Everyone and everything on Earth and in Space is part of A Living Library of diversity: people, birds, trees, air, water, and all the things we create, such as - parks, gardens, schools, curricula, artworks, networks, communities, celebrations. A Living Library, or, A.L.L., for short, provides a way to understand that culture and technology are part of nature. It’s all nature.
A Living Library provides a powerful systemic framework, multiple methodologies and strategies for creating place-based, ecological change in communities and schools - locally and globally.
A.L.L. integrates local resources - past, present, future - and transforms them with community, to become vibrant, content-rich, art-filled, ecological learning landscapes; each Branch linked to another.
Astrophysicist, Sinziana Paduroiu, interviewed Bonnie Ora Sherk about A Living Library and her earlier Life Frames for ROOSTERGNN, Global News Network. Here is the published version, A Living Library - Cultivating the Human & Ecological Garden, which appeared online on September 9, 2014.
Enjoy !
Bonnie Ora Sherk was interviewed on KPOO FM, 98.5 on Connecting the Dots by Judy Drummond on August 28, 2014. Bonnie Ora discussed A Living Library and all the Branch Living Library & Think Parks underway in San Francisco and New York City, and multiple opportunities to develop Branches around the world. Listen to the Broadcast here !
In the interview, she also talked about the Living Library Nature Walk, that is underway, and is a model for the whole Islais Creek Watershed, the largest in SF that interconnects eleven neighborhoods, that could eventually link community resources like schools, parks, public housing, streets, and other open spaces through development of a new, narrative landscape, with other features, including the daylighting of Creeks where possible. 
On August 14 another great group from Salesforce led by Aditya Devhar, joined forces with Life Frames Inc.'s, Bonnie Ora Sherk, and Recreation and Park Deparment Staff in Holly Park, to plant more California Natives in the Living Library Nature Walk. On this day, their work focused on the Children's Playground in the Park. Ceanothus, Matilja Poppies, and fragrant Salvia were planted under the existing Ceanothus Ray Hartman trees that had been planted earlier as part of the Nature Walk.
The Living Library Nature Walk is linking multiple parks, schools, public housing, and streets in the area through a new narrative landscape, all leading to the currently hidden Islais Creek at the south side of St. Mary's Park. This Nature Walk is a prototype for what could be happening throughout the Islais Creek Watershed, the largest in San Francisco that interconnects eleven neighborhoods in Southeast and Southwest San Francisco
Everyone had a great time on this day, and the area is greatly improved ! See for yourself !
This summer a group of neighborhood High School youth from nearby Alemany Dwellings were paid interns who met three days a week and learned green skills by helping with the planting and plant establishment of the California natives in the Bernal Heights Living Library & Think Park Nature Walk in St. Mary's Park. They received a monetary stipend for their work, while also making a contribution to their community. Have a look at these young people at work !
We are so excited that our Redwood Circle in the Bernal Heights Living Library Nature Walk at the south side of St. Mary's Park circling Alemany Farm near the currently hidden Islais Creek, is very healthy and growing !
John Miller from SF Recreation & Park Department (RPD), and I, found, purchased, and planted four gorgeous boulders on July 18, to help define the entrance to the Redwood Circle planted with California Native Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens). Funds from our grant with California Strategic Growth Council were used.
This Living Library Nature Walk is a prototype, narrative, ecological landscape transformation, that could be occurring throughout the whole Islais Creek Watershed, the largest watershed in San Francisco, that interconnects eleven neighborhoods. In Bernal Heights, this Nature Walk is connecting multiple schools, parks, public housing, streets, and other open spaces calling attention to the Watershed, the Islais Creek, and diverse native species of plants and wildlife.
Two days later, on July 20th, we hosted two volunteer groups to plant the entrance area, and add native riparian understory plants in our Redwood Circle plant community, as well as some large Dogwood trees (Cornus nuttallii) and native shrubs on the nearby hillside. Our plant palette included a few varieties of Dogwood, California Rose, Sword Ferns, Wild Ginger, Redwood Sorrel, Woodland Strawberries, Huckleberry, and other species. It is beautiful !
Young Adults from Jewish Community Federation began the morning planting, and the NYC YMCA Global Teens High School Students representing every NYC Borough, participated in the PM Volunteer Group, along with Bonnie Ora Sherk, Founder & Director of A.L.L., Craig Heckman of the Alemany Farm's Native Area Group, Jasmine Woo, our Summer Nature Walk Intern, Brian from RPD, and Yiwen Gong who came from Yale University to participate !
Everyone had a fantastic time, and hundreds of native plants were planted. Our Redwood Landscape is growing and becoming a more lush environment! Have a look !
And, then the PM Group, the NYC High School Students came to the site, and finished all the planting ! A great day and a beautiful transformation ! The Redwood Circle is so beautiful and a wonderful place for respite !!! It is our natural cathedral in the Bernal Heights Living Library Nature Walk in St. Mary's Park !
Thank you all, for your generous help and contribution to growing the Living Library Nature Walk !!!
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