more sustainably. The foundation does so by holding outdoor workshops demonstrating the interrelationships between water, plants, and people in our city's bioregion. One weekend intensive led by Peter Berg, an ecoactivist in the Bay Area since the '60s, takes you through Glen Park Canyon and reveals the benefits of restoring native plants to the park's habitat. You can also arrange tours in other parts of the city or join in restoration projects the foundation runs in Ecuador and other environmentally challenged places.
