San Francisco
OMI/Excelsior, Bernal Heights, Chinatown
Growing Coast to Coast
Since the late 1990s, A Living Library has flourished in San Francisco, turning city spaces into vibrant learning landscapes. Across neighborhoods, we collaborate with schools and communities to create environments where education, ecology, and creativity grow side by side. From hands-on gardens in OMI/Excelsior to the scenic Bernal Heights Nature Walk, we’re turning urban landscapes into living, breathing classrooms—linking parks, people, and possibilities across the city.
These spaces aren’t just about planting—they’re about possibility. Whether it’s students exploring science in the soil or neighbors gathering along a nature trail, each site invites people to connect with the land, with each other, and with new ways of learning.
What’s Blooming in San Francisco
Our San Francisco Living Library & Think Parks are tailored to their neighborhoods
and school communities, with programs that reflect the culture, needs, and
ecology of each site:
Native Habitat Restoration
Students plant, steward, and restore local ecosystems, reviving
native species and supporting wildlife.
Green Skills & Hands-On Learning
Youth learn STEM through soil science, composting, rainwater
harvesting, and green infrastructure projects.
Outdoor Classrooms
Teachers use the garden spaces as extensions of the classroom
to enhance science, art, math, and language learning.
Community Events & Eco Celebrations
From harvest festivals to Earth Day actions, our programs foster
joy, pride, and environmental action.
Transformations Across San Francisco
Our San Francisco branches demonstrate what’s possible when schools and neighborhoods invest
in outdoor learning and environmental stewardship. Each site was designed in partnership with
local schools and communities, and offers a distinct experience grounded in
place-based ecological education.
OMI/EXCELSIOR BRANCH
Our OMI/Excelsior branch began in 1999, when students and landscapers—led by A.L.L. and the Urban Tree Foundation—ripped up concrete and planted 200 native California trees. An unused patch of land between Denman and San Miguel schools soon became the Lower Garden, filled with organic vegetables, flowers, and herbs. The transformation continued on the San Miguel campus with the Upper Garden, home to the Redwood Reading Circle and Orchard. In 2025, our interns played a key role in completing the Seneca Avenue Ecological Transformation Project, planting 160 trees and 2,000 understory plants to create rain gardens, micro-bio swales, lateral planting areas, and native habitats.
LEARN MOREBERNAL HEIGHTS BRANCH & NATURE WALK
The Bernal Heights Living Library & Think Park has served PreK–5th grade students since 2002, with gardens at Junipero Serra Child Development Center and Elementary School. A.L.L. also leads the creation of the Bernal Heights Nature Walk—a growing green corridor connecting local schools, parks, and open spaces to the hidden Islais Creek. With support from state agencies, native trees and shrubs are being planted across eleven neighborhoods. Local youth gain hands-on experience through our Student Stewards Internship Program at St. Mary’s Park, helping bring this living landscape to life.
LEARN MORECHINATOWN BRANCH
ChatGPT said:
From 2007 to 2016, the Chinatown Living Library & Think Park brought green learning spaces to Commodore Stockton Child Development Center and Gordon Lau Elementary, serving PreK–5th grade students. In partnership with school leadership and funded by DCYF, A.L.L. replaced asphalt with vibrant ecological Learning Zones across the shared campus. In 2010, Life Frames, Inc. also installed multilingual Rainwater Harvesting Cisterns, Gardens, and a mural funded by SFPUC. While this branch concluded in 2016 due to school renovations, its impact remains part of A.L.L.’s living legacy.
LEARN MORE