blog
cleaning up the rock
posted May 15, 2012 by Marcelle |
alcatraz island is one of the most popular tourist destinations in san francisco. but what many may not know is that in addition to its rich history, this long-abandoned federal penitentiary and first lighthouse on the west coast is also home to some of our city’s loveliest gardens—gardens that need tending to.
so last tuesday, on another method care day, a group of us volunteered to help tend to these gardens. we rode the staff ferry out to the island and quickly got to work on a section of gardens that had originally been planted and attended to by prisoners.
lucky for us, it was perfect weeding weather. but the true highlight of the morning was when jon, one of our packaging engineers, unearthed a garden artifact. his name and Method Products Inc. are now in the official alcatraz historical records. well done, jon!
after a full morning of manual labor, we ended up filling two full truckloads of weeds. everything we pulled was chopped for compost (everything from the gardens stays on the island). after a quick lunch and a tour of the prison, we were on our way.
for more information on the gardens, visit www.alcatrazgardens.org. or to become a member of the garden conservancy or park conservancy, visit www.gardenconservancy.org or www.parksconservancy.org.
