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Past Projects & Installations (Selected)
Restore and Create: Earth Day Celebrations on Stinson Beach
Stinson Beach, California, 2005-2019 Participants worked on beach cleanup or creek restoration, and joined with over a dozen collaborating artists engaging the public in sculpture-making with natural materials, making music, dancing, and more. More info: event website 
Art Saves Trees on the Disc Golf Course at Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline, San Leandro, CA, 2018-2020
This was a collaboration with East Bay Regional Park District Ranger Pamela Beitz, We designed and guided the construction of protective scaffolding for public, ephemeral art installation and tree shielding on a Disc Golf Course at Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline. Students from Earth Team were instrumental in this project. 
National Covid-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative
2020-2021 The Initiative supports schools and districts around the country in their efforts to reopen safely and equitably using outdoor spaces as strategic, cost-effective tools to increase capacity with physical distancing measures in place. The Initiative seeks to equitably improve learning, mental and physical health, and happiness for children and adults. I co-led the Health Considerations working group of the Initiative. The National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative was co-founded in May 2020 by Green Schoolyards America, The Lawrence Hall of Science, San Mateo County Office of Education, and Ten Strands. It now includes more than 15 other partner organizations that are collaborating to build a national movement, and hundreds of participating volunteers. Learn more here. 
San Francisco Children & Nature training for staff of San Francisco Office of Early Care and Education and Directors, Teachers, and Staff from working in Early Care
Co-presented with Maria Durana, this training in 2019 - "Pinecones, Leaves and Tree Cookies: Introduction to Nature Play" - covered the importance of nature play in childhood and methods for promoting nature play in early care settings. 
Children & Nature Network International Conference, Oakland, California, 2019
At this conference I hosted a pop-up Create-with-Nature Zone, and used the Zone as a site for a workshop: "Beyond Fairy Houses, Mud Pies, and Dens: Designing, Making, Managing, and Using Create-with-Nature Zones." 
Create-with-Nature Cart: Market Street Prototyping Festival
In 2015 and 2016, I collaborated with Mary Roscoe (Bay Area Children and Nature Collaborative) and Damien Raffa (Presidio Trust) to bring free public create-with-nature activities to the heart of downtown San Francisco. The custom-designed and built Create-with-Nature Cart, with its bins of durable natural materials, was donated to the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, for ongoing use at the Tenderloin Recreation Center and other sites. Read More. |
Past Public Events (Selected)
Rock Balancing Gathering - San Francisco - 16th Edition Saturday May 11, 2024, 1pm - 3:30pm Free, public, all-ages event Crissy Field (Just East of the Warming Hut Cafe), San Francisco, CA ( map ) Free and open to all ages. Instruction provided. Registration requested. More info: Eventbrite event page 
Sand Globe Festivity on Albany Beach for Earth Day: A Free Community Create & Play Event from Love the Bulb Sunday, April 21, 2024, 10am - 3pm (arrive anytime ) All-ages no-fee event (see free REGISTRATION link below) Albany Beach (NOTE: SOUTH END OF BEACH), CA (map) Ohlone Territory Join in this free creative community event to create & play with sand globes and each other in celebration of Earth Day! Making sand globes from moist sand and water is easy-- and it feels like magic! Someone said, "It's like making a sand castle in the air." At this event, environmental artist Zach Pine will teach everyone to make sand globes. It takes just 5 minutes for your first one! We'll use sand globes to make spontaneous, evolving, and ephemeral creations together, play cooperative sand globe games like "pass the peas," learn to catch and juggle sand globes, and aim to break the world record for largest sand globe (a bit bigger than a basketball). Sand globe creativity and playfulness are spreading over the earth through the project Sand Globes Worldwide. See more worldwide photos and follow on Instagram. Accessibility: By design, the event offers opportunities for everyone to participate and join in however they wish. Our site at the south end of the beach is paved, and our activities will be in that area and the adjacent sandy area, and we'll provide tabletop surfaces as needed. Restrooms are also wheelchair accessible. Transportation: Parking is limited, so carpooling (see link above) and biking are encouraged. Public transportation can only get you to San Pablo Avenue and Buchanan Street, 1.2 miles away. To arrange carpooling (offer or get a ride), see our carpooling page: https://groupcarpool.com/t/0j74mn . It's super easy! REGISTRATION: Please register (free) using this Eventbrite link from Love the Bulb. (If registration is full, add yourself to waitlist,) More info: event web page, Facebook event page. 
