CONSERVANCY COMMONS

Conservancy employees are encouraged to nominate an individual or team from the NPS for a Bridge Award! The Bridge Award was established to recognize cooperative, partnership-strengthening achievements between Golden Gate National Recreation Area staff and Conservancy staff to improve visitor experience and preserve natural and cultural resources. To submit a nomination, download the form at the link below, and send it to bridgeaward@parksconservancy.org. Nominations accepted until Sept. 15. The winners will be announced at the Employee Appreciation Party on Oct. 17.

The NPS is launching a parking and shuttle reservation system at Muir Woods National Monument to improve the visitor experience and enhance the protection of park resources. Reservations will be required for all vehicles and shuttle riders in early 2018. For more information, please visit the link below.

Beginning Tuesday, September 12, for one week, a lane closure is scheduled along Mason Street near Building 603 (formerly the Crissy Field Center, currently used by CalTrans and the Crissy Kitchen) for utility work.

Beginning Sunday, September 10, for approximately one month, overnight traffic control is scheduled along a designated haul route consisting of the following roads: Lincoln Boulevard, McDowell Avenue, Mason Street, Girard Road, Gorgas Avenue, and Richardson Avenue. This work is necessary for crews to load and transport material.

9 am - Noon. Let's make trash extinct! Pitch in for California Coastal Cleanup Day, and lend a hand throughout the Golden Gate National Parks and beyond! Cleanup and restoration activities will be happening in San Francisco, Marin, and Pacifica. Together we can keep our parks, neighborhoods, and shorelines clean, safe, and healthy for everyone.

Noon - 1 pm. Enjoy Rodeo Beach at the height of Bay Area Summer with a staff picnic! Bring your lunch, picnic blanket, camp chair, kite, Frisbee, musical instrument, and outdoor games and take a break away from your desk. Please RSVP below and let us know if you are interested in carpooling or joining a tour of Hawk Hill at 1 pm. Hosted by the Wellness Committee.

1 - 4:30 pm. Fort Mason General's Residence. This workshop on ocean acidification is an opportunity for formal and informal educators to receive the most up-to-date climate science information directly from researchers and for scientists to practice communication skills that can aid future educational collaborations. It is the first workshop of the BayCLIC Local Climate Science & Education Series, which is meant to bring the Bay Area’s science and education communities together to explore local climate research, program-specific applications, and place-based solutions. The event is open to anyone providing education programming, from park rangers to program leaders to interns. Register below.

8:30 pm - midnight, Presidio. We’re hosting the first-ever NightHowl, a dance party happening after the Trails Forever Dinner! Join us for a howlin’ night out with spins by DJ D Sharp (official DJ of the Golden State Warriors), savory & sweet eats, complimentary drinks, entertainment, games, and more! Tickets are $100/person. But wait! We have a STAFF ONLY DEAL: Bring 4 friends and you get in for free! (Or if you'd like to split with 5 people, it would be $80/person.) The staff deal promo code is TFDNH2017. You must purchase the tickets in a bundle. Questions? Email amecruz@parksconservancy.org. Hope to see you there!

2 - 4 pm, 201 Fort Mason, 3rd Fl Conference Rm. HR is bringing back free flu shots for all employees! Shots are given on a drop-in basis; no need to RSVP. If we have remaining shots, vouchers will be available afterwards.

Save the date for Diversity Makes Us Stronger Week, October 31st through November 4th! Hosted by the National Park Service, the week will start with a Day of the Dead celebration at the General’s Residence and will include events throughout the parks for the remainder of the week. Stay tuned for a detailed schedule.

12 - 1 pm, 201 Fort Mason, 3rd Fl Conference Rm. Can't sleep? Not sleeping soundly? This session provides a general overview of the sleep cycle and offers practical tips to help you feel refreshed, energized, alert, and ready to take on a new day. Lunch will be served. Please RSVP to hchrobak@parksconservancy.org by Tuesday, September 12.

1:30 - 4:30 pm. 201 Fort Mason, 3rd Fl Conference Rm. Highly recommended for all managers who supervise staff. Do you ever find yourselves getting tangled up in the confusing administrative details of being a manager? Through our workshop, you can: gain insights into the administrative functions required by your job and get the tools to command them; align your efforts w/ HR in Recruitment, Employee Relations, and Benefits administration; learn to address disciplinary actions and grievances in a manner that is legally compliant and consistent with agency policies; demystify our Compensation system, Leaves of Absence and more. RSVP below.

11 am - 1 pm. Join Step Wilson (Golden Gate Raptor Observatory Hawkwatcher Manager) for this unique outing in the field to practice your hawk identification skills with the fall migration! Meet at the trail head gate to Hawk Hill at the top of Conzelman Rd at 11am. After a steep and gravelly 250 yard hike we’ll arrive atop Hawk Hill, where we will spot and identify the various migrating species discussing the points covered during the July identification trainings. Varied weather. BYOBinoculars if you have them, if not, we’ll have a few pairs to loan.

This week we welcome five new employees, who will be working at Alcatraz, Fort Cronkhite, the Warming Hut and the GG Bridge Welcome Center.