A conceptual, overhead rendering of the four renovated fields at Beach Chalet

It was early 2010 when we first heard about the plans to renovate the Beach Chalet soccer fields in Golden Gate Park. The City Fields Foundation, in conjunction with the City, proposed to fund a new soccer center at the existing site that would convert the playing fields to artificial turf, add lighting, renovate the restrooms, add a small playground, repave the parking area, and erect new fencing and seating areas for spectators.

The goal? More playing time for kids and adults. The proposed improvements would bring all four fields into use year-round and provide expanded hours into the early evening. Currently, the Beach Chalet fields can host 4,738 hours of annual play. The proposed renovations would add 9,582 hours of new play each year for both soccer and lacrosse players.

The process for approvals started off well for the project. In April 2011, the renovation was green-lighted by the Rec & Park Commission after nearly three hours of public comments from both sides of the issue. But this is San Francisco after all, so by May, Rec & Park bowed to the pressure of community groups and required City Fields Foundation to provide a full environmental impact report.

Opponents of the project raised concerns about the environmental impact that the replacement soccer center would have. How would birds be impacted by the new lights? Would light pollution from the lights ruin the sky for stargazers? What kinds of toxins are in artificial fields and will it harm children and animals? Why aren’t they using natural grass instead?

The process has dragged on and on, with appeal after appeal. And despite the plan being approved by the Planning Commission, the Recreation and Park Commission, the Board of Supervisors (nearly unanimous vote – that NEVER happens!) and the city’s Board of Appeals, the opponents made one last ditch effort to block the project by appealing to the Coastal Commission (a narrow slice of Golden Gate Park, which includes the fields, is within the coastal zone, which the commission oversees).

Today was the hearing and dozens of supporters and opponents turned out to voice their opinion to the commission, each given their 2 minutes to speak their mind.

One Richmond District parent, Jim Morris, took time off work to speak his support for the project at the Commission meeting in Marin. He arrived at 10am, spoke at 11:30am, and said when he left, they had nearly three more hours of testimony lined up.

Morris plays soccer in Golden Gate Park in his adult league, and his young daughter plays in a youth league. He said he supports the Beach Chalet fields renovation because there just aren’t enough soccer fields available in the city.

“My daughter’s team usually practices in the outfield of a baseball field. I have to protect them from baseballs coming at them from neighboring teams,” he said.

Morris said he has played games on the Crocker-Amazon fields, which were converted to turf by the City Fields Foundation in a previous project.

“Those fields are great to play on, and there’s such a great vibe in the community around that park since they went in.”

By the end of today’s meeting, the Coastal Commission agreed with what all the other city agencies have already stated – that the project should move forward – by unanimously voting to uphold the permit for Beach Chalet renovation.

And we’re really glad. We think there’s probably lots of kids and parents that will be cheering tonight about it too.

Sarah B.

An overhead view showing the renovated parking, playground and seating area.

Instead of tall bleachers, an 18-inch raised walkway featuring built-in spectator
benches runs across the center of the fields.

Photo by Ron Lewis

The metaphor of the butterfly fascinates us – a new creature emerging from a crusty cocoon in full, technicolor glory, only to live for a brief time. It is nature’s reminder that life is short, and should be lived to the fullest in splendor.

Today, a new exhibition called Butterflies & Blooms opens at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. But this time it’s not just plants that are on display, but also the beautiful butterflies that spend time among them. The Conservatory’s special exhibits gallery is transformed into a cottage garden, complete with more than 20 species of colorful and familiar North American butterflies like magnificent monarchs, Western swallowtails, and red admirals.

If you’ve ever wanted to walk among butterflies, this is your chance. You can watch hundreds of butterflies as they move among the flowers, drinking nectar and covering themselves in pollen. All to illustrate the important role that butterflies play in the life cycle of plants.

“I think if you asked most people to explain how a flower turns into an apple, they wouldn’t be able to,” says Lau Hodges, Curator.

“But life as we know it just wouldn’t be possible without pollination – no flowers, no plants, no fruit. It’s a crucial natural process. We want people to understand that and to know there are some very important insects and animals that do the work.”

