Hands on History:

New Course on Historic Preservation Technology Offered to Trust Craftspeople

College of the Redwoods in Eureka, California has created a course on historic preservation technology through an interagency agreement with the Presidio Trust. The ten-session course titled "Historic Preservation Field Techniques" is the only program of its kind offered west of the Mississippi. It will be available to Trust craftspeople who are interested in learning about current technologies and techniques for maintaining and rehabilitating historic buildings.

Approximately 75 to 120 Trust craftspeople, project managers and plan reviewers will enroll in the program, which involves 10 eight-hour sessions held over eight months. At each session, students will meet in a historic building on the Presidio, where they will receive hands-on instruction on how to maintain and restore these structures. They will cover topics including interior and exterior wood repair, roof and gutter repair, and identification of historic components of a building, all in the context of sustainable materials and methods.

"The course, which Trust staff helped design, complies with standards set by the Secretary of the Interior for the rehabilitation, restoration and preservation of historic properties. The curriculum is part of the College of the Redwoods’ Historic Preservation and Restoration Technology certificate program," said Cherilyn Widell, preservation compliance officer for the Trust. "The Trust has always been committed to enhancing the skills and technological knowledge of its staff. Now that this program is available, we will be able to train many more of our craftspeople in the most current historic preservation construction methods."

College of the Redwoods received the "Governor’s Historic Preservation Award" for their role in establishing the program, and for ongoing work in advancing technology to improve historic preservation.

December 7, 2001, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Share the spirit of the season at the annual Presidio tree lighting ceremony. Bring your singing voice and a mug for refreshments! Meet at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Funston Avenue on the Main Post. Light refreshments will follow at the Presidio Fire Station. Call 415 561 5432 for details.

The Presidio Trust is happy to welcome several new tenant organizations to the park this fall and winter "Its exciting to add five new tenants to the Presidio community," said leasing specialist Joe Perrelli. "As the Trust has experienced a steady demand for its smaller office spaces, and has additional space in buildings 37 and 220 on Ruger Street and Gorgas Avenue, we look forward to continued leasing opportunities."

Niantic Corporation, an investment management firm with century-old ties to the San Francisco area, moved in to 572 Ruger Street on November 15^th. Niantic, which began as a shipping business in the 19^th century, will display artifacts from ships of yesteryear in its offices.

LoBue & Majdalany, a management consulting firm specializing in helping non-profit organizations optimize their potential, will share the building at 572 Ruger Street with Niantic. They moved into their new space in November.

The Northern California Independent Booksellers’ Association has leased space at 37 Graham Street. This association supports small booksellers in the region. Also moving into Building 37 is InfiniteInfo, an international web solutions company.

Two foundations will occupy a wing of Building 220. The All Species Foundation is hoping to promote and protect biodiversity by recording every species of life on the planet. They estimate that this 25-year undertaking will result in a listing of 30 million species. Also moving into Building 220 is the Long Now Foundation, which is hoping to shift society’s focus and collective creativity onto its long-term responsibilities by creating an iconic 10,000-year clock in the desert of Nevada.

The three-month comment period on the Draft Presidio Implementation Plan (PTIP) and corresponding environmental document (Draft EIS) ended on October 25, 2001. With the oral comments received at multiple public hearings, and more than 3,500 comment letters, Trust staff now faces the huge task of simply organizing and digesting the input received.

According to John Pelka, the Trust’s NEPA Compliance Manager, it will take several months to assess the public’s comments, prepare responses, and make modifications to the documents. Many of the comments are extremely thoughtful and complex, and will take considerable time to assess. The good news is that we should be able to provide equally thoughtful and meaningful responses, even if we can’t make everyone happy on every issue.

All of the comments – in the form of letters and transcripts -- are available for review in the Trust library at 34 Graham Street, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Detailed responses will be available following the publication of the revised plan and EIS, which are expected in March.

Comments – and responses – will address a wide spectrum of issues. These include the total amount of demolition, replacement construction, and overall building square footage that should exist in the park, the accommodation of employee housing demand, tenant selection and other activities related to the park’s overall "vision." And some comments reflect opposite sides of the same issue, making plan modification still more complex.

The Trust Board and I are encouraged by the thoughtful public participation in the planning and environmental review process. We have some difficult decisions to make over the next few months regarding suggested changes to the draft plan. I hope everyone who participated understands our appreciation of their input, and will be patient as we undertake the difficult work ahead.

