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Photo courtesy of the National Park Service, National Historic Landmarks Program
Sometimes, visiting National Parks and National Monuments can be a triggering experience. Sometimes, it's a reminder of a painful past. Sometimes it's a reminder that our national heroes subscribed to hurtful prejudices. But what can be most painful is not seeing your story anywhere, where your voice, your history, and your ancestors seem invisible.
In these spaces, I've learned to look deeper; I've learned to look for the resistance and resilience. I remind myself of the community organizing that happened at Manzanar National Historic Site, a former Japanese internment camp. I look for the handiwork of the indigenous folks that built San Francisco's Presidio – creating a unique architectural aesthetic that Californians sometimes take for granted. Looking for the resistance and resilience reminds me that my voice matters and that my work matters. I am reassured that my contributions are of value, no matter the circumstances.
This is a timely reminder for this election season. With all the apocalyptic rhetoric swimming around, it's easy to think that our challenges are insurmountable. It's also easy to think that our voice only matters when our candidate is in office, or when our ballot measure has passed. But that's not what our National Parks, our living history books, teach us.
Our National Parks teach us that it's often the work happening in adversity, when things don't go our way, that are the game-changers for our country.
So I hope you have a joyful election day; but, if that doesn't happen, I hope your vote may be a voice for change.
This blog post was written by Urban Program Manager Elyse Rainey.
Our first Health Fellow, Hector Zaragoza, shares with us what he has been up to over the past year since he wrote a guest blog post for us. He has gained valuable experience in the public sector since working at the Institute at the Golden Gate and we are excited to learn more about his work.
It has been two years since I was the Health and Wellness Fellow at the Institute at the Golden Gate. Since then, I have been a Volunteer Coordinator for Canal Alliance, a local non-profit that provides services to recent immigrant arrivals, and more recently, a Public Benefits Specialist enrolling individuals in public assistance programs like CalFresh, CalWORKs, and Medi-Cal for the County of Marin. I'm also in the middle of applying to graduate school for a Master's in Public Policy. At this point, I have worked for the private sector, the nonprofit sector, and now the public sector and one thing rings true: collaboration, data analysis and evaluation, ideation and iteration are all critical skills for tackling any issue. The Institute does an amazing job in cultivating these traits.
My primary duty at the Department of Health and Human Services is to interpret the state and county regulations as they pertain to public assistance programs and determine a client's eligibility for them. Marin is traditionally associated with opulence but the lower-income community often goes unnoticed and to some extent, marginalized. The services we offer provide a lifeline to those in need. Many have been laid off, others are recent arrivals settling in to their new country, and many are simply trying to increase their competitiveness in the job market by going back to school and gaining new skills. The services are a stop-gap measure for them to find some stability on their way to self-reliance.
In addition to this, I am actively participating in the evaluation process of redesigning the on-boarding process for new employees by providing direct feedback. Essentially, we are developing a blueprint and its complementary toolkit to make on-boarding of new staff a more seamless transition that enables them to become more effective in their work and develop a sense of solidarity with the organization's mission and each other. My experience going through the pilot-stage of its implementation has been critical in informing leadership of areas for improvement. I have also carried over the enthusiasm around the Healthy Parks Healthy People: Bay Area collaborative to my new office. Although we are fitted with ergonomic workstations (automated desks are the best!) we still suffer the consequences of office life. Therefore, I established the Mile Challenge. Each member of my immediate team is encouraged to track their distance covered in a day whether it be biking, walking, running, or even dancing. This information is gathered and displayed on a whiteboard in the office where we see our progress as we attempt to log all 3,252 miles between our office and the statue of liberty in New York. We're almost there!
My third special project is creating tools to facilitate casework processing in a thorough and timely manner. This includes: advanced excel case management sheets, flow charts, timelines, and as part of my most innovative set, a "how-to" checklist infographic. I will also be taking part in the development and implementation of our outreach strategy by conducting community focus groups.
All of these special projects are inspired by traits espoused and practiced at the Institute - go beyond your stipulated duties of the job description and have a deeper impact. Let the spirit of challenging convention guide you into unexplored territory that ultimately contributes to a more fulfilling professional life. So, how are you stepping outside your comfort zone?
Hector Zaragoza
(760) 333-9662
Last week I traveled to beautiful Madison, Wisconsin for the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) annual conference. The week was full of illuminating sessions on the most pressing issues facing environmental education. There was also a lot of cheese curd consumption.
One of the most exciting things about the conference was the significant focus on climate change. During the opening ceremony, NAAEE leadership discussed climate change as one of its focal areas, which will inspire future research and professional development opportunities offered by NAAEE. The audience was also galvanized by the opening keynote speaker, famed academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist, David Takayoshi Suzuki. Mr. Suzuki talked about the relatively new phenomenon of the polarization of the issue of climate change as well as the heart behind what environmental education strives to do—cultivate stewards of the planet and safeguard our most precious resources, many of which we could not live long without, such as clean air, water, and soil. Looking at this issue from a 30,000 foot view really helped frame the larger purpose of environmental education; you could tell by the standing ovation Mr. Suzuki received at the end of his speech.
After this inspirational kick-off, the conference continued to showcase high-quality sessions. Some of the most memorable sessions I attended included one on a comprehensive literature review on what works in climate education. In this session, the presenters shared out some of the main challenges in climate education, such as it being a topic that is invisible, distant, uncertain, debated, and hopeless. After going over 1,000 peer reviewed journal articles and narrowing down the articles that met the standards for academic rigor, the researchers found some fascinating takeaways on combating these challenges. These included much of what the Institute has found in our own research, such as focusing on climate change impacts on local ecosystems, using inquiry-based activities, and involving individuals in community-based climate action projects.
Another session that really stuck out was a workshop on creating a climate education toolkit. The beginning half of the workshop was focused on looking at excerpts on climate change from science textbooks, paying special mind to the language used. It revealed that even in California some of the language used in public school textbooks gave the impression that human-caused climate change isn't agreed on by the vast majority scientists and that the consequences might not be bad. In the second part of the workshop, we were split into smaller groups and were able to brainstorm a framework for our ideal climate education curriculum. This provided a valuable opportunity to think through what essential elements some educators are hoping to incorporate into their lessons. In our group, we identified that we want climate science curriculum to discuss the scientific consensus around climate change, the scientific processes/methods that scientists use to get to their conclusions, science reasoning skills, basic information on climate processes, and more.
Overall, I was impressed with the quality and the content of the presentations. I was no less impressed with the dedication of the environmental educators who attended the conference in order to walk their talk and educate themselves. Leaving Wisconsin, I felt energized and confident that we have a brigade of intelligent, passionate, and highly motivated educators that care deeply for the work they do.
This week's blog post is written by Jamie Yeh, Convene marketing consultant. Jamie brings more than 15 years of marketing and communications experience to the Institute at the Golden Gate. Working on Convene allows her to use this depth of knowledge to promote a personal passion—parks and public spaces—and bring awareness to a program creating more accessibility to organizations large and small. Prior to joining the Institute, Jamie worked with the Center for Social Sector Leadership at Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
November begins the special Institute at the Golden Gate rate period at Cavallo Point – the Lodge at the Golden Gate. Extending through April of next year, this rate provides a discounted rate for nonprofit or government organizations gathering to discuss conservation and environmental issues.
Cavallo Point is a world-class, LEED-certified lodge constructed on national park grounds. As such, they are focused on furthering the National Park Service's mission to preserve natural and cultural resources for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. It was built in a unique partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Together, they focus on the shared vision to maintain the beautiful surrounding historic and natural features of Fort Baker while providing inspiring meeting space for the exchange and discussion of environmental topics.
The Institute-Cavallo Point partnership—known as the Convene program—supports fostering new ideas, sharing best practices, encouraging leadership, and supporting public policy changes that will benefit people and the planet. We believe that parks and public lands can play a critical role in tackling many of our biggest social and environmental challenges and hope the national park setting facilitates discussions that lead to specific plans and actions.
The Convene program welcomes all environmentally-focused organizations and meetings, and especially those that:
- Are action-oriented
- Represent diverse perspectives and sectors
- Provide for public engagement
- Have national and international impact
- Serve as a model for others
- Inspire organizational and individual commitment and action
- Result in partnerships
- Disseminate results
- Build youth as future leaders
- Contribute to the Institute's breadth and depth
We hope you take advantage of this special rate period at Cavallo Point, where great ideas and great spaces meet.
Find out more about the Convene program, if your group qualifies for the special discounted rate, and how to apply by visiting our Convene page.
National ParkRx Initiative Convening Attendees
Last week, the Institute hosted the 3rd National ParkRx Initiative Convening in St. Louis, along with our partners: NRPA and NPS. At this convening, we discussed the next phases of development for not only the National ParkRx Initiative, but also for the ParkRx movement, as it relates to each individual program.
At the meeting, we discussed roles, responsibilities, fundraising goals, and communications plans for the National ParkRx Initiative. We were grateful to the dozens of people and agencies that came to the convening, as we were able to take a day to reflect on the collective goals of these many different organizations. At the National ParkRx Initiative, we know that there are many different ways that programs have started and we are interested in building up the Initiative to be able to support many different types of ParkRx programs.
