Mountain Lake Park – Dog Run – Halloween Happy Hour – Friday October 30 – 4:30PM-6:30PM
This Friday, October 30 – 4:30PM – 6:30PM
Come with your best friend dressed as yourself or your favorite food. It’s also a great time for the kids to preview their costumes. Meet your neighbors and spend time with friends. If you can, bring a beverage or snack to share. No worries if you forget; we always have plenty to share. We will have a donation box to help re-stock the dog bags or you can Paypal donate at www.fmlp.org
Mountain Lake Update – Frogs and Fish, New Bubbles, Science Saturday, and Western Pond Turtle Release!
Dear Friends,
We have a lot of great progress at Mountain Lake to report.
Starting tomorrow, Science Saturdays will continue through October every second Saturday of the month from 2 to 3 pm.
Saturday, July 11 – Science Saturday at Mountain Lake
Saturday, July 11 is our next talk: Mussel Beach at Mountain Lake. Niveen Ismail of Stanford University will discuss how native mussels, soon to be reestablished at Mountain Lake, will help restore water quality. Her talk describes the results of her experiments at the lake and the potential these native bivalves have to remove pollutants and pathogens from the water. Click here for more information.
Saturday, July 18 – First Release of our Native Western Pond Turtles
We’re very excited to announce the first release of Western pond turtles will be on Saturday, July 18, at 12:30 pm. Find us near the benches on the south shore.
This will be a low-key event, probably no more than 20 minutes, but come join us if you’d like to be a part of this huge moment in the life of the lake. Our partners from Sonoma State, who collected the turtle eggs and hatched them, and from the San Francisco Zoo, who have been raising these turtles for us for the last two years, are very excited to share this moment too. We’re all hoping to give you a good, close look at the lake’s newest residents before we row them over to their new, west shore basking grounds.
Pacific Chorus Frogs and Three-spine Stickleback Fish
Reestablishment of native Pacific chorus frogs and three-spine stickleback fish began in April. We’re happy to report that in that time we’ve released more 600 frogs and 220 fish. We’ll continue to collect and release these two species throughout the summer. After decades of absence, it’s exciting to welcome these two species of animals back.
Aeration System
You may have noticed that the lake is bubbling! Last week we finished the installation of an aeration and water-mixing system. Air is being pumped through hoses to 12 locations around the lake. Before we get the lake’s aquatic plant communities rebooted, the lake is still vulnerable to unhealthy algae blooms. Algae thrive in the kind of high-nutrient, stagnant, low-oxygen waters that are characteristic of disturbed lakes. This new aeration system aims to keep blooms in check by mixing and adding oxygen to the water. Limiting algae also means that the waters will be clearer, creating better conditions for reestablishing submerged aquatic plants.
For more information about the Mountain Lake Enhancement project and volunteer opportunities, please visit our website or contact the Presidio Trust at (415) 561-5331.
Thanks so much for your continued support, and hope to see you at the lake!
Content courtesy of:
Jason Lisenby
The Presidio Trust • 103 Montgomery Street, PO Box 29052 • San Francisco, CA 94129
Copyright © 2015 Presidio Trust, All rights reserved.
Science Saturdays at Mountain Lake – First of the Season – May 9th, 2PM-3PM
Science Saturdays at Mountain Lake – First of the Season – May 9th, 2PM-3PM
Returning Local Wildlife to Mountain Lake
with Jonathan Young, Presidio Trust Wildlife Ecologist
When: Saturday, May 9th, 2PM-3PM
Where: North Arm of Mountain Lake, (see map below)
Join wildlife ecologist Jonathan Young as he shows Pacific Chorus Frogs and the Three-spine Stickleback fish. Once eliminated from Mountain Lake by urban disturbances, scientists are now helping these two species make their long-awaited return to Mountain Lake. Ask Jonathan your questions about all of the cool wildlife in the Presidio.
Jonathan Young is a wildlife ecologist for the Presidio Trust. He began working in the Presidio as a habitat restoration volunteer in 2010. He then completed two ecological-based internships where he immersed himself in the local natural and cultural history. During this time, he completed a Master’s degree at San Francisco State University focused on amphibian conservation and disease ecology.
He is a contributing author for the Trust’s Wildlife Management Plan, and is leading the Park’s effort to reintroduce several species of local wildlife to Mountain Lake, including freshwater mussels, Pacific chorus frogs, three-spine stickleback fish, and western pond turtles.
Second Saturdays aren’t just Science Saturdays! Join your neighbors at Mountain Lake every Second Saturday from 9:00 am to noon for Service Saturdays. Volunteer and help restore Mountain Lake’s precious natural resources.
Mountain Lake Park Playground – Exciting News on Fundraising!
Neighbors and Friends,
It is hard to believe summer is already coming to a close! We would typically save our updates until after the manic back to school period, but news like this is too good not to share!
Supervisor Mark Farrell, a steadfast supporter of our Playground project since its inception, was a strong advocate for FMLPP during the San Francisco budget proceedings. Recently, he successfully helped to secure an additional $250,000 in funding from the City for the playground renovation!
This additional funding, along with the funding from the 2012 Clean & Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond and our successful fundraising campaign this past spring, means that we only have the last $150,000 to raise to make our new playground a reality!
FMLPP, together with our architects Bohlin, Cywinski, Jackson, have worked closely with the SF Rec & Park Department and SF Parks Alliance to make sure we are poised to begin construction by this winter. We are on track to have the playground finished by the end of summer next year. However, we cannot begin construction until all of the funds have been raised.
We are grateful to each of you for being loyal supporters of our cause, as well. Please continue to help us in these last few weeks with donations, leads to donations, and helping to spread the word of our successful project’s final fundraising push. If you have not already done so, don’t miss out. Consider making a donation today and join your friends and neighbors in building a very special playground for generations of San Francisco children to enjoy.