The day developed into a perfect Bay Area fall afternoon. The warm sun was mitigated by a cool breeze off the ocean. Standing on the coastal bluffs of North Baker Beach, the small band of volunteers representing the National Park Service, Golden Gate National Parks Association, and Presidio Trust enjoyed an almost surreal view spanning bridge, bay and bluffs.

Participants have an opportunity to swap their shoes for boots and meet colleagues from these park agencies while they work on habitat and landscape restoration once each month. Volunteer day is an opportunity many Trust employees value as "a chance to help restore natural areas of the park, and give real meaning to working in the Presidio," as NEPA manager John Pelka explained. "It gives me a sense of belonging and connection, and reminds me why we’re here in the first place."

The Presidio contains the largest remaining natural area in the city of San Francisco. The park is home to13 distinctive ecological communities that provide habitat to over 200 species of wildlife and 250 species of native plants, including a dozen rare or endangered species. In addition to their important ecological value to wildlife, native plants offer park visitors a glimpse of the city's natural history. Today, invasive weeds pose the greatest threat to these sensitive natural areas.

"Each month, we go to the area of the park where we’re most needed," said Michael Gemmell, Trust accounting clerk and co-coordinator of the volunteer program. "But there is a definite annual cycle to what we do. Now, we’re removing non-native plants (mostly iceplant that tends to dominate more delicate native plant species). In the rainy season, we’ll place new plants into the ground. In spring and fall, we focus on gathering seeds and plant materials that will be nurtured in the Native Plant Nursery for later planting."

According to NPS ranger Marc Albert, the Trust volunteer program fits well with the park’s larger twice-weekly habitat restoration programs, which are open to the public. "Overall, we have more than 200 work sessions per year," he pointed out. "Seen together, they have made a huge impact on the environment of the park. Habitat restoration is an important new chapter in the human history of the Presidio."

Trust natural resources specialist Damien Raffa has a dual motive for helping build this volunteer program. "Helping people connect with nature is my passion," he said. "And habitat restoration work is an ideal way to accomplish this. This is an opportunity to participate in San Francisco’s living natural history with one’s own hands. Both nature and volunteers benefit from the experience."

After three hours of work, the volunteers are satisfied with their results. "It seems like a small thing, a few people working a few hours a month," said Gemmell. "But every time we come out and work, I notice the difference. We’re making a difference, and that’s what matters to me."

There are many opportunities to help improve the natural environment of the Presidio as a volunteer. For more information, see the Calendar section of this newsletter, or visit www.nps.gov/goga/vip.

"Get your boots and gloves on…class is now in session!" That’s what 15 senior students from Galileo High School have been doing at various sites around the Presidio once every week since September. Thanks to a unique partnership and some dedicated teachers, these students are now getting a chance to learn about environmental science in a living laboratory, while meeting a key requirement for admission to the University of California.

Galileo’s Environmental Science Honors Program was born out of a simple idea: some natural areas of the Presidio that are in need of restoration and enhancement would be ideal outdoor classrooms, where local students could learn by doing and actually have a role in enhancing the sites. At the same time, UC Berkeley was looking for ways to improve outreach to local students in urban areas, and encourage them to pursue studies in the sciences.

Doug Kern, a geophysicist and founder of the Urban Watershed Project, a non-profit located here at the Presidio put two and two together. Four years ago, he and some faculty from UC Berkeley began holding in-class sessions at Galileo, and taking the students on occasional field trips to help them apply what they learned in the classroom.

The program has grown, and the curriculum has become SFUSD’s standard for environmental science education throughout the district. "Now, we bring the class out to the Presidio every week for a three-hour session in the field," said course instructor Richard McDowell. "What they do in the field enforces what they learn in the classroom. The goal is for them to really master the material, not just pass the AP exam."

"This class has given us the opportunity to do field work, to interact closely with teachers and experts, and to see how the science relates to the real world," said class participant Chanel Williams. "We also participated in a public meeting here at the Presidio, where we presented our views about educational programs in the park."

"This is the kind of learning experience that engages the students, and creates life-long interest that is based on understanding," said Stephen Andrews, an environmental scientist from UC Berkeley. "Working in the largest urban park in the world, our students are getting human and ecological evidence that all living things are interrelated, and inter-dependent." The class is jointly taught by educators from Galileo, UC Berkeley and the Urban Watershed Project, with guest lecturers from National Park Service and Presidio Trust staff.