When we had met in 2014 for the 2nd National ParkRx Initiative Convening, only a handful of ParkRx programs were on the ground; now, the US Surgeon General has approved of ParkRx and dozens of programs have started their second phase of development. It is quite a different landscape that we are working within now and the Initiative is excited to bolster its strategic direction. This strategic direction will bolster the National ParkRx Initiative's role as the support system for different programs both in existence and starting up. We will reveal more information once the plans have solidified.
When I began my position as Health Fellow with the Institute in June, I never could have imagined time would fly by so quickly. In what feels like an instant, three months have come and gone.
I suppose my sense of time has been skewed by the last four years of my life – the constant buzz of assignments, exams, and extracurricular activities in college stretch thin the hours in each day and make weeks feel like months. This fellowship has introduced me to the fast-paced reality of the working world.
During my first and second months with the Institute, I dove headfirst into learning about the National ParkRx Initiative and planning for the webinar series I am organizing. I spent my time brainstorming what the webinars would cover, contacting and giving direction to potential panelists, and devising marketing and communications strategies to get the word out about the series.
Once the webinar topics, panelists, and logistics were sorted out, I focused my energy on the first webinar in the series. My third month was spent refining the details of and marketing the first webinar. The session went live on Wednesday, September 28, with Donna Leong, the Institute's Health Program manager, moderating the session. 151 individuals participated and engaged in the webinar - it was a success! (If you'd like to view a recording, visit www.bit.ly/parkrxweb1.)
That brings me to now. As excited as I am to delve deeper into my projects, I also realize that my time with the Institute is slowly coming to an end. Despite this, I am excited for the next step in my professional journey, and I will be eternally grateful for all of the skills I have acquired during my time here. I know I have already grown immensely as a professional and I am thrilled to continue learning from my colleagues and assignments.
On September 21, 2016 the Institute's health program convened 200 Bay Area parks, public health, non-profit, and academic professionals at the Health Outdoors! Parks and Public Health Forum.
As an event, Health Outdoors! sought to bring together those who work at the intersection of health and nature, and provide them with a space to learn from one another, share best practices, and build partnerships.
Through attending this forum, participants gained a solid understanding of:
This event took place at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, and was put together in collaboration with the Healthy Parks Healthy People: Bay Area Collaborative, Bay Area Moves! and made possible by Kaiser Permanente.
In the morning attendees had the opportunity to listen to dynamic and engaging plenary speakers Dr. Nooshin Razani and Dr. Nina Roberts, who both made the case about why it is important to be physically active outdoors in nature, and why it is essential for communities to have both equal and equitable access green space. In addition to listening to speakers who are the leaders in the fields, one of the morning highlights was the physical activity break where attendees learned the dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller. The morning session ended with a panel of park and health agencies who have been successful in creating park prescription programs in the Bay Area.
During lunch not only did everyone at the forum have the opportunity to network with one another, but attendees also had the opportunity to experience the many health benefits of nature firsthand through a ranger-led tour of Fort Mason and yoga on the Great Meadow.
In the afternoon attendees attended two sessions of workshops that provided them with strategies and best practices around how to leverage health and park partnerships to create equitable built environments, ways to incorporate physical activity into current programs, creating park prescription programs, and creating programs that attract diverse communities.
Overall, the Health Outdoors! Parks and Public Health Forum was a great success. To be there as both a volunteer and an attendee was truly a rewarding and amazing experience. The excitement and energy around the opportunity to learn and collaborate from one another was palpable and felt by both those presenting and those attending various workshops.
Photo/design courtesy of Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
I've been a little weary about listening to the upcoming political debates. The ability to talk about complicated issues in a compassionate, nuanced way is a skill that seems to be atrophying within a political climate of catch-phrases and name-calling. I sometimes avoid tough conversations, not because these issues aren't important to me, but because I don't know how to argue against a sound-bite. And it's not just me avoiding conflicting perspectives. , we're becoming overly reliant on algorithms that feed us information and viewpoints similar to our own. We're trapped in our own .
That's why I'm excited about the new exhibit happening in a number of former military structures at the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. This free art exhibit explores complicated issues about home, national security, and borders. As a black woman, I have a lot of privilege around these issues – one particular privilege being that I frequently don't have to think about them. I can go anywhere in the U.S., and no one questions my immigration status, or whether it's safe to fly on a plane with me. Up until now, I haven't spent much time reflecting on issues like immigration, but it's time for that to change. I need to break free from my own echo-chamber. This exhibit is a timely opportunity to reflect on pressing national concerns like Syrian refugees and immigration reform. It's a safe place for me to consider other perspectives while challenging my own beliefs.
Art is a powerful medium to explore place and the current issues of today. The art in Home Land Security seems particularly poignant, in that it's housed within former military barracks on National Park land. What better place to talk about home, than in our National Parks – democratic spaces owned by all Americans?
Home Land Security features 18 artists from 11 different countries, and is open until December 18th. This exhibit is a collaboration between the FOR-SITE Foundation, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the National Park Service, and the Presidio Trust.
This exhibit is also a part of the National Parks Service's Art in the Parks programming. If you would like to learn how to utilize the power of art in green spaces, the Institute at Golden Gate will be co-hosting an upcoming Art in the Parks webinar on September 29, 2016 from 10:00 – 11:00 AM PDT. Click here to register.
Join me in learning more about national security, borders, and how these issues shape our identities and perceptions of home. Challenge yourself to have a more complicated (and courageous) conversation.
In exactly two days, I will have been the Climate fellow at the Institute for three months. In such a short amount of time, I feel like I've done so much! During my first month, I jumped right into my project, working with members of the Bay Area Climate Impact Literacy Collaborative (Bay-CLIC) to draft the first version of the resource inventory survey. This survey will identify existing resources and needs within Bay-CLIC as they begin creating tools and resources for educators teaching climate change. Before I knew it, it was July and I was preparing to present this first draft to the entire collaborative at my first meeting.
After receiving great feedback on my work so far, August was dedicated to updating, meeting collaborative members, and redrafting the next version of the survey. Now that I've learned more about the goals of Bay-CLIC, I felt like I was able to provide more suggestions and ask better questions on how to get the best data from this survey. In between phone calls and doodle polls, I celebrated my birthday with the Institute which happened to fall on our "Fun Friday". We spent the day hiking Angel Island, enjoying the sunshine, and eating lots of mini donuts.
This month, I've been working on the final draft of the survey and as an additional project, I'm creating an infographic for Bay-CLIC to illustrate the organizational diversity and reach of the collaborative. In the next few weeks, I will be preparing for the next Bay-CLIC meeting and for life after the survey launch. I'm excited to see our results and what else this fellowship has in store for me!
Two weeks ago, the National Park Service celebrated its 100 years in action. Here at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy we commemorated the occasion with a picnic with our partners and park allies, the National Park Service and the Presidio Trust. In between burgers, cake, and friendly chatter, we had a number of presentations by park leadership representing these three organizations. One of the pervasive themes running through many of their speeches was the topic of climate change. At one point, the audience was asked to think about the founders of the Park Service and what they might have predicted their idea of the parks would look like in a hundred years.
We hear so much about tipping points in the climate conversation and it got me thinking that this centennial is a symbolic tipping point and an opportunity to re-envision many of the roles of parks and public lands on the issue of climate change. In a recent interview Director of the National Park Service, Jonathan Jarvis, stated that "fundamentally, [climate change is] the biggest challenge the National Park Service has ever faced." Undoubtedly, it is a threat to the cultural natural resources that make American parks special; however, parks have a unique opportunity to serve as living laboratories for addressing this problem. Parks also benefit from dedicated staff who are trained communicators, many of whom are becoming educated on this issue and are using their parks as a venue through which to talk about climate change in a way that provides this issue with a physical, personal context that visitors are interested in. In the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, for example, park staff no doubt emphasize that sea level rise could harm many of our coastal resources from Lands End to Crissy Field.
It's no secret that acceptance and action on climate change has lagged in the United States. It's amazing to think that prior to 2009, the National Park Service's parent agency, the Department of Interior, did not have a formal policy on climate change. However, given this bumpy start, it's amazing to see how far we've come. The National Park Service now has a number of strategic plans to address climate change, offers trainings on climate science and communications, and provides overall support across the service through its Climate Change Response Program. While this commitment to addressing climate change is laudable, many park interpreters face challenges in discussing this issue at their park sites. The reasons range from worry over visitor reaction (particularly negative reaction) to a lack of information on local, place-based climate impacts.
The good news is that many of these challenges are remediable. Communications specialists and social scientists are churning out new research regularly on tips and tricks for communicating on climate change which park staff can take back home to their sites. This includes focusing on clear, concise messages, giving visitors actions that they can take to address this issue, and infusing the conversation with personal stories as opposed to just statistics. Perhaps most importantly, a recent survey showed that most park visitors would like to receive information on climate change at the parks they visit; 91% even stated that they would change their behaviors in the park or refuge they visited to mitigate climate change.
We've come such a long way since President Woodrow signed a bill in 1916 mandating that the National Park Service conserve the cultural and natural resources within the parks and ensure that they are both enjoyed by the public and preserved for future generations. Now we are grappling with new, 21st century challenges such as how to make sure park provide welcome environments for the changing racial makeup of the United States as well as how to tackle human-caused climate disruption, which still has many unknown impacts. Luckily, our national parks are making brave efforts to discuss and address these issues head on.