Community Ephemeral Art-making at Codornices Park – Agapanthus Project 2023 Saturday, November 25, 2023, 1:00pm - 3:00pm Free, public, all-ages event, wheelchair accessible Codornices Park Berkeley, CA ( map ) Join us for an afternoon of playful collaborative sculpture-making using dried Agapanthus flowers at Berkeley’s Codornices Park. This is the latest installment of the Agapanthus Project, begun in 2010. See the gallery. More info: event web page, Facebook event page 
Sand Globe Festivity on Albany Beach: A Free Community Create & Play Event from Love the Bulb Sunday, October 8, 2023, 2pm - 4pm (arrive anytime ) All-ages no-fee event (see free REGISTRATION link below) Albany Beach (south end), CA (map) Ohlone Territory Join in to create & play with sand globes and each other! Making sand globes from moist sand and water is easy-- and it feels like magic! Someone said, "It's like making a sand castle in the air." At this event, environmental artist Zach Pine will teach everyone to make sand globes. It takes just 5 minutes for your first one! We'll use sand globes to make spontaneous, evolving, and ephemeral creations together, play cooperative sand globe games like "pass the peas," learn to catch and juggle sand globes, and aim to break the world record for largest sand globe (a bit bigger than a basketball). Sand globe creativity and playfulness are spreading over the earth through the project Sand Globes Worldwide. See more worldwide photos and follow on Instagram. CARPOOLING for Sunday 10/8! See our carpooling page: https://groupcarpool.com/t/0j74mn . Want to join a car, offer a ride, or say you want a ride (waitlist)? It's super easy! Parking will be tight Sunday with this weather! Accessibility: By design, the event offers opportunities for everyone to participate and join in however they wish. Our site at the south end of the beach is paved, and our activities will be in that area and the adjacent sandy area, and we'll provide tabletop surfaces as needed. Restrooms are also wheelchair accessible. Transportation: Parking is limited, so carpooling (see link above) and biking are encouraged. Public transportation can only get you to San Pablo Avenue and Buchanan Street, 1.2 miles away. REGISTRATION: Please register (free) using this Eventbrite link from Love the Bulb. (If registration is full, add yourself to waitlist, and come anyway!) More info: event web page, Facebook event page. 
Sand Globe Creativity on Stinson Beach to Celebrate California Coastal Cleanup Day Saturday, September 23, 2023, 12pm - 3pm (arrive anytime ) All-ages no-fee event Stinson Beach, CA ( map ) Location: at the shore near the main restrooms Join in, care for the coast, then have fun with each other and the earth through sand globing! Beach cleanup for California Coastal Cleanup Day is just prior to this sandglobing event, from 9 am-12 pm. (To register for the beach cleanup event before the sandglobing event, use this Parks Conservancy Registration Link, and select "Stinson Beach" from the dropdown menu that appears when you click inside the box labelled "select date and time.") After the cleanup, have your lunch at the picnic tables or on the beach, then join in anytime for sand globe instruction and collective creativity. More info: event web page, Facebook event page. 
Sea the Future: Immersive Sea Level Rise Event on Stinson Beach Saturday, August 26, 2023, 1pm - 4pm (arrive anytime ) All-ages no-fee event Stinson Beach, CA ( map ) Location: near the main restrooms - follow signs Make collaborative sand art on the beach, incorporating sand globes and other sculptural elements, as part of the Sea the Future event produced by the County of Marin and National Park Service. In addition to our collective creative activity, the spots where future tides could reach on the beach will be marked, and there will be a station for other activities, information on what actions we can take in facing sea level rise, and a tent to experience Stinson sea level rise projections in virtual reality. More info: event web page 
Earth Day Celebration: Sand Art Making & Beach Cleanup Stinson Beach Sunday, April 23, 2023, 12pm-5pm (arrive any time) Free, public, all-ages event; PLEASE REGISTER both ways - see below. Beach Cleanup 12pm-4pm Sand Art Making 2pm-5pm Stinson Beach, CA ( map ) Location: near the main restrooms For the beach cleanup hosted by the National Park Service, use the SEPARATE event registration on this page. Note: after clicking the "REGISTER NOW" button, you need to click on the "Select a date and time" drop-down in order to see the number of spots left.) Everything you need for the cleanup will be provided. NOTE: Please register for the sand art making portion on the Eventbrite event page. Sand art-making will be facilitated by socially engaged environmental artist Zach Pine, who hosted the past annual Restore and Create: Earth Day Celebration on Stinson Beach for 15 years. Sand art-making will include making, creating with, and playing with sand globes and beach propellers, and more. More info: Eventbrite registration page, Facebook event page. 
