View From Tomorrow: Oak Forest Audio Experience
On September 9, 2020, the sky was orange
This is the accompanying audio experience for the View From Tomorrow installation, installed in Golden Gate Park in front of the Conservatory of Flowers on March 28, 2021. The audio tour is about 35 minutes.
In the audio experience, viewers are invited to go on an interactive walk through the Oak Woodlands trail, passionately guided by Ildiko Polony (wildfirestowildflowers.org) and myself. Listeners learn about native species of the San Francisco Bay Area, the impact that invasive species have on them, their role in the carbon cycle, and ways that we, as members of our local environment, can aid nature in doing its job.
PRESS PLAY TO BEGIN THE EXPERIENCE
Start at the Star!
Tule boat of the Ohlone people, Native people of the San Francisco Bay Area
Quote from Ishmael by Daniel Quinn:
Each of you contributes daily to the destruction of the world.
Why don't you stop?
Start of the Oak Woodlands trail
Lichen aka “Old Mans Beard”
Moss that feels like an unremovable sweater for the tree
Native Plant Restoration area (go left from here)
Find some Miners Lettuce! This is edible.
Sticky Monkey Flower (feel it!)
Flower of Sticky Monkey Flower
More native shrubs - “sea of silvery blues and greens”
This way!
Thinning of Eucalyptus trees
Thinning of Eucalyptus trees
Go this way! Gasp at the View!
Gasp at the Oak Woodlands!
More pathfinding!
Continue on the path to the left!
Go this way!
When you get to the “end” go left! Right is towards the skaters
Friends of the Oak Woodlands has monthly habitat restoration work parties, meeting at the steps in front of the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, on the second Saturday of each month at 10:00 AM.
Turn right!
I said “stop at the cypress tree” but it’s actually a pine tree…
Look left towards the oaks, can you hear the birds?
Look right towards the eucalyptus, can you hear the birds?
Fin! Thanks for joining! Come back to the Conservatory to chat
LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT
The Sierra club has put together a list of legislation to support
Consider supporting Assembly Bill 564:
AB 564 reinforces both executive orders by requiring that all state agencies, boards, and commissions utilize their authority to consider and prioritize biodiversity. The bill will also help slow the loss of biodiversity and natural lands by requiring public agencies to not approve projects that are inconsistent with or would impair the implementation of the strategies developed by the Resources Agency to meet the 30 by 30 goal of Governor Newsom’s executive order.
Ildiko <3’s oak trees!
Thank you Ildiko!
Funny story: this was a result of our third recording. The first recording was a test/trial. The second recording didn’t record because the headphones had a Mic on/off button :( But we are proud of the result, see many ways to improve, and welcome your feedback!
Just in case Soundcloud doesn’t work…
Further Acknowledgements
Thank you for Kaitlin McCardle for aiding in the construction of this piece after work, Peter Taylor for riding the wave of my boundless energy and ideas, and Rachel Critelli for her help in editing and synthesizing our first audio take.