I checked an item off of my bucket list last week: I saw a glacier up close while visiting Glacier National Park. All of the national parks are on my bucket list, but Glacier National Park shot to the top these past few years when I started learning about the disappearing glaciers. I knew that every passing year would make the glaciers less and less accessible, so I had to act soon and I'm glad I did. I hiked 7.8 strenuous miles round trip to be right up close to Grinnell Glacier, the most accessible one in the park.
I had a few opportunities during my trip to hear and read about the effects of global warming on the glaciers. Most of the park signage refers to how the glaciers will likely all be gone by 2030, maybe even sooner. It was hard not to feel sad while staring out at these amazing ice formations and knowing that they won't be around for much longer. That's why it's so important for those who haven't experienced national parks, especially this one, to be able to explore them now.
Another special moment of my trip was attending the Centennial celebration hosted by the Glacier National Park Service and the Glacier National Park Conservancy. It gave a peek into the human element behind the parks. Even though I work for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and I know all of the hard work that goes into protecting the parks and open spaces for everyone to enjoy, it's been a while since I've seen it from an outsider's perspective. To Glacier's credit, they do a phenomenal job of running the park and putting on programs.
As part of the birthday celebration, the park was hosting an Instameet. This was a perfect example of how the parks are trying to attract new visitors, especially younger generations, through social media. As a millennial myself, the thought of having my picture on an Instagram account that has 334 thousand followers is very enticing (though not as enticing as dinner, seeing as I didn't stay long enough for the photo). It also helped that they had cake.
What I learned from my trip and what I hope others will learn is that these parks aren't just pretty places; they are places for people to interact, share their stories, and make new friends. Parks bring people together, physically and emotionally to care about the same things, like open spaces. Parks help create friendships, form new bonds and strengthen existing ones, and can change peoples' perspectives. Glacier National Park is the most awe-inspiring natural wonder I've ever experienced, and I hope everyone has a chance to visit it soon before all of the glaciers are going, going, gone.
Are you wondering how you can strengthen your agency's park prescription program? Want to start a park prescription program, but don't know how? Unsure of what park prescriptions are, but eager to learn more?
Join us for the National ParkRx Initiative's three-part webinar series this fall, Creating and Strengthening Park Prescription Programs. The webinars are free, open to the public, and will explore some of the most important elements for successful park prescription programs. Experts will provide case studies and best practices from their own successful park prescription programs.
For some background on the organizer of these webinars, the National ParkRx Initiative aims to strengthen the connection between health, parks, and public lands to improve physical and mental health of individuals and communities. By collaborating with national partners and subject-matter experts, the Initiative helps improve the quality of new and existing park prescription. The Initiative is currently led by the Institute at the Golden Gate, the National Recreation and Park Association, and the National Park Service.
Why webinars, you might ask? In the process of developing a park prescription toolkit, there were several key themes that emerged as essential to the successful creation and execution of park prescription programs. These topics have been formatted into three different webinars:
In Part I, participants will get a general overview of the park prescriptions movement while learning about the specific needs, roles, and responsibilities of both park and health professionals. Speakers will focus on how to build partnerships. In Part II, participants will learn about why needs assessments are essential to successful park prescription programs. Speakers will focus on how to conduct and use space and community assessments to establish program modules. In Part III, participants will learn about park prescription program implementation, evaluation, marketing, and outreach. Speakers will focus on program sustainability.
Register for the webinars by clicking the links above, or click here for more information. We hope to see you there!
Richmond Rosies, photo courtesy of Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historic Park
It's no secret that I enjoy a good head wrap. They're colorful accessories that protect my powerful 'fro from the massive fog clouds rolling around Fort Mason. I first learned the utility of head wraps while working on a farm. After finding too much debris tangled into my hair, I started wrapping my hair up in a scarf. With my hair wrapped I could clean out the chicken coop, and no one would know because of my perfectly preserved hair-do. I have since associated headscarves as a symbol of women at work.
This Saturday the Rosie the Riveter WWII Homefront National Historic Park will celebrate another iconic scarf-wearing, workingwoman. The 2016 Rosie Rally, in honor of Rosie the Riveter, will be held August 13 starting at 10 AM. This national park will be vying to reclaim the Guinness World Record for most folks dressed as Rosie the Riveter, and everyone's invited! Since 2014, Richmond, California has been in a friendly competition with another wartime boom town, Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti currently has the record for most Rosies (with over 2,000 officially counted), but Richmond Rosies won't take this sitting down.
If you want to help Richmond, CA regain bragging rights, please join us this Saturday. Rosies of all genders and ages are welcome and counted. Please be mindful that in order to be claimed towards the official Rosie count you must:
Limited amounts of red polka dot bandannas and red socks are for sale at the National Park Visitor Education Center should you need them. Click here for more details on this awesome celebration.
See you there!
The Summer Olympics only come once every four years so we took advantage of this special time of year to come up with the best of the best park sites in the Bay Area and beyond. You can consider us the color commentators of the Park Olympics based on our credentials that our office is situated in a national park and we are surrounded by many other parks and open spaces. Are there any "best" parks that we missed? Share your favorites in the comments!
Best park to high jump: Rocky Mountain National Park. Okay, it might not technically be the highest national park (that's Denali) but still, you're already at 14,000 feet so that's a pretty good place to start!
Best place to sprint with the sand between your toes: Stinson Beach.
Best park for an urban hike: Mount Sutro in the Mt. Sutro Open Space Reserve. This reserve makes you forget that you are in the center of San Francisco.
Park that's a Nicholas Sparks novel waiting to happen: The Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate in Oakland, CA was originally built by Alexander Dunsmuir for his fiance Josephine in 1899. Neither Josephine or Alexander got to enjoy the estate - Alexander died during their honeymoon and Josephine died two years later. The story of their great (and sometimes controversial) love lives on, as the beautiful park is a popular site for weddings and other romantic endeavors.
Most Instagrammable parks: Fort Cronkhite/Rodeo Beach and Griffith Park. You could argue that every park is Instagram-worthy, but for the title of "Most Instagrammable Park" we have a tie. While the buildings at Fort Cronkhite are pretty typical of other military posts turned into parks, the surrounding scenery reveals unique, stunning views ranging from green hills to nearby Rodeo Beach. The drive into the Marin Headlands on its own is worth a trip! Located in the heart of Los Angeles, Griffith Park is home to thousands of acres of forest and wildlife. The attractions here are not limited to nature – natives and tourists alike are drawn to the park's observatory, zoo, and amazing views of both the Hollywood sign and the sprawling city landscape.
Photo source: www.discoverlosangeles.com.
Most family-friendly park: The Presidio. At the Presidio there is always something for everyone, ranging from easy walking trails, to afternoons at Baker Beach, and fun Healthy Parks Healthy People: Bay Area activities happening every Saturday at the main post.
Best secret park spot: Cayuga Playground in San Francisco. It's family friendly and a nice spot to have a picnic!
Best Park for history buffs: Rosie the Riveter WWII National Historic Park. If you're the kind of person that likes to read all the national park plaques and all the didactics and then google stuff to learn even more while your saint-like, park-professional girlfriend patiently waits; then Rosie the Riveter WWII National Historic Park is the spot for you. Rosie the Riveter is a park that is choc-full of history - and a must see for the World War II enthusiast in your life.
Most Pokémon-friendly park: The Great Meadow at Fort Mason. Every day, I see at least a dozen groups of Pokémon players wandering around the Great Meadow. If you play, you'll see that every ten feet in the Great Meadow is a pokestop where you can refuel and grab more pokeballs. If you're a Pokémon trainer, be careful when you're out to catch them all because it's a high-traffic area with many cyclists and dog-emons. Train wisely and safely, everyone!
Best park to watch a sunrise: Grand Canyon National Park. Waking up in the wee hours of the morning is worth it, even if you're not a morning person. There is something magical about sunrises, and that magic is multiplied by thousands when you're looking out across one of the largest and most spectacular canyons in the world and seeing the sun rays ignite the clouds and canyon itself with a golden hue.
Best park to train for the Olympic swim trails: Aquatic Park Cove. Open water swimming has yet to become an official Olympic sport but nothing beats practicing your freestyle than in the invigorating water of Aquatic Park Cove located in the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. In addition to enjoying one of the state's cleanest urban beaches, you can enjoy a stunning city view with the occasional seal sharing your swimming lane. Unlike the die-hard members of the Dolphin Club, I opt for a full body wetsuit to guard against the bone-chilling pacific water and to give a rookie swimmer a little extra buoyancy!
Photo source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4880220
We'd like to express our gratitude to you as a close friend and supporter of the Institute at the Golden Gate over the years. We began in 2008 with one program, focused on convening environmental stewards and leaders to inspire new ideas and amplify their work in a wider context. Now, we've grown to a team of eight staff, with five different program areas: Health, Climate Education, Urban, Fellowship for Emerging Leaders, and Convene. A lot has changed since our inception, but the heart of our work still lies in positioning parks and public lands as solutions to some of society's biggest challenges.
As the Institute continues to grow and evolve, we'd like to share with you our recently updated Change Makers report. In addition to an in-depth look at our program areas, we're highlighting how our unique vision for parks and public lands is making a difference.
Much of our growth and success has been a result of partnerships with pioneering organizations and leaders with a shared vision. Whether you are a close follower or new to the Institute, we hope you enjoy learning more about us and the breadth of our programming. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or interest in learning more about our programs. We'd love to hear from you and hope to continue to work with you in the future.
To receive updates from the Institute at the Golden Gate, please subscribe to our email list.
