CONSERVANCY COMMONS

SF officials strongly encourage people not to travel for non-essential purposes. The “Parks Conservancy Updated Travel Guidance” includes tools and tips for the current situation. 

Learn more about the Parks Conservancy's Strategic Planning on SharePoint. You can read the 2021-2025 Strategy Direction document, access information from the Strategic Sprint, and see the Task Force Teams.

The new 4-month Womxn of Color Mentorship Pilot Program will start Jan. 19. This program aims to increase opportunities for professional development for womxn of color and supports the Parks Conservancy's DEI efforts. If you identify as a womxn of color and want to participate as a mentor or mentee, fill out the interest form (due Jan. 8).

For questions, contact Amy Tam, atam@parksconservancy.org, or Tessa Wei, twei@parksconservancy.org

There have been difficult farewells for people who have left the Parks Conservancy due to layoffs. Every employee may have different preferences about how to hear or say goodbye – individually, on Zoom, with a phone call or a note. Teams are encouraged to take the time to gather electronically over the next couple of weeks during work hours to acknowledge these coworkers.

Staff member Bea Kilat reflects on the transformative benefits of a simple walk in the park. Originally published in the Parks Conservancy's monthly email newsletter, Park E-ventures. 

Join us in welcoming Lau-Rene Manuel, the new Sr. Director of Safety. Lau-Rene will be serving as the first-ever Safety Director at the Parks Conservancy. Her position represents a milestone in the Parks Conservancy's efforts to build a culture of safety across the organization.

Please share information about these NPS internship opportunities with your networks. The Mosaics in Science (MIS) Diversity Internship Program provides college students and recent graduates 18-35 years old that are under-represented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) career fields with on-the-ground, natural resource science-based, work experience in the National Park System. Applications are due by January 24, 2021

Golden Gate's very own biologists, Katie Smith (Parks Conservancy) and Lidia D'Amico (National Park Service), were featured in the San Francisco Chronicle last week as part of a story on the coyote monitoring efforts in our parks and around the Bay Area.  Learn more about their interesting and important work.

If you are struggling with life’s challenges, Claremont offers a new, free, and helpful service. Join an Online Support Group with others who have similar issues and can offer you ideas, support and encouragement. Support groups can be accessed by computer, tablet or smartphone. To register, call Claremont EAP, 800-834-3773.

Help the DEI Committee reimagine Community Circles in 2021. We have heard from you that Circles have been hard to attend due to work schedules, don't always meet your needs, and that they have also given you a sense of community when you needed it the most.

Thurs., 1/7 from 7:30-8:30 PM
Presidio Trust ecologist and Associate Director of Natural Resources Lew Stringer talks about the restoration of the Tennessee Hollow Watershed. Read more on Bay Nature's website.  

The Banff Mountain Film Festival is going digital this year and will be a year-long event of exciting films and showings! The Banff Centre and REI have desiginated the Parks Conservancy as one of the local beneficiaries. Use this specific link to purchse tickets, and the Parks Conservancy will receive a porition of the proceeds. 

Click here to open the unique URL then share the link with your friends, family and networks.

Fri., 1/8 from noon-1 PM
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust for an entertaining and educational webinar about the migrating ducks and birds of Bair Island!

Tues., Jan. 12, 10-11:30 AM.
During these unprecedented times, resilience training workshops provide a much needed community building experience for teams. Employees will learn to successfully manage stress, effectively deal with fear and bias associated with the current health crisis, and facilitate better communication, conflict management, and rapport across your entire team. This session provied by nonprofit Hollaback is specifically scheduled for Conservancy staff. 

Join us to learn how stress plays a part in your overall health. Stress, inflammation and diet have an interesting relationship. In this session, we will learn how to differentiate between normal and chronic stress. We will also uncover the effects of chronic stress on our hormones (and thus on our body weight). We will look at what nutrients your body needs when you are “stressed out” and, finally, learn some great stress management strategies.

Have a submission for the Conservancy Commons? Send content and images to commons@parksconservancy.org by Friday at 10am to be included in next week's newsletter.

Share your favorite Park Pics on Yammer by logging in with your work email and password.