Rock Balancing Gathering - San Francisco - 15th Edition Saturday April 8, 2023, 1pm - 4pm Free, public, all-ages event Crissy Field (Just East of the Warming Hut Cafe), San Francisco, CA ( map ) Free and open to all ages. Instruction provided. Registration requested. More info: event website. 
Beach Propeller Gathering Saturday, February 18, 2023, 1:30pm - 3:30pm Free, public, all-ages event, wheelchair accessible (see details on event page) (RSVP REQUIRED - LIMITED TO 50 PEOPLE) Crissy Field Beach (see event invitation for exact location) San Francisco, California A playful gathering in partnership with Kinetech Arts, NatureTrack, and Positive Ride, where we'll make beach propellers, use them for cooperative games and movement patterns together, and create freely on the wide beach at an ultra-low tide. Part of the Beach Propellers Worldwide project. More info, and REQUIRED registration: Eventbrite page. 
Community Ephemeral Art-making at Codornices Park – Agapanthus Project 2022 Saturday, November 19, 2022, 1:00pm - 3:00pm Free, public, all-ages event, wheelchair accessible Codornices Park Berkeley, CA ( map ) Join us for an afternoon of playful collaborative sculpture-making using dried Agapanthus flowers at Berkeley’s Codornices Park. Bring your own dried Agapanthus flowers. This is the latest installment of the Agapanthus Project, begun in 2010. See the gallery. More info: event web page, Facebook event page 
Sand Globe Creativity on Stinson Beach to Celebrate California Coastal Cleanup Day Saturday, September 17, 2022, 12pm - 3pm (arrive anytime ) All-ages no-fee event Stinson Beach, CA ( map ) Location: at the shore near the main restrooms Join in, care for the coast, then have fun with each other and the earth through sand globing! Beach cleanup for California Coastal Cleanup Day is just prior to this sandglobing event, from 9 am-12 pm. Mia Monroe, National Park Service Ranger, is the beach cleanup site captain. (To register for the beach cleanup event before the sandglobing event, use this Registration Link, and select "Stinson Beach" from the dropdown menu for "select date and time.") After the cleanup, have your lunch at the picnic tables or on the beach, then join in anytime for sand globe instruction and collective creativity. More info: event web page, Facebook event page. 
Restore and Create: Earth Day Celebration on Stinson Beach
Saturday, April 23, 2022, 10:30am - 3:30pm Free, public, all-ages event-- by registration on Eventbrite. South end of Stinson Beach, Marin County, CA ( map ) NOTE: After 15 years of organizing this event, I have handed leadership of this event to Andres Amador and Kelsi Anderson of Elemental Team Arts. This year's event is by registration on Eventbrite. There is also a Facebook event page. I'm planning to come and participate. See you on the beach! 
Rock Balancing Gathering - San Francisco - 14th Edition Saturday April 9, 2022, 1pm - 3pm Free, public, all-ages event Crissy Field (Just East of the Warming Hut Cafe), San Francisco, CA ( map ) Free and open to all ages. Instruction provided. More info: event website. 