This summer, the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy have teamed up with San Francisco Public Libraries. It's been a summer of reading, learning, and lots of park fun. Park rangers are visiting San Francisco libraries throughout the summer, and folks can become a "Reading Ranger" after reaching age-appropriate reading goals. Free community shuttles are taking nine communities from their local library to their national park, with many riders being introduced to national parks for the very first time. This summer has already been such a success with packed shuttles leaving libraries every Saturday; we're all starting to wonder why we haven't always done this. Libraries and parks are natural partners.
This past Saturday I saw this partnership in action as I joined San Francisco's Mission District community on an adventure to Crissy Field. I was greeted at the Mission Library by Conservancy folks, librarians, and some of my favorite park rangers. There was a large group of families milling outside, and everyone was a little giddy – even the regular park goers. After a brief introduction in Spanish, English and Chinese, we all boarded the bus, and headed to Crissy Field. While there, we had story-time, a nice visit with a trusted steed from the park police, and, of course, a nature hike. All in all, I had a lot of fun, and I know the families enjoyed themselves too.
Afterwards, I kept thinking how genius this program is. The merits of libraries and parks co-crafting reading and outdoor experiences are undeniable, and I think everyone recognized that this was a good idea. What has been a surprise is how hungry our community was for this. Librarians are signing up families' weeks in advance, and eagerly sourcing complementary reading materials for the school-age children. There is a set of seniors who, after attending the first community shuttle from the Chinatown library, have showed up for the 5 subsequent shuttles. We have kids reading, avoiding the dreaded summer slide, and spending time outdoors with their families. This program is a slam dunk in terms of positive community impact. No one could have asked for better outcomes, or better partners. And that might be the secret sauce to this genius idea: great partnership.
One of the important lessons that I keep re-learning in my professional life is that you don't have to do it alone: working with friends can improve the quality of the work and the enjoyment of doing said work. This partnership with the National Park Service, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and San Francisco Public Libraries showcases how collaboration makes bigger outcomes, and can create more dynamic programming.
So this summer, I hope to not only up my reading (I really want a "Reading Ranger" badge), but also build some new partnerships.
As we looked to our usual Tuesday blog post, it didn't feel right to ignore or breeze past the tragic events that have taken place over the past weeks. At the same time, I personally am at a loss for how to begin to process the heart breaking news for myself. How can I possibly put something meaningful out into the world for others?
So I looked outside for inspiration or perspectives to share. In doing so, I stumbled across this San Francisco Chronicle article published just a few weeks ago in the wake of the tragedy in Orlando: National parks offer healing in times of fear and pain.
It is a quick read and I encourage you all to spend a few minutes with it.
For me, it is stories like this, where parks engage with the community, facilitating healing dialogue and becoming "places of peace, understanding, learning and reconciliation," that give my heart a small break from its recent pain. So I thought I'd send this back out into the world, hoping that our park community finds their own bit of hope and inspiration, giving us the energy and love to provide for all communities in their time of need.
The Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, is a day that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and when the thirteen colonies declared themselves independent from England. For many Americans, this holiday is celebrated with friends, picnics, parades, cookouts, fireworks, and parties where everything from desserts to cutlery follow the patriotic theme of red, white, and blue. Here are a few ways five national parks celebrated Independence Day this year.
1. Boston National Historical Park
At Boston National Historical Park, visitors were not only able attend a sixty minute walking tour to learn about the events that lead to the Boston Tea Party, but were also able to tour Boston's North End neighborhood— Paul Revere's old neighborhood—and learn about the patriots and loyalists who lived there in 1774.
2. Saratoga National Historical Park
At Saratoga National Historical Park in upstate New York, visitors attended the naturalization ceremony of twenty immigrants, participated in thirteen lemonade toasts to commemorate the coming together of the thirteen colonies, and viewed traditional musket and canon demonstrations.
3. Minute Man National Historical Park
At Minute Man National Historical Park in Massachusetts, visitors were able to visit Lexington and Concord and see where the first shots of the revolution were fired.
Historical Reenactment at Minute Man National Historical Park, image courtesy of The National Park Service
4. Virgin Islands National Park
Located on the Island of St. John, this year Virgin Islands National Park celebrated by holding cultural demonstrations where visitors learned about the colonial sugar era on the island, and the farming techniques used during that time.
5. Independence National Historical Park
Unsurprisingly, at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia there were many programs to celebrate the holiday. Visitors had the option of taking tours that examined the paths colonists took from being subjects of the British Empire to becoming citizens of the U.S., taking tours that told the story behind the Declaration of Independence, the life of Thomas Jefferson, and the places where he worked on the Declaration of Independence. Independence National Historical Park also offered interactive programming where children learned about what it would have been like to serve in the continental army or navy during the American Revolution.
Like many park professionals, I've been having the diversity conversation for a while now. We've been striving towards more inclusive green spaces my entire professional career, and, despite making great strides, we've still got a long way to go. This work is tireless, and I'm acutely aware of how frequently the finish-line keeps moving. I love this work, but sometimes even the strong have doubts.
I fantasize about no longer needing to have the diversity conversation. I fantasize about diversity being solved like I fantasize about winning the lottery; one fortuitous event, eliminating all my problems with no effort on my part. I know these fantasies are silly, but I also know I'm not the only one buying Powerball tickets.
So I was tired last week when I headed to Washington, DC to meet about the National Park Service Urban Agenda. I was not excited about yet another diversity conversation with my heart rubbed raw by the recent Orlando shooting. Doing equity work while also working through grief is an unfortunate, yet common, occurrence. But I was comforted to see all the altars, hand-made signs, and pride flags sprinkled across DC's national parks. It was a powerful lesson of how parks can be places for healing. It was a needed reminder of the importance of telling a national history that's as diverse as our country.
Photo courtesy of Nancy Goerisch-Hassanein, NPS
I got another powerful and timely lesson from our NPS Urban Fellows. It was a lesson about grit: about persevering in the face of mighty obstacles. As each Urban Fellow talked about their experience of building relationships with their communities and implementing the Urban Agenda, the challenges they mentioned were huge and complex. They were drawing upon large stores of determination and resilience. The Urban Fellows were carrying out the Urban Agenda one small success, one community partner, and one co-worker at a time. I needed to be reminded that this diversity conversation is going to continue to be hard, but, with a little grit, great things can be accomplished.
Now that I'm back in the Bay Area, I'm thankful for all the diversity conversations (both visual and verbal) that I had in DC. It was the pep talk I didn't know I needed.
Lastly, I'm most thankful for our newest National Monument at Stonewall Inn. It's what our nation needed and a shining example of what tireless work can accomplish. I'm grateful to all the folks and the LGBTQ community that, through determination and grit, caused this breakthrough to happen.
The Institute is excited to introduce you to the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders Class of 2016! Lea and Maria recently joined our team here at the Institute at the Golden Gate and we are very happy to have them. We've asked both of them to share a few things about themselves so that we can all get to know them better...
Growing up in Los Angeles, I was constantly reminded of how wonderful our environment is. Both of my parents were involved in the local park system, which led to my participation in tree-planting and beach-cleaning initiatives from a young age. Griffith Park, one of the largest municipal parks in the U.S., was a few minutes' walk from my childhood home; the hilly terrain, winding trails, and untouched wilderness were my backyard and playground. This fostered a love of parks and the outdoors that I still have today. I was also fortunate to spend four years in Ithaca, known for its numerous gorges, waterfalls, and lush, green landscape (during the summer!).
During my final semester at Cornell University, I was still wondering what in the world I wanted to do with my life. Meanwhile, it seemed as though everyone else had finalized their post-college plans months, even years, before graduation. Unrealistic as that notion was, the pressure to know exactly what one would be doing after leaving Cornell was palpable and undeniable. In the midst of my job search, the Health Fellow position with the Institute immediately caught my eye. In its description, I found my academic passion, public health, intertwined with my personal interest and devotion to public parks, nature, and the environment. The six-month fellowship also seemed like the perfect segue into the job market, allowing me to grow professionally before pursuing long-term job opportunities. I was sold! During my fellowship I will be focusing on two projects: creating a webinar series for the National ParkRx Initiative and assisting with Healthy Parks Healthy People: Bay Area. I am endlessly excited to be working at the intersection of public health and parks, and can't wait to see where this fellowship will take me.
Lea Kassa
Health Fellow
Hi, my name is Maria and I am the new Emerging Leaders, Climate Fellow for the Institute at the Golden Gate. I recently graduated from Simmons College in Boston where I majored in both environmental science and computer science. I was born and raised in San Francisco and I am so excited to be back at home! My past experience working at informal science institutions like the California Academy of Sciences and the Museum of Science in Boston has instilled in me a strong passion for science education. I became interested in this position because of its potential impact on the way educators teach climate change in the Bay Area.
In addition to working with the Institute team, I will be working closely with the Bay Area Climate Literacy Impact Collaborative (Bay-CLIC) which is comprised of environmental educators focused on increasing climate literacy and action. Bay-CLIC has identified three initiatives which represent the needs of educators to better address climate change. From these initiatives, my project was created. Over the next few months, I will be creating a database for educators of scientific resources and data related to climate change. As an additional tool, I will be researching existing public engagement campaigns focused on behavior change. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Institute team and am looking forward to all of the learning I will do during this fellowship.