In addition to watching butterflies float around the exhibition gallery, you can also get a sneak peek into their evolutionary process in the exhibit’s Butterfly Bungalow where their cocoons, or “chrysalises” are on display. During the metamorphosis process, the caterpillar liquefies completely and its cells reorganize into a butterfly. If you get your timing right, you might even see a new butterfly emerge in the Bungalow.

Visitors will also learn some fun facts about these light winged creatures, like that they taste with their feet to determine if a flower has good nectar or might be a suitable place for laying their eggs.

For your chance to come eye to eye with a butterfly, stop by the Blooms & Butterflies exhibit at the Conservatory of Flowers from today through October 20, open every Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

Sarah B.

The chrysalises inside the Butterfly Bungalow. Photo by Ron Lewis

Photo by Ron Lewis

Sundays in GGP by Methanie Dempsay Binder | April 2013 | Copyright 2013

Happy Friday to all! We hope you’ve been out enjoying this incredible weather. Here are a few local links to kick off what we hope is a great weekend. – Sarah B.

• Everyone’s favorite elf/fairy door in the Golden Gate Park Concourse now has its own website at faerydoor.net. It’s run by the father and son duo who first installed the door. They’ve already responded to some of the fan mail that’s been left at the door. We were also told another door is in the works for the park – keep your eyes open out there!
• Need to relieve stress and decompress? Head over to the Richmond District Neighborhood Center on Saturday mornings for free yoga. Classes take place from 10–11:30am at the RDNC headquarters, 741 30th Ave.
• History buffs, this one is for you! Ever wondered why our streets are named the way they are? San Francisco native Noah Veltman created an interactive map that lets you find out the history behind our street names. For instance did you know Geary Boulevard was named for John W. GEary, first mayor of San Francisco, elected in 1850?
• Canine wishes: Blog reader Henry P. sent us this earlier in the week – “I would like to ask your permission to post a message of sincere gratitude to our Richmond district neighbors who helped our rescued and much-loved family dog, Mosby, as it passed away on Geary and 25th, due to a traffic accident. I really would like to convey our thanks to the kindness of strangers, despite our pain.” R.I.P Mosby
• We’re hearing about two business closures in the neighborhood. Fredy’s Deli on La Playa out by the beach has been closed for over two months, despite a sign saying that they would reopen last month. Readers tell us they heard the owner, Fredy, is ill. Let’s hope he gets well soon and reopens – folks miss his little deli! We also got word from reader Derek that the Java Source Coffee House on Clement near 5th is either closed for good or remodeling. That place has always been a bit of a mystery to us…
• One gun leads to another… SFAppeal reported this week on an arrest in Foster City that led police to an extensive weapons stash in the Richmond District. “A subsequent search of a San Francisco residence in the 3000 block of Cabrillo Street yielded two more assault rifles, one rifle, one shotgun, 12 revolvers and semi-automatic handguns of various calibers, and approximately 10,000 rounds of ammunition.”
• The Examiner stopped by Trad’r Sams on Geary to interview bartender Fred Sor about their drinks, patrons and Asian movie nights. “Q: Do you get any “crusty, old salt”-type characters? A: Well we usually open by noon, so yeah, some of those.”

Two big events going on this Saturday. First up is the 9th annual Richmond District Health Fair from 10am until 2pm. The fair includes over 30 different organizations who will provide giveaways, free food, and children’s activities along with free bone density testing, blood pressure testing, Hep B screening and more. Free light bicycle repair will also be provided by Sprocket Mobile Bike Repair.

The fair is free for everyone, and takes place at the Richmond District Recreation Center on 18th Avenue between California and Clement.

Across the way, the Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park will be hosting their 46th Annual Spring Plant Sale from 10am until 2pm. This is the Bay Area’s largest plant sale, featuring over 20,000 plants representing 2,500 different varieties.

Shop plants propagated from the Garden’s own collection, including hundreds of beautiful and drought tolerant natives, succulents, and more. All plants are suitable for the Bay Area’s many micro-climates.

