A Living Library – Archive Site

Jul '14

Volunteers From Salesforce Plant California Natives In Bernal Heights Living Library Nature Walk In Holly Park

Two Volunteer Groups from Salesforce led by Jillian West and Dennis Won, joined Life Frames, Inc., Bonnie Ora Sherk, and SF Recreation & Park Department in Holly Park on May 2 and May 7, respectively, to prepare new planting beds, and plant California natives in Holly Park, as part of the Bernal Heights Living Library & Think Park Nature Walk. Volunteers helped tremendously in developing the new native landscapes in the Park, and the Living Library Nature Walk is growing and blooming with gorgeous colors !

Volunteers planted all California Natives: Lavatera, Mimulus (Sticky Monkey), Yarrow, Douglas Iris, Penstemon, Romnya coulteri (Matilja Poppy), and other colorful natives.

The Bernal Heights Living Library & Think Park Nature Walk links schools, parks, public housing, streets, and other open spaces leading to the currently hidden Islais Creek at the south side of St. Mary’s Park. The Nature Walk is creating a new, expressive, narrative landscape that is a prototype for what could be occurring throughout the whole Islais Creek Watershed, the largest in San Francisco, that interlinks eleven neighborhoods: Noe Valley, Mission, Bernal Heights, Potrero Hill, Bayview, Portola, Crocker-Amazon, Excelsior, OMI, Sunnyside, Glen Park.

More volunteer events are coming up ! If you would like to participate, or would like more information about volunteer opportunities, please contact us: info@alivinglibrary.org

Posted by bonnieora in
Bernal Heights Living Library Nature Walk

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Jun '14

Bonnie Ora Sherk and A Living Library Featured at Open Engagement Conference at Queens Museum

Bonnie Ora Sherk and A Living Library were featured at the Open Engagement Conference on Social Practice Art at the Queens Museum in New York, on May 17, 2014. The panel focussed on Watersheds, and Ms. Sherk discussed, with a slide presentation, the Branch Living Library & Think Parks underway at five schools in the Islais Creek Watershed in San Francisco, and the Bernal Heights Living Library Nature Walk, that is linking multiple schools, parks, public housing, streets, and other open spaces, and that serves as a prototype for what could be happening throughout the whole Islais Creek Watershed, the largest watershed in San Francisco, that interconnects eleven communities.

The audience was very interested and several groups from around the United States want to now develop a place-based, Branch Living Library in their community.

Matthew Friday wrote: "Many thanks to Gregory Sholette, Linda Weintraub, Bonnie Ora Sherk, Iain Kerr, and Emily Vail for participating in the Watershed Panel at Open Engagement. So excited to be able to sustain a fluid and dynamic conversation about this important topic and looking forward to future collaborations."

Posted by bonnieora in
Art, Landscape Architecture, & Systemic Design, Bernal Heights Living Library Nature Walk, Islais Creek Watershed

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Jun '14

Solar Cooking at OMI/Excelsior Branch Living Library & Think Park Teaches Students About Energy and Appropriate Technology

6th Grade Science Students from James Denman Middle School learn about solar energy and solar cooking from new A.L.L. Teacher, Brennan Blazer Bird at the OMI/Excelsior Living Library & Think Park. Students harvested tasty, fresh vegetables and flowers from the Living Library Gardens, and prepared Mexican-style Nachos that baked in the Solar Oven, while they learned more about science, energy concepts and appropriate technology.

Students decorated their Nachos with edible flowers to create Food As Art ! They enjoyed all !!!

Posted by bonnieora in
A.L.L. Pedagogy, OMI/Excelsior Living Library & Think Park

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Jun '14

Bernal Heights Living Library Students Help Develop Living Library & Think Park Nature Walk In Holly Park

Students from the Bernal Heights Branch Living Library & Think Park based at Junipero Serra Elementary School and Junipero Serra Child Development Center joined Life Frames, Inc., Bonnie Ora Sherk, and the SF Recreation & Park Department in Holly Park to plant California native understory plants at the Appleton Entrance and Entrance across from Junipero Serra Elementary School, as part of the Bernal Heights Living Library & Think Park Nature Walk. The students learned a lot and created beautiful entrances to Holly Park, helping the Nature Walk grow !

The Bernal Heights Living Library & Think Park Nature Walk is linking multiple schools, parks, public housing, streets and other open spaces leading to 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 whole Islais Creek Watershed, the largest in San Francisco that links eleven neighborhoods in Southeast and Southwest San Francisco. Already thousands of native trees and understory plants have been planted and the whole neighborhood is being improved by this new, narrative landscape.

The students planted drought tolerant California Natives including: Mimulus (Sticky Monkey), Romnya coulteri (Matilija Poppy), Penstemon, Douglas Iris, Yarrow, Aesclepius to attract Monarch Butterflys (native Milkweed), Lupin, Erigonum grand rubescens (Buckwheat), Ceanothus (California Lilac), Lavatera (Mallow), and other colorful natives !

It really looks fantastic now !!! Please come and see for yourself !

Students learned how to plant from expert, John Miller, Park Supervisor from RPD, and about the Islais Creek Watershed, the largest in San Francisco, that interlinks eleven neighborhoods: Noe Valley, Mission, Bernal Heights, Potrero Hill, Bayview, Portola, Crocker-Amazon, Excelsior, OMI, Sunnyside, Glen Park.

Design and Funding for the project, led by Bonnie Ora Sherk and Life Frames, Inc., which developed the Community Master Plan beginning in 2002, has come from Mayor's Office of Community Development, SF Foundation, California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection, and more recently from California Strategic Growth Council.

Posted by bonnieora in
A.L.L. Pedagogy, Bernal Heights Living Library & Think Park, Bernal Heights Living Library Nature Walk, Islais Creek Watershed

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Jun '14

Salesforce Volunteers Work With Students At The OMI/Excelsior Branch Living Library & Think Park !

A large group of Salesforce Volunteers led by Brian Lewis spent several hours in early Spring, working with students at the OMI/Excelsior Living Library & Think Park. Much was accomplished to care for, and enhance, the Living Library Gardens !

The adults worked with the students to weed the Gardens, turn the compost, and also create multi-lingual signage for the diverse plants in the Upper & Lower Gardens !