Maria Romero
Climate Fellow


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I'm about to share the investing advice I wish I had when I first started learning about money. Back then, I tried to "beat the market," and lost half of my very first college scholarship check.
So if you've ignored your retirement account until "later" or thought about picking stocks based on how "hot" they are at the moment, this section is for you.
You'll learn how to invest your money for the long-term (without worrying about stock prices every day) – all clearly laid out and easy to understand.
A lot of us are simply scared to put our money in the market. And for the most part, we have every reason to feel that way.
On one hand, you have media moguls who scream financial crisis at even the slightest dips in the market to drive up their ratings.
On the other hand, we've just come out of one of the biggest stock market crashes in generations. Some of us have even watched our families and friends be forced to keep working instead of retire on time.
All that really is scary. But, if you believe the market will recover (which it has) and grow over the long term, you need to be investing consistently.
Other reasons people don't invest? "I don't have time" and "I don't want to lose money".
I get it. Nobody just LOVES spending time managing their money and, certainly, nobody likes losing it.
But I've taken the pains to research investment strategies that don't take lots of time to maintain and can still pay off in a major way.
One quick note: when it comes to investing, nobody can guarantee returns, and if they do, you should probably run the other way.
(Or start by setting up your accounts today)
Consistency is the key and we'll talk about how you can do that with minimal effort using a complete investing system. And trust me there's no better time to start then today.
Read it whenever and wherever you want.Yes! Give me my PDF
This drives me nuts because it's simply not true.
3 most important factors for investing: 1. do your research, 2. be disciplined, 3. start earlyTweet this
If you're 25 years old and you save $100/month until you're 35 (for only 10 years, then you never save money again), and your dumb friend starts later – saving $100/month from age 35 to 65 (that's 30 years compared to your 10 years) – you will have way more money (over $50,000 more) than him at age 65.
It's not hard to become rich. But it takes work and consistent saving, and so it's easier for a lot of people to shrug their shoulders and put it off for another day. Unfortunately, every extra year you wait to start investing makes it dramatically harder to make the same amount of money.
Start early and you will be rich.
What if you had started investing $10 per week five years ago, receiving an average 8 percent return? Guess how much you'd have?
It turns out that by now, you'd have thousands of dollars – all from investing a little more than $1 per day. Think about that $10 a week – where did it go, anyway?
If you're like most people, it probably slipped through your fingers on random things like cab rides and lunches. Despite wild rides in the stock market, with a long term perspective, the best thing you can do is start investing early.
|If you invest this much per week…
|After 1 year, you'll have…
|After 5 years, you'll have…
|After 10 years, you'll have…
I'm not a old man yet, but when I see these numbers, it's tempting to run around with a cane and a vodka tonic in hand, screaming at young people. Not only do we fail to invest our money, but we don't even know why it's important!
|Age of employee
|Percentage who participate in a 401(k)
|Percentage of pay they contribute
|Median balance of their 401(k)
|My comment
|18 – 25
|Too busy watching The Hills.
|26 – 41
|These people have realized that perhaps saving money is important
|42 and up
|These older folks are wishing they could go back in time and beat themselves for not saving more, like Biff in Back to the Future II
No matter what stage of life you're in, the most important thing and my goal is to get you started and make it easy to maintain your investments.
By doing just those two things you'll be on the way to getting rich.
And setting up your investment accounts is an excellent first step toward actually investing (we'll cover how you can below).
But, the first thing to note is that you don't have to be rich to open an investment account.
Most account providers actually waive the minimums if you set up automatic transfers (which is what we're all about).
Really it's not. Nobody can reliably pick stocks that will outperform the market over the long term. Thinking you can beat the market is an easy way to make mistakes and become overconfident in your abilities.
Even "experts" cannot guess where a stock will go next. Just turn on CNBC and watch the dazzled looks on the pundit's faces when they make a wrong call on a stock.
Plus, having to pay attention to the latest hot stock or every micro-change in the market is risky and involves a lot of guesswork.
I prefer investing in low-cost, diversified funds consistently, rather than chasing stocks and relying on guesswork to get through.
That's the same strategy recommended by Nobel Laureates and billionaire investors, like Warren Buffett.
Many people mistakenly think that retirement accounts are just places for you to save money until you're 65.
Actually, they offer you humongous benefits if you agree to save for a long-term horizon. Let's compare regular (taxable) investment accounts with retirement accounts.
When you open up an account at ETrade, Scottrade or whatever, you're generally opening up a regular investing account, which is also called a taxable account.
This means that when you sell your stocks, you'll pay taxes on your gains – and if you sell your stocks in less than a year, you'll pay a huge amount (regular income-tax rates, like 15% or 30%).
Let's not get bogged down in the details, okay. As we talked about early, buy-and-hold investing wins over the long term. And because of the way taxes are structured, you pay a penalty for trading too frequently.
But there's an even stronger advantage to holding your money for longer – say, until retirement.
Retirement accounts, quite simply, give you huge tax/growth advantages in exchange for your promise to save and invest for the long term.
Now, this doesn't mean that you have to hold the same portfolio for 30 years. You can buy and sell shares of almost anything as often as you want. But with a few exceptions, you have to leave the money in your account until you get near retirement age.
In a retirement account, you get big tax benefits. While 10% or 20% may not seem like much in 1 year, when you compound that over 30 years, it becomes a gigantic amount.
In fact, if you were to start a retirement account next week, two things will happen: (1) You will be more financially prepared than 99% of your peers, and (2) you will be rich.
Yeah, I said it: If you start a retirement account in your early 20s or 30s and fund it regularly, you will be rich.
Let's look at a simple comparison of investing in a retirement account vs. just investing in a regular, taxable account:
Don't worry about the exact amounts. Just notice the difference in how much you earn - especially at the end.
A retirement account - whether it's a Roth IRA, 401(k) or something else - lets your money grow at an accelerated rate with hardly any extra work from your end.
Now let's get into the details.
A 401(k) is a type of retirement account. If you work for a company, chances are you already have a 401(k) offered to you.
Here's how a 401(k) works: You put pre-tax money into the account, meaning you haven't paid taxes on it yet.
Let's look at why that's important. In regular, taxable investment accounts, you pay taxes on your income and then invest it.
So for every $100 you make, you might actually only be able to invest $85 of it. 15% (or whatever, depending on your tax rate) goes to the tax man.
A 401(k) is different. You can invest the entire $100 and let it grow for about 30 years. That extra ~15% turns out to make a huge difference as it gets compounded more and more.
There's an extra benefit, too: Your company might offer a 401(k) match.
For example, a 1:1 match up to $2,000 means that your company will match every dollar you invest up to $2,000; therefore, investing $2,000/year really means you're investing $4,000/year. Woah.
This is free money and you absolutely, positively need to participate if your employer offers a 401(k) match. It doesn't matter what kind of debt or expenses or whatever you have – if your company offers a match, do it.
Basically, it goes into an investing account where a professional investing company manages it. You can choose from a bunch of different investing options, like aggressive, mixed, international, etc. Honestly, it's like McDonald's for investors: anyone can do it. The hardest part is making the first phone call to HR to get it set up.
You get to put pre-tax money to work (i.e., money you haven't paid taxes on yet, so there's more of it to grow).
Your company might offer an insanely lucrative 401(k) match, which you must take.
And it's not that hard to set up – your company does most of the work. In fact you can instruct them to automatically withdraw a certain amount from every paycheck.
Don't worry about switching jobs: if you leave your company later, you can take your 401(k) with you.
The 401(k) isn't tax-free, though. There are a few restrictions.
This is intentional: This money is for your retirement, not to go out drinking on Saturday.
If you want real wealth in your retirement, you absolutely need a Roth IRA. It's another type of retirement account.
And every person should have a Roth IRA. It's simply the best deal out there for long-term investing.
Remember how your 401(k) uses pre-tax dollars and you pay income tax when you take the money out at retirement?
Well, a Roth IRA is different than a 401(k). A Roth uses after-tax dollars to give you an even better deal. With a Roth, you put in already taxed income into stocks, bonds, index funds – whatever – and you don't pay when you withdraw it.
When you make money every year, you have to pay taxes on it. With a Roth, you take this after-tax money, invest it, and pay no taxes when you withdraw it.
If Roth IRAs had been around in 1970 and you'd invested $10,000 in Southwest Airlines, you'd only have had to pay taxes on the initial $10,000 income.
When you withdrew the money 30 years later, you wouldn't have had to pay any taxes on it. Oh, and by the way, your $10,000 would have turned into $10 million.
You pay taxes on the initial amount, but not the earnings. And over 30 years, that is a stunningly good deal.
Again, you're expected to treat this as a long-term investment vehicle.
You are penalized if you withdraw your earnings before you're 59.5 years old. (Exception: You can withdraw your principal, or the amount you actually invested from your pocket, at any time, penalty-free. Most people don't know this.)
There are also exceptions for down payments on a home, funding education for you/partner/children/grandchildren, and some other emergency reasons.
And there's a maximum income of $181,000 to make full contributions to a Roth. But you can read about those later.
First, you can only get some of those exceptions if your Roth IRA has been open for 5 years. This reason alone is enough for you to open your Roth IRA on Monday.
Second, starting early is crucial. I'm not going to belabor the point, but every dollar you invest now is worth much, much more later. Even waiting two years can cost you tens of thousands of dollars.