Highlights of this year’s sale include:

- Several kinds of South African restios, including the very hard to germinate Cannomois virgata, a lovely, tall, reed-like plant
- A gorgeous selection of tropical vireya rhododendrons. SFBG is one of only a few nurseries that grow them
- Many rare hellebores, including Helleborus foetidus, a hard to find winter blooming evergreen
- 250 kinds of native plants, including Matilija poppies, native irises, up to 20 kinds of Ceanothus (wild lilac)
- Unusual perennial vegetable starts from the Andes, including oca and yacón
- Lots of stunning, flowering shrubs, including species of Leucadendron

There is no admission to attend the plant sale, and it takes place rain or shine at the SF County Fair Building at the Garden, located in Golden Gate Park at 9th Ave at Lincoln Way.

Sarah B.

Photo by David Yu

This Saturday, the Dutch community in San Francisco is celebrating Queen’s Day near the Murphy Windmill on the south end of Golden Gate Park.

The all day, free festival celebrates the restoration of Golden Gate Park’s Windmills, and includes a bike parade, free Golden Gate Park tours from City Guides, live music at Park Chalet, gorgeous tulips, a flea market and all things dutch (including a food and beer garden).

Queen’s Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in honor of the Queen’s birthday. The celebration, called “Koninginnedag”, is known for its nationwide vrijmarkt (“free market”), at which many Dutch sell their secondhand items. It is also an opportunity for “orange madness” or oranjegekte, for the national colour, when the normally strait-laced Dutch let down their hair, often dyed orange for the occasion [Wikipedia]. So if you’ve got any, put on your Giants paraphernalia to get in the spirit.

Check out the full schedule of events for Saturday’s festival here.

On Friday night, the De Young Museum will host Queen’s Night from 5pm until 8:45pm, featuring Dutch DJs, orange costume-making, art-making, and more. Everyone is encouraged to come dressed in their best orange attire, and children can don their prince and princess outfits in celebration of Queen Beatrix’s birthday.

Both Friday and Saturday’s events are free to the public.

Did you know that this will be the last “Queen’s Day” for awhile? That’s because Queen Beatrix announced that she will abdicate the throne on April 30th after 33 years as head of state, clearing the way for her eldest son, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, to become the nation’s first king in more than a century. So next year’s celebration will be “King’s Day”.

In honor of the celebratin, we dug out the video below of a man riding the Murphy Windmill. It’s pretty awesome.

Sarah B.

Photo by blugrnlg

This Friday, the 2013 Fly Casting Championship Festival kicks off at the Golden Gate Park Angling and Casting Club (nestled in the forest at the west end of the Polo Fields – map). The event is known as the Jimmy Green SPEY-O-RAMA, the World Championship of Spey Casting.

Spey casting is a casting technique used in fly fishing. Spey casting can be accomplished with either a normal length fly rod, or a rod referred to as a double-handed fly rod, often called a Spey rod. Spey rods can also be used for standard overhead casting.

Spey casting is used for fishing large rivers for salmon and large trout such as steelhead and sea trout. Spey technique is also used in saltwater surf casting. All of these situations require the angler to cast larger flies long distances. The two-handed Spey technique allows more powerful casts and avoids obstacles on the shore by keeping most of the line in front of the angler. [Wikipedia]

In addition to the competition at the casting pools, local and International casting masters will be offering free demonstrations and clinics each day from 1pm to 5pm with both two-hand and single hand rods. There will also be presentations on fly fishing destinations in the event you’re planning your next getaway.

The festival runs from 9am until 5pm all weekend, and it’s free to attend. The festival schedule:

Friday, April 19:
- Exhibits
- Competition Casting Practice

Saturday, April 20:
- Exhibits, Fly Fishing Presentations
- Spey Demonstrations/Clinics
- Competition Qualifying Rounds

Sunday, April 21:
- Exhibits
- Spey Casting Competition Finals

Sarah B.

[via Funcheap]

Photo by judy h

If you spend any time in Golden Gate Park, you have probably laid eyes on some handsome birds, including the impressive Great Blue Heron. They’re seen throughout the park, sometimes hunting rodents on the lawns.

Recently, it’s been the nesting season – when the herons court, build their nests, mate and lay eggs between January and March.

By April, at least one or more nests have chicks in them, and Stow Lake is a prime place for viewing them. Many of the herons have their nests high up in the trees around the lake.

Back in 1993, Nancy DeStefanis, director of San Francisco Nature Education, discovered the first pair of nesting Great Blue Herons. This turned out to be the first recorded sighting of nesting Great Blue Herons in the city.