Community Ephemeral Art-making at Codornices Park – Agapanthus Project 2021 Saturday, November 20, 2021, 1:00pm - 3:00pm Free, public, all-ages event, wheelchair accessible Codornices Park Berkeley, CA ( map ) Join us for an afternoon of playful collaborative sculpture-making using dried Agapanthus flowers at Berkeley’s Codornices Park. Bring your own dried Agapanthus flowers (and I'll bring plenty to share). This is the latest installment of the Agapanthus Project, begun in 2010. See the gallery. More info: event web page, Facebook event page 
Rock Balancing Gathering - San Francisco - 13th Edition Saturday November 6, 2021, 12pm - 2pm Free, public, all-ages event Crissy Field (Just East of the Warming Hut Cafe), San Francisco, CA ( map ) Free and open to all ages. Instruction provided. More info: event website, Facebook event page 
Summer Beach Cleanup and Sand Globes on Stinson Beach
Saturday, August 28, 2021, 10 am - 1 pm (arrive anytime ). Free, public, all-ages event Hosted by the Golden Gate National Parks Volunteer Program Stinson Beach, CA ( map ) Join in, care for the coast, then connect with each other and the earth through sand globing! Beach Cleanup: 10 am-1 pm Sand globe instruction, play, and creations: 12 noon - 1 pm More info, including links for registration and volunteer for on the event webpage. 
Albany Beach Cleanup and Free Sand Globe Workshop
Sunday, February 16, 2020, 1pm - 3pm (arrive anytime.) Free, public, all-ages event Albany Beach, Albany, CA (map) Join us for the first Albany Landfill Dog Owners Group (ALDOG) beach cleanup of 2020, and a free public sand globe workshop on Albany Beach. Wheelchair accessible. More info: event webpage or Facebook event page 
Playful Nature Sculpting at Crab Cove, Alameda
Sunday, November 24, 2019, 10:00am - 12:00pm Free, public, all-ages event Crab Cove Visitor Center Alameda, CA ( map ) We'll create together on the beach using driftwood, shells, seaweed, sand and more. Sand globe making will be part of the gathering of course! Next to the wonderful (and free!) Crab Cove Visitor Center and Aquarium. Arrive anytime. Restrooms on site. 
Community Ephemeral Art-making at Codornices Park – Agapanthus Project 2019 Saturday, November 16, 2019, 1:30pm - 4:30pm Free, public, all-ages event, wheelchair accessible Codornices Park Berkeley, CA ( map ) Join us for an afternoon of playful collaborative sculpture-making using dried Agapanthus flowers at Berkeley’s Codornices Park. This is the latest installment of the Agapanthus Project, begun in 2010. See the gallery. More info: event web page, Facebook event page 
Albany Beach Cleanup and Free Sand Globe Workshop
Sunday, November 10, 2019, 1pm - 3pm (arrive anytime.) Free, public, all-ages event Albany Beach, Albany, CA (map) Join us for the third Albany Landfill Dog Owners Group (ALDOG) beach cleanup of 2019, and a free public sand globe workshop on Albany Beach. Wheelchair accessible. More info: event webpage or Facebook event page 
37th Annual Sandcastle Classic Benefiting Leap Arts in Education
Saturday, October 26, 2019, 11:00am - 3:30pm (arrive anytime.) Free, public, all-ages event Ocean Beach at Balboa Street, San Francisco, CA (map) The Sandcastle Classic is the biggest sandcastle competition in Northern California. Teams typically comprised of architects, engineers, contractors, designers, corporations, and local elementary school students work together to build giant sand sculptures. I'll be helping with the Community Castle, where anyone can join in for free anytime during the event. Of course, sand globe making will be part of the fun. The funds raised by teams and sponsors make it possible for Leap to continue to provide arts programs to Bay Area students.Funds raised from the Sandcastle Classic will help make it possible for Leap to serve over 8,000 students in 2019 across more than 30 Bay Area schools with hands-on learning experiences in the arts. You can donate to the Community Castle effort, and the event is also seeking volunteers in a variety of roles. More info: event webpage. 
Nature Days at California Academy of Sciences
Friday-Sunday, September 27-29, 2019, 10am-4pm Friday & Saturday, 11am-4pm Sunday (arrive anytime ). Free with museum admission, public, all-ages event East Garden, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA ( map ) Join in Create-with-Nature and den building activities in partnership with San Francisco Children & Nature and San Francisco Recreation and Parks. The event also features a variety of activities for all ages, thanks to event partners Friends of the Urban Forest; Laurence Hall of Science; The Marine Mammal Center; The Marine Science Institute; The Nature Conservancy; Oakland Zoo; Point Blue Conservation Science; Planet Bee Foundation; Slide Ranch; San Francisco Unified School District; and UC Botanic Garden. More info: event webpage. 