Currently, the maximum you're allowed to invest in your Roth IRA is $5,500 a year (updated in 2008). I don't care where you get the money, but get it. Put it in your Roth and max it out this year.
It's easy. You can go through your current discount brokerage, like E*Trade or Scottrade.
I recommend an independent service like Vanguard.
Next steps, call them up, tell them you want to open a Roth IRA, and they'll walk you through it.
Special note: These places have minimum amounts for opening a Roth IRA, usually $3,000. Sometimes they'll waive the minimums if you set up an automatic payment plan depositing, say, $100/month.
Shop around though.
Once your account is set up, your money will just be sitting there. You need to do things then:
First, set up an automatic payment plan so you're automatically depositing money into your Roth. How much?
Try doing as much as you're comfortable with, plus 10%.
Second, decide where to invest your Roth money. I recommend low-cost, diversified index funds as the best option or target date funds.
The simple answer is both: These accounts, while conceptually different, work together pretty well.
Here's how I think about it.
First, I would max out any 401(k) match that my company provides. Second, I'd max out the $5,500 for my Roth IRA. Third, I'd max out the rest of my 401(k), up to $15,000. Finally–if your employer doesn't offer a 401(k), you're not employed yet, or you still have money left over–I'd open a regular, taxable investment account and put money there in stocks, index funds, etc.
Well, there's a lot of dorky debate in the personal-finance world, but the basic reasons are taxes and tax policy: Assuming your career goes well, you'll be in a higher tax bracket when you retire, meaning that you'd have to pay more taxes with a 401(k). Another common reason for the Roth is that tax rates are considered likely to increase.
You can get the entire chapter, free, below. In it, I cover the nitty-gritty of maintaining your investment accounts easily, asset allocation, and rebalancing your portfolio to maximize return.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
1861 · Leipzig
by Scott, Sir Walter
Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz. Very Good. 1861. Hardcover. Tauchnitz Collection of British Authors; 460; 439 pages; Bound in quarter red calf with marbled boards and marbled endpapers, leather rubbed at extremities, contents clean and tight. Bound by R.W. Smith & Co. Binders, Marion St., New York Copyright Edition. OCLC: 2733182 Todd and Bowden Nos. 545a-546 . (Inventory #: 39311)


text:
A miller had three sons,
And, on his dying day,
He willed that all he owned should be
Shared by them in this way:
The mill to this, and the donkey to that,
And to the youngest only the cat.
This last, poor fellow, of course
Thought it a bitter fate;
With a cat to feed, he should die, indeed,
Of hunger, sooner or late.
And he stormed, with many a bitter word,
Which Puss, who lay in the cupboard, heard.
She stretched, and began to purr,
Then came to her master's knee,
And, looking slyly up, began:
"Pray be content with me!
Get me a pair of boots ere night,
And a bag, and it will be all right!"
~Excerpt from the Classic poem "Puss N Boots"
Composed in Photoshop with selective saturation, Redfield Fractalius filters, topaz filters, grain, textures, and vingnette
Original image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, public domain images.
Textures are original.
Please visit my website at PineSingerImgaes


text:
Royal Taffeta Prom Dress 47321
|Style Code:
|Available Colors:
|fuchsia, gunmetal, off-white, red, royal, soft pink, teal, white
|Available Sizes:
|00 - 24
This stunning strapless royal blue prom dress features a breathtaking over skirt and intricate beading along the bodice. Perfect for any social occasion.
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text:
|By Business Wire
Article Rating:
|February 7, 2013 01:28 PM EST
Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its 2013 Mobile Security Strategies and Vendor Leadership: North American Enterprise Survey, which details enterprises' plans for deploying security solutions for mobile devices, as well as their thoughts on leading mobile security vendors.
"For many IT organizations, there's an immediate need to do something about the mobile device security problem because like it or not, a new wave of mobile devices is being connected to corporate networks, and companies are looking to lock down these devices and control which apps they can use," notes Jeff Wilson, principal analyst for security at Infonetics Research.
Wilson continues: "We believe that SSL VPNs will become a cornerstone of many enterprise mobile device security strategies moving forward because they solve an immediate connection security requirement, are familiar and easy to use, often free, and will likely support additional security and control functions."
- Around 1/3 of enterprises interviewed by Infonetics currently allow the use of employee-owned devices such as iPhones, iPads, and Android smartphones and tablets on their networks
- Managing and securing rogue devices connected by users was named as a driver for deploying mobile device security by 72% of enterprises surveyed
- Over 3/4 of respondents have purchased or are considering purchasing a cloud-based or hybrid cloud/client-based mobile security solution, with cost being the #1 driver
- Roughly 1 million malicious or high-risk Android apps alone are anticipated this year, and Infonetics expects that nearly all enterprises will experience significant mobile device security incidents by 2015
For its 27-page mobile security survey, Infonetics interviewed purchase-decision makers at 103 medium and large companies in the U.S. and Canada about their mobile device security strategies. The survey provides insights into enterprises' mobile security deployment drivers and barriers, purchase plans and expenditures, cloud and SaaS solutions, security incidents, and familiarity with and ratings of mobile security vendors. Vendors named in the report include AirWatch, Apple, Avast, Check Point, Cisco, IBM, Juniper, Kaspersky, McAfee, Microsoft, MobileIron, RIM (Blackberry), Symantec/Norton, Trend Micro, Zenprise/Citrix, and others. To buy the report, contact Infonetics: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp.
- Latest Infonetics Security research brief: http://bit.ly/Yb4wrj
- Data center security buyers wrestling with network upgrades and massive attack volume
- Mobile, data center verticals driving DDoS prevention market
- Network security up 7% from year-ago 3rd quarter as buyers move to integrated solutions
- Wave of new spending underway in data center security market
Download Infonetics' market research brochure, publication calendar, events brochure, report highlights, tables of contents, and more at http://www.infonetics.com/login.
- Content Security Gateway Appliances, Software & SaaS Market Share & Forecasts
- Network Security Appliances & Software Market Share & Forecasts
- Cloud & CPE Managed Security Services Market Share & Forecasts
- Data Center Security Strategies & Vendor Leadership: N.A. Enterprise Survey
- Mobile Device Security Client Software Market Share & Forecasts
Visit http://bit.ly/RYDKln to learn more about sponsoring an Infonetics webcast. The following security webcasts are available to sponsor:
- Securing and Managing Mobile Devices in a BYOD World (learn about sponsoring)
- SMS/MMS Security Platforms for Mobile Carriers (learn about sponsoring)
Visit https://www.infonetics.com/infonetics-events to learn more or register for Infonetics events.
- Session Border Controllers in VoLTE, with Metaswitch (Feb. 12)
- Transitioning Traditional Network Services to LTE and IP Networks, with Oracle (Feb. 13)
- Scaling Small Cell Backhaul, with Alcatel-Lucent, Ceragon, Vitesse (Feb. 19)
- Diameter Signaling Control: Managing Mobile Broadband Growth, with Ericsson (Apr. 11)
- Securing and Managing Mobile Devices in a BYOD World (Sponsorships available)
- SMS/MMS Security Platforms for Mobile Carriers (Sponsorships available)
N. America (West), Asia, Latin America: Larry Howard, [email protected], +1 408-583-3335
N. America (East), Texas, Midwest: Scott Coyne, [email protected], +1 408-583-3395
Europe, Middle East, Africa: George Stojsavljevic, [email protected], +44 755-488-1623
Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp
Infonetics Research (www.infonetics.com) is an international market research and consulting firm serving the communications industry since 1990. A leader in defining and tracking emerging and established technologies in all world regions, Infonetics helps clients plan, strategize, and compete effectively. View Infonetics' About Us slides at http://bit.ly/QUrbrV.
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20th Cloud Expo, taking place June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy.
Apr. 23, 2017 04:45 AM EDT Reads: 2,707
SYS-CON Events announced today that Super Micro Computer, Inc., a global leader in compute, storage and networking technologies, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI), the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology, is a premier provider of advanced server Building Block Solutions® for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, Hadoop/...
Apr. 23, 2017 04:00 AM EDT Reads: 1,606
Amazon has gradually rolled out parts of its IoT offerings in the last year, but these are just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to optimizing their back-end AWS offerings, Amazon is laying the ground work to be a major force in IoT – especially in the connected home and office. Amazon is extending its reach by building on its dominant Cloud IoT platform, its Dash Button strategy, recently announced Replenishment Services, the Echo/Alexa voice recognition control platform, the 6-7 strategic...
Apr. 23, 2017 03:45 AM EDT Reads: 4,477
In his keynote at @ThingsExpo, Chris Matthieu, Director of IoT Engineering at Citrix and co-founder and CTO of Octoblu, focused on building an IoT platform and company. He provided a behind-the-scenes look at Octoblu's platform, business, and pivots along the way (including the Citrix acquisition of Octoblu).
Apr. 23, 2017 03:45 AM EDT Reads: 157
Bert Loomis was a visionary. This general session will highlight how Bert Loomis and people like him inspire us to build great things with small inventions. In their general session at 19th Cloud Expo, Harold Hannon, Architect at IBM Bluemix, and Michael O'Neill, Strategic Business Development at Nvidia, discussed the accelerating pace of AI development and how IBM Cloud and NVIDIA are partnering to bring AI capabilities to "every day," on-demand. They also reviewed two "free infrastructure" pr...
