Golden Gate Park: A Stroll Through History

Many dedicated naturalists have left memorable footprints in Golden Gate Park over the years. William Hammond Hall, the park's first superintendent, applied principles of natural plant succession to stabilize the sand dunes that underlie the park. John McLaren, longtime park superintendent and experimental horticulturalist, arrived at the great variety of plants in the park through trial and error. Dr. Luis Baptista, curator of ornithology and mammalogy at the California Academy of Sciences, studied the vocalizations of the park's White-crowned Sparrows and memorably whistled their calls at scientific meetings. Heath Massey will recount the stories of these and other fascinating individuals who helped chart the natural history of this remarkable park.