"From the Trust’s perspective, we’re very happy that the unique resources here can benefit these students in such a wonderful way," said Holly Van Houten, senior planner. "We hope this program will expand, and that many future scientists will start their careers here."

The Presidio Trust is pleased to welcome Paul Osmundson, new deputy director for real estate, and Tia Lombardi, named deputy director for public affairs, to the Presidio Trust.

Paul has spent the last year as a real estate development consultant working with developers on various waterfront properties in San Francisco. From 1989 until last fall, Paul worked for the Port of San Francisco in various capacities including director of planning and development, and director of real estate. He oversaw all of the large scale redevelopment projects of historic buildings along the waterfront of San Francisco including Pac Bell Park, Mission Bay, the Ferry Building, Pier One, the Cruise Ship Terminals at Pier 30-32 and the Recreational Pier complex at Piers 27-31. Prior to that time he worked as a real estate economic consultant in Denver, Colorado.

Tia comes to the Trust with professional experience in public affairs, as an educator and an editorial consultant. She served most recently as a senior editor at Hewlett Packard Consulting, and as a technical editor and marketing coordinator for Environmental Chemical Corporation. Previously, Tia worked as a project associate for Fern Tiger Associates, a communications, design and community relations firm, and as a freelance editorial consultant for a variety of firms. As a Ph.D. candidate in Modern Thought at Stanford University, she was an instructor in composition and literature.

Micro-cogeneration, a reliable, highly efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective source of power, will now provide light, heat and cooling for the three buildings on Ruger Street in the Presidio. Micro-cogeneration units, the size of a refrigerator, use natural gas to operate a fuel cell that produces continuous electrical power, and heat as a by-product of the process. This heat is captured rather than wasted, and used to heat air and water in the building. The Presidio Trust is interested in pursuing advanced technologies such as cogeneration in order to reduce reliance on California’s energy grid while increasing efficiency and minimizing negative environmental impacts.

Although rain had been falling most of the day, by two o’clock the fog and clouds at Inspiration Point had lifted. The group of participants and supporters that had gathered to celebrate James Harvey and his accomplishments were graced with a view that was equal to the event. Harvey, former chair of Transamerica Corporation, was broadly respected as a long-term champion of America’s national parks, particularly the Presidio. The James R. Harvey Presidio Restoration Fund supports efforts by the National Park Service and the Presidio Trust to restore the Presidio forest, native plant communities, trails, open space and other natural areas. At the event, Charlene Harvey and Toby Rosenblatt, chair of the Presidio Trust Board of Directors, commented on the project’s success, and a commemorative plaque was set in place.

Tennessee Hollow Restoration Public Workshop: Charting a New Course

Approximately 40 environmental advocates, students and other interested individuals attended a public workshop on the proposed restoration of Tennessee Hollow. The meeting was held November 6 at the Golden Gate Club on the Presidio.

Tennessee Hollow has both environmental and historic significance to the Presidio. It was named for the 1^st Tennessee Regiment, which sought refuge there from the cold winds before being sent overseas during the Philippine-American War in 1898. Once a series of natural streams that provided water to early Spanish settlers, the waterside environment was significantly altered when the army diverted the streams into a system of culverts and storm drains that finally flow into Crissy Marsh.

The Presidio Trust, working in partnership with the National Park Service, is initiating an effort to restore the natural creek corridor, and its associated watershed ecosystem. Among the proposed changes would be "daylighting" the stream, and re-establishing a riparian or waterside habitat along its course. Extensive planning, including water and watershed monitoring, will also be key to the project. The project is anticipated to continue through 2003.

Approximately 90 guests attended Food, Land & People’s annual symposium titled "Building Bridges of Understanding Between Agriculture, Education and the Environment." The session included three expert panels, and concluded with a Presidio tour highlighting a variety of environmental restoration, sustainability and general interest sites such as the Officers’ Club and Inspiration Point. Trust Executive Director Jim Meadows welcomed attendees, and described the Trust’s efforts in environmental preservation and advancing sustainable practices.

Every Wednesday and Saturday

Habitat Restoration Programs

Participate in natural history! The native plant and wildlife communities of the Presidio represent the natural heritage of San Francisco. But the Presidio's native habitats need the help of human hands to stay healthy. Come help restore the natural gems of the park. Habitat restoration programs run from 9 to 12. Presidio Native Plant Nursery programs run from 1 to 4. For more information call 561-4755 or e-mail volunteer@ggnpa.org.

