San Francisco, California, the United States

Improvements to even the smallest open spaces within the urban matrix, such as street buffers and medians, can create habitat “stepping stones” that enhance connectivity between larger patches. In the Inner Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco the non-profit Nature in the City has partnered with local residents on a project to create stepping-stone habitats. The Green Hairstreak project uses small matrix improvements to connect an existing 2.5 acre patch that has the last local population of a native butterfly, the Green Hairstreak, to other patches. Because of the steep topography of Inner Sunset, there is a preponderance of odd street intersections, making triangles and street buffers unusually common. The project is using these small, unused public spaces and private backyards to create complexes of Rocky Outcrop and Coastal Bluff habitat and restore native species, including specific host plants for the Green Hairstreak.

Learn more about this project here.

Key Elements: Patch Size, Special Resources