Overview

The problem: How might we educate and engage Presidio visitors beyond the typical amenities that parks offer?

60,000 trees. More than 300 bird species. 13 distinctive plant communities. 300 native plant species—16 of them endangered, including the wildflowers San Francisco lessingia and Presidio clarkia, which are found in only two locations worldwide. 433 historic structures. 21 different neighborhoods. 24 miles of natural and restored trail.

And 3,000 people call it home.

How do we capture even a fraction of the magic that this unique place holds?

The goal: To create an adventure map that educates and engages visitors on the natural wonders of the Presidio.

Vision and process

The project began in 2014 when I was working as an environmental educator for the park. The Presidio served as the outdoor classroom for my students. It was my personal goal, as both a scientist and an artist, to incorporate design and creativity into the Presidio’s programs while preserving scientific principles and promoting critical thinking.

Before long, Senior Park Experience & Partnerships Specialist Damien Raffa noticed my penchant for drawing and the vision for the map began to unfold. I painted the base with watercolor to reflect the park’s natural topography, and I drew every surface element by hand with almost imperceptible details and differences to mimic the intricacies of nature.

Impact

Adventures in the Presidio embraces the remarkable story of an army post-turned-recreational park that serves a diverse community of plants, animals, and people. The park’s unique history blends with over 15 years of restoration work to bring its natural lands back to life.

Although it was originally created as an educational resource to guide San Francisco students through the park’s many habitats, buildings, trails, and views, the map has been distributed to over 50,000 visitors of every age and from all over the world.

Next steps

How do you tell a story that has no end?

The beautiful reality of our planet is that it has its own timeline, and the Presidio is no exception. Derailing schedules and openly defying scope, the physical park has changed drastically since this project began, which means the map must change and evolve along with it. Now in its seventh year and with no end in sight, I continue to work with park staff to update the map, and my legacy of merging art with science lives on.