• A section of the bowsprint and figurehead on the bow of BALCLUTHA.

    San Francisco Maritime

    National Historical Park California

First Bloom and Yick Wo School

A park ranger standing in the middle of an empty garden plot with kids planting native plants behind her.
Since their first visit this past Oct. 1, 2010, the students have been learning lots of interesting things about maritime history and native plants. They were back in the park on Wednesday afternoon, February 23, 2011 to plant the second native plant garden in Aquatic Park.

The kids, with the help of Ranger Rejane, and our park gardener, designed the bed, deciding what type of plant would go where. The potted plants were each marked with a letter and the kids found the corresponding letter on the ground and planted it there.

Here is Ranger Rejane with her First Bloom 4th graders from Yick Wo Elementary school in San Francisco creating a California native plant garden at the park. They planted 104 plants!
NPS
 
A park employee and students put a native plant in the soil.
This plant is getting some TLC!
NPS

The students cut through the black felt-like material covering the soil, dug a hole, took the young plant out of the temporary pot and planted it in the garden.

 
Elementary school children planting California native plants at the park.
The garden takes shape.
NPS
 
A garden bed newly planted with small native plants from California.
The newly-planted garden! In May, 2010 another group of First Bloom students planted the garden visible just behind the new one in this photo. Next time you are in the park, please take a stroll through the gardens!
NPS
 

Did You Know?

The CA Thayer, a lumber schooner, built in 1895 in Northern California.

Once, hundreds of sailing schooners carried lumber to San Francisco from Washington, Oregon, and the California Redwood Coast. Built in 1895, C.A. Thayer, once part of that mighty Pacific Coast fleet, survives at San Francisco Maritime NHP. More...