Apr. 23, 2017 03:30 AM EDT Reads: 179
Judith Hurwitz is president and CEO of Hurwitz & Associates, a Needham, Mass., research and consulting firm focused on emerging technology, including big data, cognitive computing and governance. She is co-author of the book Cognitive Computing and Big Data Analytics, published in 2015. Her Cloud Expo session, "What Is the Business Imperative for Cognitive Computing?" is scheduled for Wednesday, June 8, at 8:40 a.m. In it, she puts cognitive computing into perspective with its value to the busin...
Apr. 23, 2017 03:15 AM EDT Reads: 3,390
SYS-CON Events announced today that Hitachi, the leading provider the Internet of Things and Digital Transformation, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Hitachi Data Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., offers an integrated portfolio of services and solutions that enable digital transformation through enhanced data management, governance, mobility and analytics. We help globa...
Apr. 23, 2017 02:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,581
Cognitive Computing is becoming the foundation for a new generation of solutions that have the potential to transform business. Unlike traditional approaches to building solutions, a cognitive computing approach allows the data to help determine the way applications are designed. This contrasts with conventional software development that begins with defining logic based on the current way a business operates. In her session at 18th Cloud Expo, Judith S. Hurwitz, President and CEO of Hurwitz & ...
Apr. 23, 2017 01:45 AM EDT Reads: 8,564
The explosion of new web/cloud/IoT-based applications and the data they generate are transforming our world right before our eyes. In this rush to adopt these new technologies, organizations are often ignoring fundamental questions concerning who owns the data and failing to ask for permission to conduct invasive surveillance of their customers. Organizations that are not transparent about how their systems gather data telemetry without offering shared data ownership risk product rejection, regu...
Apr. 23, 2017 01:15 AM EDT Reads: 266
Financial Technology has become a topic of intense interest throughout the cloud developer and enterprise IT communities. Accordingly, attendees at the upcoming 20th Cloud Expo at the Javits Center in New York, June 6-8, 2017, will find fresh new content in a new track called FinTech.
Apr. 22, 2017 11:45 PM EDT Reads: 2,027
SYS-CON Events announced today that Interoute, owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform, has been named "Bronze Sponsor" of SYS-CON's 20th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017 at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Interoute is the owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform which encompasses 12 data centers, 14 virtual data centers and 31 colocation centers, with connections to 195 add...
Apr. 22, 2017 11:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,419
The age of Digital Disruption is evolving into the next era – Digital Cohesion, an age in which applications securely self-assemble and deliver predictive services that continuously adapt to user behavior. Information from devices, sensors and applications around us will drive services seamlessly across mobile and fixed devices/infrastructure. This evolution is happening now in software defined services and secure networking. Four key drivers – Performance, Economics, Interoperability and Trust ...
Apr. 22, 2017 09:15 PM EDT Reads: 3,433
Grape Up is a software company, specialized in cloud native application development and professional services related to Cloud Foundry PaaS. With five expert teams that operate in various sectors of the market across the USA and Europe, we work with a variety of customers from emerging startups to Fortune 1000 companies.
Apr. 22, 2017 08:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,824
Cybersecurity is a critical component of software development in many industries including medical devices. However, code is not always written to be robust or secure from the unknown or the unexpected. This gap can make medical devices susceptible to cybersecurity attacks ranging from compromised personal health information to life-sustaining treatment. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Clark Fortney, Software Engineer at Battelle, will discuss how programming oversight using key methods can incre...
Apr. 22, 2017 05:45 PM EDT Reads: 3,633
Multiple data types are pouring into IoT deployments. Data is coming in small packages as well as enormous files and data streams of many sizes. Widespread use of mobile devices adds to the total. In this power panel at @ThingsExpo, moderated by Conference Chair Roger Strukhoff, panelists will look at the tools and environments that are being put to use in IoT deployments, as well as the team skills a modern enterprise IT shop needs to keep things running, get a handle on all this data, and deli...
Apr. 22, 2017 04:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,710
SYS-CON Events announced today that Grape Up will exhibit at SYS-CON's 21st International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on Oct. 31 – Nov 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Grape Up is a software company specializing in cloud native application development and professional services related to Cloud Foundry PaaS. With five expert teams that operate in various sectors of the market across the U.S. and Europe, Grape Up works with a variety of customers from emergi...
Apr. 22, 2017 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,393
The Internet of Things is clearly many things: data collection and analytics, wearables, Smart Grids and Smart Cities, the Industrial Internet, and more. Cool platforms like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Intel's Galileo and Edison, and a diverse world of sensors are making the IoT a great toy box for developers in all these areas. In this Power Panel at @ThingsExpo, moderated by Conference Chair Roger Strukhoff, panelists discussed what things are the most important, which will have the most profound e...
Apr. 22, 2017 02:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,769
@ThingsExpo has been named the Most Influential 'Smart Cities - IIoT' Account and @BigDataExpo has been named fourteenth by Right Relevance (RR), which provides curated information and intelligence on approximately 50,000 topics. In addition, Right Relevance provides an Insights offering that combines the above Topics and Influencers information with real time conversations to provide actionable intelligence with visualizations to enable decision making. The Insights service is applicable to eve...
Apr. 22, 2017 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 2,170
SYS-CON Events announced today that SoftLayer, an IBM Company, has been named "Gold Sponsor" of SYS-CON's 18th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York, New York. SoftLayer, an IBM Company, provides cloud infrastructure as a service from a growing number of data centers and network points of presence around the world. SoftLayer's customers range from Web startups to global enterprises.
Apr. 22, 2017 01:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,717
SYS-CON Events announced today that Super Micro Computer, Inc., a global leader in compute, storage and networking technologies, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Supermicro (NASDAQ: SMCI), the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology, is a premier provider of advanced server Building Block Solutions® for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, Hadoop/...
Apr. 22, 2017 11:00 AM EDT Reads: 4,078


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Inspire your senses at Le Westin Montréal, a downtown Montreal hotel ideally situated a step away from Old Montreal and across the street from the convention center. Our Montreal hotel is an ideal choice for both leisure and business travelers.
Relax in thoughtfully appointed rooms and suites, featuring our signature Westin Heavenly ™ Bed, High Speed Internet Access, LCD TV, a generous workspace, and a spacious bath. Tempt your taste buds at gaZette which serves a delectable assortment of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.
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- 6 large Vidalia onions, peeled
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1 cup chopped pitted ripe olives
- 1 cup soft breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
- Dash of pepper
- Paprika
How to Make It
Cut a 1/4-inch slice from top and bottom of each onion, reserving slices. Place onions in a Dutch oven; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.
Chop reserved onion slices; sauté in butter until tender. Add next 8 ingredients.
Scoop out center portion of each onion; discard. Fill each onion with olive mixture; sprinkle with paprika.
Place onions in a 13- x 9- x 2- inch baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.
