At the top of Bernal Hill lies a remarkable urban ecosystem, 20 acres of open space that is home to many native plants and animals that are still surviving in the heart of San Francisco.
Bernal Wild, a collective of friends bonded by a love for nature, embarked on a mission to restore a section of wilderness near Bernal Hill. Their journey commenced in spring 2021 after discovering a coast live oak overrun by scotch broom. What started as a mission to save this oak and a neighboring toyon soon expanded into a more extensive habitat restoration effort. Over two years of their dedicated work led to the area’s flourishing. The native plants they nurtured prospered, creating a haven for butterflies, moths, bugs, and birds dependent on these plants, thereby marking a significant and successful ecological transformation.
An update from Lori Eanes –
“With the success of our fundraiser, we’ve planted over 200 new plants and counting. Among other plants, we’ve planted many native grasses this year. Bernal Hill was once a grassland, and we’re working to help restore it. One of our new favorites is Purple needlegrass (Stipa pulchra), our state grass. It grows to 2-3 feet tall, has very deep roots, and can live to be 100 years old. We’ve planted around 30-40 of them and many others.”