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The OMI/Excelsior Living Library & Think
Park was dramatically enhanced last year on
December 2, when hundreds of students
from the three schools joined Friends
of the Urban Forest volunteers and the
Urban Tree foundation to plant almost
200 native trees and other vegetation on two
of the streets bordering the site. Additionally,
weedy, unused ground between Denman and
San Miguel has become a bright, organic
vegetable, flower, and herb garden, orchard
and classroom. Soon student’s artwork will
be displayed along the fences, visually
linking the schools. The students also designed
and built a sculptural water feature. Polychromed
labels for the recently-planted trees will soon
display their Latin names, common names,
plant culture and function.

James Denman Middle School, Balboa
High School and San Miguel Child Devel-
opment Center sit on nine contiguous acres
in San Francisco’s Excelsior District, near
Oceanview, Merced and Ingleside. The area
used to be a fertile river valley where the
Muwekma Ohlone Native Americans once
lived and historic farms once thrived. It is
now home to diverse cultures of people,
but the area looks very bleak and barren. The
Living Library has begun an urban transformation

A Living Library, Think Park & Life Frame are Registered Trademarks © 2002 Life Frames, Inc. & Bonnie Ora Sherk