Volunteer Workday Brings Native Plants (and Butterflies) to Precita Park

Tucked away in a northern pocket of Bernal Heights, Precita Valley is a close-knit San Francisco neighborhood with Precita Park at its center and heart.  Located on Precita Avenue, the park blossoms with trees and community sprit, cutting a narrow green patch stretching from Folsom to Alabama.  

On Saturday, October 3rd, volunteers from Precita Valley Neighbors (PVN) worked in partnership with Neighborhood Parks Council and the Recreation and Park Department (RPD) to enhance the park. The group of about ten worked to improve the park’s butterfly garden through the addition of seven new native plants vital to the butterfly habitat. A PVN member working on planting in the area commented on the butterfly garden saying, “there are a lot of butterfly gardens that I’ve seen in other parts of the city, but what’s great about [Precita Park] is, it actually works. We have butterflies and caterpillars here all the time!”  

With the help of RPD staff, these indigenous plant species are able to thrive and bring new avenues for youth education and community enjoyment. Neighbors spoke of the garden’s importance to young children in the area who otherwise may not be able to witness the transformations of caterpillar to butterfly, or other movements in nature that often are absent in urban areas. In addition to planting new flowers and shrubs, PVN volunteers cleaned up the playground and beautified the memorial bench area.  

Volunteers were joined by District 9 Supervisor David Campos, who spoke regarding his support of PVN and their diligence in improving the quality of Precita Park and the surrounding neighborhood. Since the early 1990’s, PVN have come together with the support of community and civic groups to improve Precita Park through workdays and other initiatives. This popular and well-maintained park and playground survived a long period of neglect and underuse.  It is surely a testament to the success and support that PVN has had the transformation of this community cornerstone.

PVN founder Demece Garepis expressed her appreciation for these types of events and the park’s unique characteristics, saying, “The work we’ve done here over the years has really helped [our park]. We might not have the newest playground, but it has character and we like that.  It’s a real neighborhood place.” Neighbors treat this green space like it was their own back garden.  It has become their own--a meeting place, and center of activity for local residents and visitors alike.  One neighbor spoke of the personal connections she had made in the park, calling it “a place where people meet up.  Kids play here, you can walk your dog and just enjoy being outside.  We have to keep it safe and in good shape for everyone to enjoy—that’s why we’re here today.”