April 6, 2009, 8:18 pm
Earth Day is celebrated around the globe by people of different backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. With an ecosystem as rich and diverse as its history, the iconic Golden Gate National Recreation Area pays homage to a celebration that we can all believe in.
As California evolves and develops, this urban national park has not only become an increasingly important destination for the region’s citizens, but also an increasingly important home for a broad diversity of plant and wildlife that inhabit the area. The park’s 60 miles of California coastline are home to more than half of the North American avian species, as well as nearly one-third of California’s plant species. Among this rich diversity of flora and fauna, 56 federally threatened and endangered species inhabit the Golden Gate's legislative boundaries, much of which is managed by the National Park Service.
Individual sites such as Muir Woods, Stinson Beach, the Marin Headlands, and the Presidio make up the principle wildlife corridors, secret nature spots and refuges for these endangered species. Windswept beaches, soaring cliffs, coastal chaparral, low mountains, swaths of prairie, live oak woodlands, salt marshes, freshwater wetlands and creeks, and redwood forests dot the area; it’s no wonder that such rich biological diversity exists here.
The park also recognizes California’s rich history , much of which occurred hundreds of years before it became part of the union in 1849. Native American culture, the Spanish Empire frontier, Spanish missions, the Mexican Republic, the California Gold Rush, the evolution of American coastal fortifications and the growth of urban San Francisco.
With Earth Day and National Park Week coming up this month, now is the perfect time to discover the humility, compassion, and hope embodied in the wildlife preservation initiatives occurring in Golden Gate. Click here to discover the endangered and threatened animals that call this park home.
For information on where to go and what to do in the park, click here.
