Friends of Glen Canyon Restoration Team Richard Craib: (415) 648-0862, or Jean Conner: (415) 584-8576. From the Glen Park News: The Friends of Glen Canyon Restoration Team is a small group of volunteers who work in the natural areas of the canyon doing habitat restoration. We meet on the third Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. behind the Recreation Center and walk to the area where we will be working. We take rest breaks whenever we feel the need until 11:30 a.m. when we take a short nature walk through the canyon to enjoy the results of our past work and plan future projects. Work in the canyon is an educational experience. We learn from our work and from each other about plants, animals and their relationships as well as about gardening in a natural area. Volunteers enjoy the physical work in the open air and the good feelings one gets from contributing to a worthwhile project. We are frequently joined by other groups such as Team America from the Bank of America, Girl Scouts, McAteer Nature Club, Marriott Hotel volunteers and Gay and Lesbian Sierrans from the Sierra Lesbian Club. Our volunteers have ranged in age from four and a half to 79. Everyone can contribute. Most of our habitat restoration has been the removal of exotic plants and weeds that are crowding out our native plants. Non-native plants such as French broom or wild radish produce a monoculture with little or no habitat value for insects such as the butterflies we all enjoy. Native plants provide shelter as well as food for animals such as a grey fox that was living in the canyon just two years ago. The wider the variety of native plants we have in the canyon, the greater the variety of animals the habitat will support. Glen Canyon is lucky because it has three distinct habitats -- grassland, riparian and coastal scrub -- which provide a biodiversity not found in other parks in the city. The natural time for planting in the canyon is after the winter rains begin. This year the “Friends” will have several planting work days. We will be planting native plants which have been grown from cuttings or seeds collected in the canyon. Watch for announcements and come join us. No experience is necessary. Tools and instructions are provided. If you are unable to volunteer you can still contribute by making a donation for the puchase of tools and other restoration supplies.