Oxmoor House Homestyle Recipes


text: Government/Politics Political news House Tosses Controversial Unemployment Compensation Overhaul, Proposes Stopgap Instead By Andy Chow • Dec 6, 2016 Andy Chow The House is calling for a stopgap for the state's unemployment compensation fund with the hopes of coming back to pass a larger reform bill next year. Unemployment Compensation Bill Pulled From House Committee By Andy Chow • Dec 5, 2016 Castleski/Shutterstock.com There's been a battle to change what employers pay into and what benefits workers get out of the state's unemployment compensation fund. Now the bill to deal with that seems to be stalled at the Statehouse. Lawmakers Said To Be Discussing Folding "Heartbeat Bill" Into 20-Week Abortion Ban By Jo Ingles • Dec 5, 2016 Karen Kasler Backers of the so-called "heartbeat bill", the legislation that would ban abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, are putting pressure on state lawmakers to pass it during the lame duck session. And the person behind the movement to pass that bill thinks lawmakers might be working behind the scenes on it. Public Memorial Service To Be Held For Former Governor George Voinovich Later This Week By Jo Ingles • Dec 5, 2016 Statehouse News Bureau Former Gov. George Voinovich passed away nearly six months ago. A public memorial service honoring his life will be held at the Statehouse Wednesday night. Kasich Nominee Resigns From PUCO After Senate Rejects Appointment By Andy Chow • Dec 2, 2016 PUCO A top utilities watchdog, nominated to that spot by Gov. John Kasich, has stepped down after the Senate rejected that appointment. Critics Claim Unemployment Compensation Plan Puts Too Much Burden On Employees By Andy Chow • Dec 2, 2016 Andy Chow It's coming down to the wire for lawmakers to reach agreement on a hot-button bill – how to shore up the fund that pays jobless benefits to unemployed workers. Several advocacy groups are still not happy with the proposal to change unemployment compensation funding. Senate Not Likely To Block Minimum Wage Increase Attempts By Andy Chow • Dec 2, 2016 Andy Chow Local leaders who are hoping state lawmakers will block a plan to increase the minimum wage might not get any help from the Senate. The Future Of Abortion Clinics In Ohio By Jo Ingles • Dec 2, 2016 Jo Ingles A decision by the Ohio Department of Health to order a Dayton area abortion clinic to shut down is drawing criticism and praise. Abortion opponents say it's a step in the right direction but supporters of legal abortion say it is politically motivated over-reach by a state agency. Senate Showdown With Kasich, Panel Rejects PUCO Nominee By Andy Chow • Dec 1, 2016 Andy Chow There seems to be friction among the Republican Party's top leaders as the Senate rejects a major appointment by Gov. John Kasich. Getting Women Candidates Ready To Run By Jo Ingles • Dec 1, 2016 Dan Konik The Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers shows women, who make up more than half of the U.S. population, hold only about 20% of the seats in Congress and the U.S. Senate, and only slightly more than that in state legislatures. This report takes a look at a program designed to encourage women to take the first step toward joining them and running for office. OSU Student Felt "Helpless" During Campus Attack Without Gun By Andy Chow • Nov 30, 2016 Jo Ingles In the wake of Monday's attack, students from the Ohio State University are adding a unique perspective to a bill that would lift the automatic concealed weapons ban on college campuses. OSU Students Recount Campus Attack During Senate Hearing By Andy Chow • Nov 30, 2016 Andy Chow Lawmakers could vote next week on a proposal to lift the automatic ban on concealed weapons on college campuses. Many Ohio State University students visited the Statehouse to call on Senators to reject the bill. House Committee Approves Looser Renewable Energy Requirements By Andy Chow • Nov 30, 2016 Andy Chow The Ohio House is moving forward with a bill that once again changes the state's green energy policy landscape -- as a freeze on state green energy standards is set to expire at the end of the year. Balderson: Ohio Has Already Reached Renewable Energy Capacity Goal By Andy Chow • Nov 29, 2016 Ohio Senate The fight over the future of Ohio's energy policies for the next three years is coming down to the wire and there are still different battles being fought. Lawmakers Could Lift Automatic Concealed Weapons Ban At College Campuses, Daycares By Andy Chow • Nov 29, 2016 Praphab Louilarpprasert/Shutterstock.com A bill that allows people to carry concealed weapons into more areas such as daycares and college campuses is moving through the Legislature as the clock runs out on this year's session. Bill Could Allow Concealed Carry Holders To Escape Penalties By Jo Ingles • Nov 29, 2016 Jo Ingles As Ohio lawmakers consider passing a bill to downgrade the penalty for illegally carrying a concealed weapon on college campuses, one Ohio lawmaker is hoping for something stronger. He's proposed legislation to take concealed-carry one step further. The Biggest Lesson Learned By Democrat Who Ran As Republican By Andy Chow • Nov 23, 2016 Cassandra McDonald The day after the election brought a swarm of media coverage of all things Donald Trump. But another story was playing out in northeast Ohio, where the Republican nominee for an Ohio House seat outed herself to actually be a Democrat. Cassandra McDonald discusses what drove her to that decision and what she takes away from this year's race. Ohio Outpaces Most States Nationwide With Declining Homelessness Rate By Andy Chow • Nov 23, 2016 Andy Chow Ohio is outpacing most of the country in its work to bringing down the number of people who are homeless in the state. But those working with homeless Ohioans say there's more work to do. Holiday Happenings By Jo Ingles • Nov 23, 2016 Jo Ingles The holiday season is the time friends and relatives often visit Ohioans. If you are wondering where to take them to see interesting sights and sounds of the season, here are some ideas for you. A Kasich Veto This Year Might Not Sit Well With More Powerful Legislature Next Year By Andy Chow • Nov 22, 2016 Andy Chow The House and Senate are working on bills that could essentially continue a freeze on the state's renewable energy requirements, something Gov. John Kasich says he's against. But there are lawmakers who say soon, the threat of the governor's veto will not be as powerful as it used to be. Drugged Driving Is On The Rise By Jo Ingles • Nov 22, 2016 Ohio Department of Transportation Facebook page The familiar mantra of "don't drink and drive" is heard all year, and especially during every holiday season. But driving under the influence of drugs is becoming more common. Beware Of Shopping Scams By Jo Ingles • Nov 22, 2016 Ohio Attorney General's website Shoppers throughout the state are looking for bargains. Scammers are looking for distracted shoppers. Senate, House Vary On Plans To Change Green Energy Policies By Andy Chow • Nov 21, 2016 Iberdrola Renewables The state's top leaders are squaring off on a bill to change Ohio's green energy policies, and the clock is ticking – a two year freeze on the state's renewable energy standards for electric utilities expires in a few weeks. FirstEnergy Considers Selling, Closing Coal Plants By Andy Chow • Nov 17, 2016 FirstEnergy One of Ohio's largest energy companies could be closing or selling all of its power plants within the next two years. Rescues And Humane Organizations Urge Lawmakers To Reject Pet Store Bill By Jo Ingles • Nov 17, 2016 Jo Ingles Opponents of a bill that would ban local restrictions on pet stores say state lawmakers shouldn't pass that legislation. Ohio's Senate Has New Leadership By Jo Ingles • Nov 15, 2016 Ohio Senate website A new session of the General Assembly starts in January, and that will mean some new leaders in the Ohio Senate. Will In-Car Breathalyzer Bill Pass The Ohio Senate? By Jo Ingles • Nov 15, 2016 Jo Ingles Backers of a bill that would allow for expanded use of in-car breathalyzers for those convicted of drunk driving are hoping state senators will take action on the measure soon. Lawmakers Prepare For The Upcoming Lame Duck Session By Jo Ingles • Nov 11, 2016 Ohio Legislature website Ohio lawmakers are coming back into session next week. They are expected to tackle a long list of things during the next few weeks. Former Ohio Leader Tapped To Head President-Elect Trump's Transition Team By Jo Ingles • Nov 11, 2016 Karen Kasler President elect Donald Trump has tapped an Ohioan to head his domestic transition team. Ohio's Political Leaders Talk About The Divide Between Ohio Voters By Jo Ingles • Nov 10, 2016 Andy Chow Tuesday's election has polarized many people. The chairs of the Ohio Republican and Democratic parties have differing views on why the polarization may be a good thing. Pages« first ‹ previous … 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 … next › last »


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Large 4 bedroom detached period property in village of Tostock. This beautiful character home has recently has new carpets fitted and freshly decorated.
Beautiful two bedroom cottage, with charming style in the village of Rattlesden, closeby to historic town of Bury St Edmunds. Must be seen!
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Right across the country's devastated industrial heartland, the scene was repeated as pickaxe, shovel and sledgehammer were brought to bear on the slabs of concrete that had interred alive thousands as they slept.
As Turkey mobilised whatever it could, a huge international aid and rescue operation was getting under way. British teams were among the first in the air as 50 British rescuers left for Turkey last night to help in the search for those trapped in the rubble.
Twenty-seven firefighters from brigades in Cheshire, Leicestershire, Wales and the west Midlands joined 13 search and rescue specialists from the International Rescue Corps on the 9.30pm flight.
They will be deployed to the quake zone as soon as possible as part of a huge international response to an appeal for help from the Turkish authorities. Teams from Switzerland, the US, Japan, France, Bulgaria and Germany were also on the way, plus a special team from Turkey's traditional protagonist, Greece.
The British team members are all skilled in search and rescue techniques, and include paramedics, welders, mechanics and drivers as well as firefighters. They took equipment including thermal imaging cameras, videoprobes, lighting and cutting tools.
Simon Webb, a spokesman for the UK fire service search and rescue team, said: "They are flying from Gatwick to Istanbul. They will be briefed on the plane, and get some sleep, then it's off to work as soon as the sun rises. They have a variety of skills between them and some of them have worked in Montserrat after the volcano, Macedonia on humanitarian relief, and after earthquakes in Kurdistan and Mexico.
"They will be working on the technical rescues, the ones for which more technical equipment is needed, two to four days after the earthquake."
The 13 specialists from the charity International Rescue Corps are all volunteers and include two women.
The Gloucester-based charity Rapid UK sent a team of 10 men and two dogs to Istanbul last night after offering its services through the British embassy in Ankara.
One of the first places rescuers will be heading is Golcuk, a naval town about 80 miles south-east of Istanbul and near the quake's epicentre. As many as 10,000 people may still be trapped, according to the mayor, Ismail Baris.
In Golcuk yesterday, people desperately waved addresses of their collapsed homes and ran after a handful of motorised cranes in town, pleading for help. Some refused to lose hope, digging with their bare hands, hour after hour. Others gave up in despair. And many blamed local officials and the military for failing to give them the help they needed to save hundreds of buried victims.
Mahir Eryilmaz dug for 12 hours to try to free his nephew. When a crane finally arrived, its reach was too short. So were the ladders of the fire brigades fighting a nearby blaze.
In the Avcilar district on the impoverished fringe of Istanbul, a boy cried out from the warrens of cracked concrete slabs and splintered plaster that was once his home: "Help me! I'm still alive."
Survivors wailed for those who perished when buildings shook, then entombed sleeping families. Trucks and excavators rumbled as they peeled away debris. Rescue workers carted away corpses and tried to listen for any signs of life.
"I'm here!" the boy yelled again. A worker touched his hand. "Oh, thank you," sobbed six-year-old Memet Arsuglou. Soon he was free, weeping and hugging his mother.
Nearby, a woman tried to pry away a wall of cement blocks that she believed covered the room of her baby daughter. She eventually gave up and pounded her fists on the remains of her home. "No, no, no!" she yelled. "Why God? Why?"
In many places, cries for help from the rubble spurred on rescuers. But there were too few of them to search all the wrecked buildings.
"My loves, my children are there, my 15-year-old son and my daughter. But no one is fighting to save them," screamed Gulser Onat at the debris of the family apartment in Golcuk. Who knows if the international rescue teams will get there in time to save them.
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