How another California Zoo does conservation

By on February 2, 2012 in Nature & Wildlife

Zoos nationally understand that conservation means protecting not only animals, but their habitat too, and many of them are doing just that. In fact, the Accreditation Standards of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) require that member organizations participate in conservation programs emphasizing “ecosystem conservation.”

Last June, Oakland elected officials gave approval to the Oakland Zoo to build a 56 acre California conservation theme park in one of the most remarkable natural ecosystems remaining in Oakland today, the Knowland Park highlands. Since the Santa Barbara Zoo had already opened a “California Trails” exhibit complex in 2009, I drove down last summer to see how they built the new exhibit while still keeping true to the conservation message.

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Welcome to saveknowland.org!

By on January 31, 2012 in Campaign Updates, Opinions & Editorials

The purpose of this site is to educate the public about Knowland Park and the campaign to protect its rare, beautiful natural resources from being lost to a “conservation”-themed Oakland Zoo expansion into the park. Enjoy the photographs of the Park’s wildflowers and other native plants, its birds and animals, its views and vistas.

Learn about the history of Knowland Park, the threat to its preservation, and the campaign to protect it. Find out how to access its trails. Our blog will be published twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and at other intervals as new events happen or new information becomes available.

Ways you can help:

  1. Go to our Take Action page and find out how to help protect Knowland Park
  2. Subscribe now to the blog! Get regular email updates on new blog posts and updates on our campaign Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/Atv6B5
  3. Follow us on social media!
    1. Twitter: Knowland Park
    2. Facebook: Save Knowland Park
    3. Flickr: Friends of Knowland Park
  4. Comment on our posts and share our site with your network.
  5. Contact us directly to get more involved.

Thank you so much for your help and interest in redefining conservation in the 21st Century.
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Protecting the Park by demanding real environmental review

By on January 30, 2012 in Campaign Updates, Oakland Politics

On January 13, 2012, lawyers for Friends of Knowland Park and the California Native Plant Society filed their opening brief in their lawsuit against the city of Oakland and the Oakland Zoo, which seeks to compel the city to prepare a full environmental impact report on the Zoo’s Knowland Park development project. The City and Zoo will file their opposing brief in February, after which we will have an opportunity to respond to it. The case will be heard in April.

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Wildflowers of Knowland Park

By on January 28, 2012 in Nature & Wildlife, Photos

These are a sample of the many species of wildflowers found within the oak woodlands, grasslands, and chaparral of the proposed Zoo Expansion area in Knowland Park that would be enclosed by a perimeter fence. They include some of our locally rare plants. The proposed theme park would place exhibits on top of many of these wildflower populations and would restrict public access to these locations.

Photos #1-5, 7, 9, 10, 12-20 were taken by Ken-ichi Ueda; #6 by Dianne Lake; #8,11 by Gregg Weber, and #21 by Mack Casterman.

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The Rare Chaparral Plant Community of Knowland Park

By on January 22, 2012 in Nature & Wildlife

Chaparral, a quintessential California vegetation

There are several different types of native shrub communities in Knowland Park, but none is as rare or fascinating as the remnant stand of maritime chaparral located on the northwestern side of the park. Chaparral is a quintessential California vegetation, and winter is an excellent time of year to explore the chaparral at Knowland Park. As you follow the path into brush, you’ll find yourself in a maze-like realm of twisted, lichen-encrusted trunks and unique plant life. Truly wondrous!

This post is the first in a series focusing on some of the native shrubs found there.

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