Oikonos News: We’re Taking On Alcatraz

Together with our amazing partners: California College of the Arts, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and ceramic artist Nathan Lynch, we’ve brought our ceramic nest project to a new site: Alcatraz. A surprising wildlife haven in the heart of San Francisco Bay, it is home to thousands of seabirds like the charismatic Pigeon Guillemot, that nest in crevices of cliffs, rocky rubble, and piers. Coastal erosion and climate change threaten their nesting success by reducing available habitat and increasing exposure to extreme weather. Our artificial ceramic nests increase nesting opportunities, and keep them safe and cool. (Note: “The island belonged originally to the birds. Spanish explorers in 1775 named this rock outcropping after its most lively feature, calling it Alcatraces, or “strange birds.”) DETAILS.