Field Trips: Thursday, Sept 29
Coastal Field Trip (FULL as of 18 August!)
Download Coastal Field Trip Guide (2.5 MB)
On this trip along the San Francisco and San Mateo coast, we'll explore the interplay of geomorphic processes and development history in one of the most problematic coastlines on the Pacific edge. We'll ponder the history of attempts at developing this unstable coastline, characterized by rapid uplift of variably consolidated sediments at the coastal intersection with the San Andreas Fault, with ongoing bluff retreat the result. At the fault, a few kilometers from the 1906 epicenter, we'll see the results of misguided development at the second largest deep-seated landslide on the California coast. We'll start at the convention hotel and progress along the coastal bluffs of San Francisco, Daly City and Pacifica, the poster child of coastal erosion. Along the way we'll also visit GGNRA and other hillslope, stream and wetland restoration sites. Thursday Sept 29, 9am-6pm, with a lunch stop. Limited to 20 participants. Leaders: Jerry Davis and Leonhard Blesius, SFSU Geography. Field Trip FULL
Chinatown On Foot (FULL as of Aug 25)
Explore the Chinese neighborhood called 'Chinatown.' The oldest and largest Chinese community outside of China, it retains a strong Asian identity. We'll skip all the tourist spots and concentrate on the alleys and side streets- herbal shops, temples on the 4th floor, fraternal organizations, produce and fish markets. Why is this one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the US? Why is this poor community located next to the Financial District? What changes have happened (and not happened) over 150 years? And why is it still overwhelmingly Chinese? Using maps, old photos, and the current landscape, we'll look at the past, present, and future of San Francisco's fastest growing ethnic community. Meet in the hotel lobby at 9 am. The walk will take about two hours, followed by a dim sum lunch. Limited to 16 participants. Leader: Ellen McElhinny, SFSU Geography.
Habitat Restoration in an Urban Park
The Presidio of San Francisco is a dynamic mix of nature and culture across 1,500 acres of urban parkland. Once home to Ohlone tribelets, Spanish and Mexican frontier soldiers, and the U.S. Army, the Presidio is now a national park striving to balance recreation, historic preservation, and natural resource protection. Despite its urban character the Presidio is home to a surprisingly wide variety of plant and animals, reflective of the larger biological diversity along the central California coast. This trip will explore some of the Presidio's restored habitat areas, including the revitalized bayshore at Crissy Field and a creek "daylighting" project in the Tennessee Hollow watershed.
Led by Michael Chassé, National Park Service/SFSU Geography, and Mark Frey, Presidio Trust, Thursday, September 29: 9am to noon. Van transportation will be provided to and from the conference venue. Limited to 20 participants.
The Environmental History of the San Francisco Presidio
On this trip we will step back in time and explore the environmental history of the San Francisco Presidio. The tour will examine land use changes that occurred during the time of the local Ohlone (native peoples), and later Spanish, Mexican and American settlers. Our tour will commence on the southern edge of the Presidio-at Mountain Lake Park, campsite of the Anza Spanish expedition to San Francisco in 1776. The Presidio has undergone a major transformation in recent years as part of the National Parks efforts to preserve both the natural and cultural resources in the park. Mountain Lake is a classic example of this effort. The lake bottom sediments trace the environmental history of the Presidio during the past 2000 years and document changing climate, the arrival of Europeans to the area in the late 18th century, the major tree planting effort by the US Army and recent heavy metal contamination of the lake. From Mountain Lake our walking tour will weave north along the coast towards the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge via the recently refurbished Veteran’s Hospital. On the way we will learn about the continued efforts by the Park Service to preserve and restore other neglected natural and cultural landscapes on the western edge of the Presidio. Our tour ends at the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge.
Led by Liam Reidy, UC Berkeley Geography, 1-4pm. Van transportation will be provided to Mountain Lake Park (12th and Lake Street) and will return from the Golden Gate Bridge to the conference venue. Bring snacks, water and comfortable shoes for walking.
Moments of Resistance: Public Space in the Transformation of S.F.’s Waterfront
On this field trip we will walk along San Francisco's storied northern waterfront, the section most connected with the rest of the city. When the port fell in to decline, largely a result of containerization and the subsequent rise of the Port of Oakland, proposals to replace piers with modernist development proliferated. None were successful. We will take in the current waterfront landscape, but with an eye to unearthing some of the critical events and processes that have prevented it from becoming completely developed to serve private enterprise. San Francisco's waterfront, as we shall see, represents a moment of successful resistance to neoliberal urbanization. At least for now.
Led by Jasper Rubin, SFSU Dept of Urban Studies & Planning, Thursday Sept. 29: 1pm-6pm. Limit to 20 participants. We will be walking on pavement for several hours, so good urban footwear is recommended, as well as water.
San Francisco Bicycle Tour
With mild weather and sunny Septembers, bicycling is a delightful way to get to know San Francisco. Every day hundreds of tourists can be seen on rental bikes heading towards the Golden Gate Bridge or to the Haight Ashbury. This leisurely bicycle tour is suitable for moderately skilled cyclists. Beginning at the conference hotel, the route is relatively level as it will follow the waterfront, Market Street, and then wind through charming Victorian neighborhoods along the “wiggle” route used to avoid steep hills. At designated rest stops along the way your guides will discuss the politics of transportation and land use in San Francisco, as well as the physical geography and natural history of the city. Sites such as Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Crissy Field will be on the itinerary and the tour ends back at the conference hotel.
Led by Jason Henderson and Andrew Oliphant, SFSU Geography, Thursday Sept. 29: 1pm-6pm. Bicycles can be rented nearby in Fisherman’s Wharf for approximately $40/day. Trip leaders will help coordinate this in advance for participants who cannot bring their own bikes and helmets. Limited to 20 participants.