Saturday, December 23, 2001

Through January 27, 2002

6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays

7:00 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays

A multi-media adventure experience from Antenna. The show melds multiple audio and visual techniques to create a three-dimensional interactive dreamscape that participants walk through. Based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem Kubla Kahn. At Presidio Building 920 on Mason Street facing Crissy Field. All tickets $15. For tickets, reservations and information, call (415) 332-9454 or visit www.antenna-theater.org

Through May 5, 2002

Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Complex mathematical concepts come to life in a classic exhibit by Charles and Ray Eames. See 512 light bulbs performing multiplication, and 30,000 randomly cascading plastic balls form a bell curve. Special events and demonstrations will take place throughout the exhibition run. The Exploratorium at 360 Lyon Street. For information call (415) EXP-LORE.

Woodblock prints depict Japan’s rapid "Westernization" and transformation into a modern nation-state during the Meiji era, 1868 to 1912. The prints are selected from the Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Presidio Officer’s Club, 50 Moraga Avenue at Arguello Boulevard. Hours: daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Tuesdays and holidays. For information, visit www.atthepresidio.org. To reserve tickets, call TicketWeb at (800) 965-4827.

December 7

5:30 p.m.

Join the Presidio Community for this annual tradition. Meet in front of the historic Post Hospital (Building 2, the former Museum) at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Funston Avenue for the tree lighting ceremony. Light refreshments will follow at the Presidio Fire Station. Co-sponsored by the Presidio Trust, the National Park Service, the Presidio Fire Department, and the Community Activities Team. For information, call Wendy Soderborg at (415) 561-5432.

December 9

11:00 a.m.

More than 20 local artists will show unique holiday items for everyone on your gift list. At the Presidio Alliance; 563 Ruger Street. For information, call (415) 561-3993.

December 12

5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Presidio Golf Course Biggest Little Holiday Party

Special dinner menu, drinks, entertainment, door prizes and fun. Bring your company up to the clubhouse for a great holiday party! Call (415) 561-4600 for reservations.

December 19

5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Bring the kids to a fun holiday dinner with music, prizes, and of course, Santa Claus! At the Presidio Café. Call (415) 561-4600 for reservations.

December 15

1 to 4 p.m.

Learn simple techniques for creating seasonal wreaths, centerpieces, and decorations that incorporate a wide range of greenery and found objects. Fee: $10 per person. A Crissy Field Center event, co-sponsored by the Scroungers’ Center for Reusable Art Parts (SCRAP). For information, call (415) 561-7761.

December 15

8 p.m.

BayJazz presents Claudia Gomez, Maria Marquez & John Santos – Latin Jazz

Call for ticket information: (415) 561-3930.

December 16

10:00 a.m. to 12 noon

On this walk around the Presidio, you will learn about the functions of mushrooms and how they relate to other living and non-living things. Learn to find and identify local specimens, and experience how they feel, smell, and look up close. Free; registration required. A Crissy Field Center program co-sponsored by the Mycological Society of San Francisco. To register, call (415) 561-7761.

December 16

1 to 3 p.m.

Make beautiful gifts from materials gathered in the garden and from the recycling bin. Create gifts including herbal lip balms, homemade gift wrap, and more. Fee: $10 per person. A Crissy Field Center program co-sponsored by San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners. For information call (415) 561-7761.

December 23

Noon to 4 p.m.

Explore the science behind toys. Take apart wind-up toys and see how they work.Learn more about how the brain works by confusing yourself with mirrors, and learn the science behind museum exhibits. This event is an interactive laboratory inside the Exploratorium. For information call (415) EXP-LORE or go to www.exploratorium.edu/pr/physicsoftoys_dec2001.html

by Randolph Delehanty, Ph.D.

As Japan modernized between 1868 and 1912, she mounted expositions in Tokyo and other major Japanese cities to display her industrial progress to the Japanese people. Five woodblock prints in the exhibition illustrate those domestic expositions.

Meiji Japan also participated in the major world’s fairs in Paris, Vienna, Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco. Gallery six at the Officers’ Club Exhibition Hall displays three rare woodblock-printed books showing Japan’s exhibits at the World’s Colombian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.

Three years after Emperor Meiji’s death, Japan participated in the extravagant Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) of 1915, mounting exhibits in nine of the exhibition’s palaces. The PPIE stretched from Fort Mason, across the landfill that became the Marina District, and far into the Presidio along the bayshore.