California Coastal Cleanup Day and Sand Globes on Stinson Beach
Saturday, September 21, 2019, 9am - 3pm (arrive anytime ). Free, public, all-ages event Stinson Beach, CA ( map ) Join in, care for the coast, then connect with each other and the earth through sand globing! Beach Cleanup: 9 am-12 noon Sand globe instruction, play, and creations: 12 noon - 3 pm More info: event webpage or Facebook event page 
Accessible Sand Globe Sculpture Making - Crissy Field East Beach
Thursday, August 29, 2019, 12noon - 4pm (arrive anytime ). Free, public, all-ages event Crissy Field East Beach, San Francisco, CA ( map ) Join in to make sand globes and create sand sculpture at the beautiful Crissy Field East Beach. This event is wheelchair accessible thanks to new Beach Trax access mats which will be installed that morning (see below for more info about accessibility). Arrive anytime. See sand globe photos here: https://www.instagram.com/sandglobes/ At this event, I'll teach everyone to make sand globes (and encourage them to teach others!) Then we'll make a spontaneously evolving art installation. Non-globe creativity involving sand and people is also encouraged of course! Sand globe making is spreading over the earth through my project Sand Globes Worldwide: http://www.sandglobes.org/ Accessibility: There is accessible parking, restrooms, and routes. See tinyurl.com/accesscf . We will be creating together at table level and at ground level. I will have some tools for sculpting, and adaptive equipment for holding tools, but you are encouraged to bring your own. The brand new Beach Trax access mats are manufactured and sold by Access Trax ( https://accesstraxsd.com/ ) . The co-founder of the company, Kelly Twichel, OTR/L, will be on hand until 2pm to field questions about the Beach Trax system. More info: Facebook event page 
Summer Beach Cleanup and Sand Globes on Muir Beach
Friday, August 23, 2019, 10 am - 2 pm (arrive anytime ). Free, public, all-ages event Muir Beach, CA ( map ) Join in, care for the coast, then connect with each other and the earth through sand globing! Beach Cleanup: 10 am-2 pm Sand globe instruction, play, and creations: 12 noon - 2 pm More info: event webpage or Facebook event page 
Children and Families in Nature
Saturday, August 17, 2019, 10 am - 2 pm (arrive anytime ). Free, public, all-ages event Robert C. Kirkwood Entrance at Castle Rock State Park Los Gatos, CA ( map ) Join in for this Sempervirens Fund event, which includes a large Create-with-Nature Zone, as well as docent-led short hikes and Little Rangers raccoon and bat activities (ages 3 to 6), which involve lessons about each animal’s diet, environment, lifestyle, and how humans affect them. More info: event webpage or Facebook event page 
Albany Beach Cleanup and Free Sand Globe Workshop
Sunday, August 11, 2019, 1pm - 3pm (arrive anytime.) Free, public, all-ages event Albany Beach, Albany, CA (map) Join us for the second Albany Landfill Dog Owners Group (ALDOG) beach cleanup of 2019, and a free public sand globe workshop on Albany Beach. Wheelchair accessible. More info: event webpage or Facebook event page 
Summer Beach Cleanup and Sand Globes on Stinson Beach
Friday, July 12, 2019, 10 am - 2 pm (arrive anytime ). Free, public, all-ages event Stinson Beach, CA ( map ) Join in, care for the coast, then connect with each other and the earth through sand globing! Beach Cleanup: 10 am-2 pm Sand globe instruction, play, and creations: 12 noon - 2 pm More info: event webpage or Facebook event page 
Create-with-Nature Zone at Sunday Streets Berkeley - North Shattuck
Sunday, June 9, 2019, 11am - 5pm (arrive anytime.) Free, public, all-ages event Near ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, CA (map) Join in and create with nature (and each other) in our oasis on the street, as part of the 7th Sunday Streets Berkeley - North Shattuck. Streets will be closed (Shattuck from Rose Street in North Berkeley through to University Ave., and Vine Street from Shattuck Ave. to Walnut) so people can walk, bike, skate, dance, and play in the open streets. Thanks to ACCI Gallery for hosting once again. The Zone is situated right next to the gallery, at the intersection of Lincoln and Shattuck. This video of the first Sunday Streets Berkeley captures some of the joy. For more info, see the Sunday Streets Berkeley website (take note - there are also other Sunday Streets events in different parts of Berkeley on different dates!) 
