It’s official: The San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission last week approved the commemorative naming of Claude the Alligator Way in Golden Gate Park, honoring Claude, the beloved albino alligator who became a local icon at the California Academy of Sciences before his passing in December 2025.

The Commission’s action designated Music Concourse Drive between JFK Promenade and MLK Drive as Claude the Alligator Way. The commemorative naming was officially unveiled during Claude Forever, the museum’s free outdoor celebration of life last Sunday at the Golden Gate Bandshell.

The street location alongside the Cal Academy was selected following strong public support. It reflects the place where Claude introduced millions of visitors to wildlife and conservation during his 17 years at the museum.

Last week's Commission action followed a vote by San Francisco Supervisors on January 5 on a resolution to honor Claude with a commemorative street naming in Golden Gate Park. Learn more at the link below.

Dreaming of a more accessible trail, improved dog park amenities, or a new community garden at your local park? Residents now have a chance to turn those ideas into reality. Nominations are open for Rec and Park’s Community Opportunity Fund (COF), a program that supports community-driven park improvement projects across the city.

Through the program, residents can propose capital improvement projects that reflect what their neighborhoods want and need most. This funding round is supported by $6 million from the 2020 Health and Recovery Bond, reopening a program that has not offered a citywide application round in nearly a decade.

This year’s Community Opportunity Fund application process has been refreshed to be more streamlined and transparent, with a clear focus on parks in Environmental Justice Communities to help ensure investments reach neighborhoods with the greatest need. Learn more on how to get involved at the link below. 

Ahead of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Rec & Park staff, city leaders and community members came together to honor Dr. King’s legacy at the department’s 42nd Annual MLK Luncheon at Minnie and Lovie Ward Recreation Center. 

During the luncheon, Rec and Park presented its annual Keeping the Dream Alive Awards, which recognize individuals and groups whose work embodies Dr. King’s values.

The 2026 community award was presented to the Minnie and Lovie Ward Community Recreation Council, a dedicated group of residents who have supported the center for decades. The council’s commitment has helped ensure the facility remains a vibrant and welcoming space for the community.

The internal award was presented to the Golden Gate Park Nursery, whose staff, gardeners and apprentices play a vital role in sustaining San Francisco’s parks. The nursery produces more than 21,000 plants each year, nearly 70% of them native. From trees and seasonal flowers to City Hall displays and hands-on training for new gardeners, the team’s work supports parks and public spaces across San Francisco.

We are grateful to this year’s honorees for their dedication and for continuing to lift up communities through their work. Their leadership and commitment help keep Dr. King’s dream alive in San Francisco today.

At last week's Recreation and Park Commission, Interim General Manager Sarah Madland honored Rec and Park employees who recently went above and beyond their normal duties to help our city in its time of need. 

Last month, San Francisco experienced a large-scale power outage. At its peak, the crisis left approximately 300,000 residents without power across 30 percent of our city, including much of the Richmond District.

When the lights went out, these employees served as a beacon of hope for the community, spending long hours away from their own families to ensure vulnerable members of the public remained safe, warm, and informed.

Helping to convert Richmond Recreation Center into a vital warming center and resource hub, they provided a steady hand during a period of deep uncertainty and exemplified the very best of public service. Thank you for standing tall when the community needed you most.

Magnificent Magnolia season has arrived at San Francisco Botanical Garden (1199 9th Avenue), where more than 200 trees are coming into bloom with saucer-sized pink, white and magenta flowers through March. The annual display offers a stunning winter highlight, whether you’re taking a solo stroll, attending a Magnolia-themed event or planning ahead for Valentine’s Day. For more information and to purchase tickets, click the link below. 

Rec and Park is applying for a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Cleanup Grant to help fund the remediation of legacy contaminated subsurface soil at India Basin Shoreline Park.

As part of the grant application process, the department will host a public meeting at the community room in the Shipwright’s Cottage at India Basin Waterfront Park (900 Innes Avenue) on Friday, January 23 at 1 p.m. to present the draft proposal and receive community input.

Copies of the draft grant proposal are currently available to view at this link, as well as in person at Shipwright’s Cottage through Thursday, January 22. Written comments will be accepted through 5 p.m. on January 22 and may be submitted to Kaitlin Holl at kaitlin.holl@sfgov.org or (415) 609-3685. For more information, click the link below.

Join Rec and Park for two informal community information sessions about the upcoming renovation of playground equipment and surfacing at Louis Sutter Upper Playground. Meetings will take place at the playground (1150 Wayland Street) on Saturday, January 24 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Monday, January 26 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. There will be no formal presentation; staff will be on hand to discuss the project and answer questions.

A Spanish-language interpreter will be present. For additional language services or accessibility requests, contact the project manager at least 48 hours in advance; late requests will be accommodated if possible.

Community members are also encouraged to share feedback via the project design survey, which is open through Saturday, January 31. For more information and to take the survey, click the link below.

Explore "A Measure of Uncertainty," a fine art photography exhibition presented by the Bay Area Photographers Collective at the Harvey Milk Photo Center (50 Scott Street), on view through February 21. Curated by Heather Snider, the show brings together work by 22 artists examining how imagination, technology, and photography intersect with instability in the natural world and contemporary life. Meet-the-artist events will take place on Saturdays, January 24 and February 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, click the link below. 

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission wants to hear from you as it begins its search for the next Rec and Park general manager. Share the qualities, experience, and leadership skills you believe are needed to guide the department forward through this survey or at the third and final community meeting taking place virtually on Monday, February 9 from 6 to 7 p.m. See the meeting details below:  

Link to Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 894 5847 2471

Passcode: 165703

Your voice matters—help the City of San Francisco build on its tradition of recreation and parks excellence.

All The Way Live Foundation's Hip Hop on the Plaza has returned to Fulton Plaza (Fulton Street between Larkin and Hyde streets) on Fridays, with the next on January 23 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. It will feature a breaking workshop starting at 4:30 p.m., followed by a dance session. For more information, click the link below.

Thousands gathered at Civic Center Plaza last weekend for a free public memorial honoring Bob Weir, co-founder of the Grateful Dead and a defining figure in San Francisco’s cultural history. Our Video of the Week comes from NBC Bay Area and highlights this memorial.

Weir’s legacy is deeply tied to the city and its parks, from the Grateful Dead’s historic free concerts in Golden Gate Park during the 1960s to his final Bay Area performances there with Dead & Company. Weir’s influence continues to resonate across generations, and we are honored by the role our parks played in his life.

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