The International Section of the exposition was inside the Lyon Street border of the reservation in what later became the Letterman Army Medical Center area. There, Japan built a complex of traditional buildings including three tea houses in a three-acre Japanese garden.

When the exposition closed, a gate and pagoda were moved to the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, where they remain today as souvenirs of Japan’s presence at the splendid fair. Photographs of the Tea Garden’s South Gate and Pagoda by San Francisco photographer Kevin J. Frest conclude the Meiji exhibition, along with a fascinating brief video of Japan at the Fair produced by The California Society of Pioneers.

The extensive Japanese gardens at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915 were designed by H. Izawa and used rocks and trees imported from Japan. This view looks from inside the Presidio toward Lyon Street and the exposition palaces in the Marina district.

Wednesday, December 5

7-8 pm

Japanese Woodblock Demonstration

Printmaker Marco Flavio Marinucci bring together two worlds—the ancient art of woodblock printmaking and contemporary artistic trends. He was born and educated in Rome, Italy, and has studied at the School of Visual Arts and Pratt Institute in New York City. One of the prints in the exhibition is Marinucci’s portrait of his first woodblock print teacher in San Francisco--Tomoko Murakami.

Marinucci will create a traditional Japanese woodblock print using tools, inks, and paints very similar to those which artists have employed for generations. As he works, he will explain what he’s doing and why, and answer any questions you might have. These are the same labor intensive techniques which produced the beautiful prints in the exhibition of Meiji era art. This demonstration will bring a new appreciation of the labor and skill which went into the creation of the prints in our exhibition.

Wednesday, December 12

7-8 pm

The Art of Sogetsu Ikebana: A demonstration of Japanese flower arrangements

Kiko Shibata was four years old when her mother began to teach her about the traditional art of flower arrangement. She has been a master teacher in Ikebana for more than 30 years. The Sogetsu school believes that anyone can arrange anything at any time into something beautiful and using recycled materials; she will show us how that can be done.

Ikebana began with offering flowers to Buddha, and eventually moved into the homes of people. During this program Mrs. Shibata will create numerous arrangements. She will show how a traditional and a contemporary flower design can be created using the same materials. While making a holiday design, she will share some hints each of us can use at home. Mrs. Shibata will happily answer all questions.

Wednesday, January 9

7-8 pm

America’s Geisha presents "The Story of the Kimono"

Liza Dalby, the only Westerner to be trained as a geisha and author of several books including "Geisha", presents a slideshow and lecture on the history of the Japanese kimono. Q&A follows.

Wednesday, January 16

7-8 pm

Masaru Maeno on the Meiji Legacy

Tokyo National University of Fine Arts Professor Masaru Maeno presents an illustrated lecture on Meiji era architecture and the successful grassroots effort to preserve Japan’s remaining structures.

Exhibition Store Now Open

Transportation Update:

New Shuttle Schedule

The Trust has updated and distributed new Presidio shuttle schedules with a complete outline of weekday and weekend shuttle services by the minute. The shuttle’s usual 43-minute loop has also been improved to run faster by five minutes. New schedules are available at many of the park’s main buildings including the Presidio Trust, the Visitor’s Center and the Thoreau Center and can be viewed online at ww.presidiotrust.gov/shuttle.

Over the next few months, the Trust’s transportation department will implement a Presidio Shuttle Survey to evaluate shuttle service for the Presidio community. Information will be gathered through written surveys, interviews, and e-mail. All shuttle riders including employees, residents, and friends of the Presidio are encouraged to provide feedback to assess any improvements that may be needed regarding shuttle routes and services. Contact Greg Stempson, the Trust’s Transportation Demand Management Coordinator, for additional information by calling (415) 561-2739.

The Trust’s Planning Department has established the infrastructure to maintain three electric vehicles that the Trust will acquire in February. This is part of a plan to set up an all-electric fleet program. The four chargers and pedestals will enable one vehicle to run up to 80 miles on a single three-hour charge.

A spirit of togetherness and unity filled the Log Cabin on Thursday, November 15 when members of the Presidio Community came together to enjoy a turkey dinner and the pleasures of good company. The annual Day of Thanks, a Presidio tradition for six years, brought together tenants and residents and their families for a special evening highlighted by great food, Firefighter mashed potatoes, and a true holiday spirit.