Nature in the City
This Earth Day, reflecting on what's "natural"
When people ask why I moved back to San Francisco, they're surprised when I mention nature as a reason. After living in Asheville—nestled in the mountains—and New Orleans—dotted with urban farms and rain gardens—I've come to appreciate that urbanity and nature aren't opposing forces. In fact, they can and must coexist.
While hiking in Pisgah National Forest, I once paused to read a plaque erected by the Forest Service. It explained how the trees in front of me had all been planted in 1990, and are part of a series of trials with the aim of reforesting this land that had been clear cut by a prior generation. 1990 happens to be the year I was born. Looking out as far as I could see were trees that entered the world at the same time as me. All the while, as I took my first steps, went to kindergarten, discovered my individuality, went off to college, and started a career—these trees were silently growing into a forest.
This past Thursday, I witnessed a similar transformation at the Cole Valley Eco Night Market, where Irving Street temporarily became a vibrant pop-up park. Potted palms and tropical plants lined the streetcar tracks, creating an unexpected green oasis amid the Victorian facades.
These moments of urban nature—whether a street-turned-garden or a newly opened park on a former highway—remind me how much creativity and care goes into nurturing green spaces in our dense city. It's this thoughtful integration of the natural within the built environment that makes San Francisco home.