A team of 17 Rotary volunteers gathered high atop Rotary Meadow in the foggy heart of Sutro Forest on Saturday, September 25 at 9:15 AM. The volunteers came from several Clubs, including the Rotary Clubs of San Francisco #2, San Francisco Castro, San Francisco West, and San Francisco Chinatown. With our primary meadow advocate, Harold Hoogasian, unexpectedly away on business, Bob Hermann led our merry crew. The work we do in this project aligns with the seventh principle supported by The Rotary Foundation: Supporting the Environment. The meadow is a great example of how our many work projects have improved life in the City of San Francisco for generations to come.
Sutro Forest is a tract of land behind UCSF Parnassus Campus crowned by a eucalyptus grove. The Rotary Club of San Francisco established Rotary Meadow in 2004 with a $100,000 gift. The gift not only allowed for the creation of Rotary Meadow but also galvanized the establishment of Sutro Stewards, which cares for the whole of Sutro Forest. nRotary Meadow features a garden of native plants and a view of the 61-acre forest below. Everyone who walks the trails of Mount Sutro owes their nature-walk-in-the-city to the Stewards volunteers, who have logged thousands of hours clearing the trails.
Our work included removing an invasive grass that has been seeding itself and smothering other native plants with voracious force. We each received a pail, a trenching tool, and instructions on how to get the grass out by its roots. Many pails filled to the brim were deposited into large canvas bags, which in turn became a large mound for disposal. The camaraderie, fresh air, and natural environment made the morning fly by. At the end, we enjoyed pizza and beer courtesy of Bob Hermann.
This volunteer effort is one of my personal favorites. It speaks strongly to my agrarian roots to be mucking about in the dirt, grass, and woods. In case you missed out, there are many workdays available for volunteers. Register here, and enjoy the opportunity to support the environment.