Every Saturday, SFNE offers public walking tours of the Great Blue Heron nests at Stow Lake. On the tours, you’ll see and learn more about the four foot tall birds as they fly in and out of the nests, brooding the chicks, feeding the chicks, etc.

Naturalists and interns from SFNE are stationed at the observation site with spotting scopes, ready to offer spectacular views into the Great Blue Heron nests and answer questions.

The walks are offered every Saturday beginning April 13 through May 18. They run from 10:30am until 12noon, and meet at the observation area near the Stow Lake Boathouse. The cost to attend the walk is $10 for adults, young adults and children are free.

Even if you can’t stay for the tour, the observation area is always staffed with volunteers from 10am until 1pm, so stop by to gaze on these handsome creatures and their new offspring.

Sarah B.

Rio, the 6 year old son of the door’s creator, Tony Powell, poses with the door after it was first
installed in February. Photo: Tony Powell | SF Chronicle

We got an email last night from someone named T. Powell, that began with “Thank you for shining your light on the little fairy door my six year old son Rio and I made and quietly mounted last February.”

Today, the Chronicle posted a story about the same man, whose full name is Tony Powell. It was Tony, and his young son Rio, that created and installed the door at the base of the Golden Gate Park concourse elm tree back in February.

Tony and his son live on a boat in the San Francisco Bay, which may be equivalent to living under a rock of sorts. That might explain how they missed the international media attention that the door has attracted.

“Until a few days ago, we had no idea it had been getting so much attention,” Tony wrote to us.

After hearing about the hype, Tony returned to the tree recently and witnessed the impact it has on visitors.

“Yesterday we went to see, and from afar we watched many folks come around the tree and open the door to leave notes and flowers and such. Even though our original door was removed (and its hinges most likely damaged with its removal), the spirit is still there,” Tony wrote.

“It has been really gratifying to see that people besides us are still full of wonder at such things in modern day.”

Tony and Rio designed and crafted the door from scrap pine over a period of a few months, then added a knob and marine-grade varnish for the finishing touch. They installed it around Valentine’s Day.

Inspiration for the door comes from the ages, Tony explained.

“Of course people have given recognition to the creative spirits of nature for ages. The Greeks called them by such names as Dryads (tree spirits) and Naiads (spirits of stream and lake), and the Irish called them the Sidhe (pronounced “shee” as in banshee).”

It took over a month for word to spread about the door’s existence. But once it did, people couldn’t get enough of it. Visitors flocked to it, leaving notes, offerings and spinning theories on what it meant.

Was it a fairy door? Did elves live inside? Would wishes be granted if you left them inside the door?

But Rec & Park, despite telling local media they had no plans to remove it, changed their mind and removed the door without any explanation. That resulted in a lot of disappointed visitors (including this blogger), who found only an empty hole and a couple of notes and twigs that were left behind.

The door-less tree after Rec & Park removed it.

There was enough backlash that Rec & Park had to react – albeit in a very unexpected way. They installed an imposter door, which was nowhere near as lovely as the original. Their PR person said the door was removed because its hinges were damaging the roots, and the varnish on the door was toxic to the tree. Boo.

And eventually, even the fake replacement door will be removed, as it violates the policy of Rec & Park which prohibits anything from being attached/nailed to park trees. Double boo.

The original door on the left (Photo: Erica Reh); and the Rec & Park imposter version on the right (Photo: Tony Perry)

Despite the bureaucratic melee, Tony and his son don’t seem deterred. He told the Chronicle that he’s trying to think of a way to create a new door that doesn’t have to be attached to the tree.

“We love Golden Gate Park and all of its art and magic and we know well that the creative spirit of nature is still all around us, creating things like trees budding and thrushes nesting and tears of fog dripping from the redwoods, and also fashioning little doors in hollow trees as well as making offerings to it,” Tony wrote to us.

He and Rio were touched by the offerings people left inside the door, so much so that Tony couldn’t resist answering one visitor’s burning question.

“When we read one of the notes which asked whether fairies were real, I had to scrawl upon it in green crayon, “Yes we are.”"

Whether built by fairies, or by a man and his young son, we’re just glad that this little piece of delight came to our park. Thanks Tony and Rio!

Sarah B.

Tony and Rio’s door, filled with offerings from visitors. Photos by Erica Reh