Koshland Park: Sustainable food and art!

I recently went for a walk on Mint Hill, in the borderlands of Hayes Valley, Western Addition and Market Streets. I took some pictures of Koshland park. This little park may not be a destination like other better known parks in San Francisco, but it is worth a visit! Here's a couple of reasons:

PEACE WALL
Koshland is build on the side of a hill. The front of the park is at street level, where you can find a basketball court and a playground. The side of the park towers over a tall concrete wall that supports the hill. You can see lots of wonderful tile art by community members and ToT (Justine Tatarsky). The wall is dedicated to the family of children lost to violence in the Western Addition. The park has a view of the San Francisco Zen Center and part of the downtown skyline.

It does feel very nice and peaceful on top of the hill. Here's some pictures of community members and their art from Justine Tatarsky's website. I hope to write more about Justine's wonderful tile artwork soon!

ORGANIC GARDEN
Further back is another reason Koshland park is so unique and a great example for other neighborhoods. There is an organic garden and living classroom ran by HVNPG (Hayes Valley Neighborhood Parks) built over a series of terraces.

With programs like "Beet Rangers" and the "LetUsGrow" summer camp, young neighborhood residents get a chance to learn about gardening and sustainability. Students also learn to cook the fruit of their labor with the "Seed to Mouth program". Take a look at The Koshland Park Blog to learn more about these cool programs! You can make donations for HVNPG at the Tides Center.

If you want to visit, the park is located on Page and Buchanan streets, in San Francisco.