Children & Nature Network International Conference
May 16-18, 2019 Public event, registration required. Volunteer positions available in exchange for free admission Oakland Marriott City Center, Oakland, CA ( map ) The largest gathering of children and nature advocates in the world. From inspiring keynotes to hands-on workshops, this biennial conference will inspire and equip you with best practices for increasing equitable access to nature for the children, families and communities you serve. I will be providing a Create-with-Nature Zone for all participants to use throughout the conference, as well as leading a two-hour workshop on creating and using Create-with-Nature Zones. Full info and registration on the conference web page. 
Nature Art in the Park
Friday, May 10, 2019, 3:30pm - 5:30pm (drop in anytime) Free, public, all-ages event Rolph-Nicol Park and Nature Exploration Area Eucalyptus Drive and 24th Avenue, San Francisco, CA ( map ) Join us for this special afternoon featuring nature-themed art-making and play at Rolph-Nicol Park and Nature Exploration Area in San Francisco. The event will include physical and programmatic accessibility features such as wheelchair mats, accessible tables for art-making, and assistive tools for creating art. Contacting us at last 72 hours prior to the event will help ensure availability. For more information about the Nature Exploration Area, click here. Organized by students in the SF State University Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism with support from SF Children & Nature and SF Recreation and Parks. For information about this event, contact [email protected] or call 415-206-1546. 
Rock Balancing Gathering - San Francisco - 12th Edition Saturday April 6, 2019, 11am - 2pm Free, public, all-ages event Crissy Field (Just East of the Warming Hut Cafe), San Francisco, CA ( map ) In collaboration with rock balancing legend Bill Dan. Free and open to all ages. Instruction provided. More info: event website, Facebook event page 
Build, Restore & Create at Redwood Regional Park Saturday, March 30, 2019, 10:30am - 1:30pm Free, public, all-ages event Redwood Regional Park, Oakland, CA ( map ) Join us in the Create-With-Nature Pathway of Redwood Regional Park. The Create-With-Nature Pathway is an ongoing participatory public art project with a purpose: running over 150 yards through a redwood grove, the pathway borders are designated spaces for the public to make ephemeral creations using sticks, redwood needles, pine cones, and more. The border edges, made from large tree limbs, in turn serve to protect and bring attention to the ongoing effort to restore the vegetation under the redwoods with indigenous ferns and other native plants. The current pathway was largely built during five free community events in 2013, 2016, and 2018, and now it's time to upgrade and repair the pathway, continue the restoration work, and create ephemeral art together with nature. Limited to 30 participants - REGISTRATION REQUIRED at THIS LINK. All ages are welcome, but be aware that some of us will be lifting logs and using tools during our building time. More info: event webpage 
Try the Beach Trax portable access path and make sand sculptures at Crissy Field Sunday, March 3, 2019, 12:30pm - 3:30pm (Arrive anytime; sand sculpting and sand globe making start at 2:30) Free, public, all-ages event Crissy Field East Beach, San Francisco, CA ( map ) Come try out the Beach Trax foldable portable access pathway at Crissy Field East Beach in San Francisco, California. The pathway will be set up from 12:30 to 3:30pm and all are welcome! Those interested from 2:30pm-3:30pm can join in sand sculpting and sand-globe making with environmental artist Zach Pine at table level and at ground level. We will have some tools for sculpting and adaptive equipment for holding tools, but you are encouraged to bring your own. More info: event webpage or Facebook event page Make Nature Sculpture at the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
December 14, 29, and 30, 2018, and January 2, 2019 Included with museum admission Children's Discovery Museum (map), San Jose, CA Join in and create collaboratively with natural materials provided. While you are visiting, you can also enjoy the museum's dedicated outdoor play and learning environment in "Bill's Backyard" and the many indoor hands-on exhibits. See the Children's Discovery Museum event announcement for more info. |