|
|
|
|
The El Polin Springs Restoration Planning Project
Restoring the indigenous ecology and cultural history of an urban watershed in the Presidio National Park
|
|
  Project Summary:
|
|
|
|
I. Purpose
To participate in the restoration planning process and determine restoration objectives for El Polin Springs, a unique urban freshwater source in the Presidio, and its watershed draining to Crissy Field and the San Francisco Bay.
II. Main Activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research:
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Natural springs and water quality
Native plant communities, including serpentine grassland, riparian habitat, sand dunes, and their transitions and inter-relationships
- Archeological and historical documents
Cultural uses of native plants by California Indians by reviewing native plant surveys and ethnobotanical lists and interviewing California Indian basket weavers
Coordinate with Restoration Partners:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consult and work with the Urban Watershed Project, the Natural Resources Division of the National Park Service, and the Presidio Trust to coordinate the restoration planning process for El Polin Springs and the Tennessee Hollow drainage to Crissy Field.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Community Outreach and Education:
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Consult with Native American community
- Meet with community and environmental organizations
- Develop an ethnoecology resource guide and database
- Develop a "Through Native Eyes" Tour of the Tennessee Hollow Watershed, from El Polin Springs to Crissy Field
- Develop educational programs in Ecological Studies with the California Institute for Integral Studies
- Develop ecological and cultural maps of the Watershed
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Improve the water quality and quantity of El Polin Springs
- Increase serpentine grassland habitat for the endangered Presidio Clarkia
- Identify culturally significant native plants for priority seed collection and planting, such as Arroyo willow and coast live oak
- Remove exotic species such as English ivy and eucalyptus
- Transfer removed trees to Shane Eagleton's Presidio log yard for use as recycled benches and environmental art
- Include Native American environmental specialists in the planning and restoration process
|
|
|
|
|
|
Funding:
|
|
|
|
|
|
This project is funded (in part) by a one-year Switzer Environmental Leadership Grant provided through the San Francisco Foundation. Additional funds are needed to fully participate in the restoration process for the El Polin Springs and Tennessee Hollow area and to see these plans through to implementation. The Cultural Conservancy is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Project Director: |
|
|
|
|
|
Melissa Nelson has served as the executive director of The Cultural Conservancy for six years. She began working in the Presidio in 1994 when she organized an Indigenous Earth Day event at Fort Scott. In 1996, The Cultural Conservancy became one of the first twenty nonprofit organizations in the Thoreau Center for Sustainability in Presidio building 1016. Melissa began living in the Presidio in 1997. She has completed her dissertation on Native American environmental issues for UC Davis where she received a Ph.D. in Ecology.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
back to top |
