Her hilltop view of the channel's desolate mile of trash-bordered water moved her to action. An energetic environmentalist, she organized Friends of Islais Creek, a gutsy, visionary neighborhood group committed to creating a waterfront park and restoring the creek. Learning that four public agencies were planning major construction projects, none aware of the others, Friends brought together a task force from MUNI, the Department of Public Works, the Public Utilities Commission, the Port of San Francisco, and CalTrans. It was the beginning of the Friends' unique and spectacularly successful modus operandi. We operate with grants, mitigation funds from major public infrastructure projects, and private donations.
Friends keep in touch via a newsletter and meet only once a year.
Last fall the Opening Day Festival attracted hundreds of people to Islais Creek Channel to discover the new waterscape and enjoy the displays, the musicians, interactive murals, and sports events. Visitors strolled the broad promenade which is to be joined by a second one, now on the drawing board. It will feature the towering copra crane that used to unload dried coconut meat at the Creek's copra dock. It has been preserved as a labor landmark through a coalition involving the Friends, labor organizations, government agencies, architects and engineers.