Gardens of Alcatraz (or "Interfaces" going to West Coast)

Each winter San Francisco hosts unique event, that gathering more than 20 000 of Earth scientist in the broadest sense of the word - from vulcanologist to palaeontologist, from biodiversity specialist to atmospheric scientists.

Behold! AGU Fall meeting 2015 poster hall, last day, some 30 minutes before the closure.

st meeting of environmental scientist in the world, which makes it incredible crucible of  ideas and projects which we are most certainly indebted with half of all great ideas in geosciences :D. So of course we go there this year - aren't our ideas great after all! "We" that's basically Amaia, Paul, Tanja, Karlie (AKA Dr Karlie McDonald). We spent quite some useful time networking, presenting and just roaming around at the AGU meeting itself but scientific virtues of such meeting is a separate topic, for a post of its own (which i obviously will write...one day).

Leaving the pier 39 (my phone has apparently evil mind of its own, so it has created this bizarre panorama).

We are all pretty happy as for group of people who are going to the actual (albeit retired) prison!

Here i want to tell a little bit about the "Interfaces"day off in San Francisco - particularly about our trip to National Park "Alcatraz",
When one hear "Alcatraz", one may think "Rock, al Capone, Birdman, crazy marines and Sir Sean Connery", but those are not things/people i am going to talk about.
What has stroked me the most when I landed on the Rock - its gardens...no Gardens!...of Alcatraz. The seemingly lifeless piece of stone in the middle of San Francisco bay, up close appears to be a blossoming paradise and one of the coolest bird sanctuary i ever saw!

 San Francisco skyline from the ferry

 Approaching the Rock...

 Layers of history: naval fort-military prison-FBI prison- free Indian land - National Park (and all within 150 years!)

I love ferns. Ferns loves West Coast Climate!

Some actual Alcatraz prison.

 More skyline - i just love it!

 Gardens - bushes are full of hummingbirds!

 Black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)

  Two blossoming Agave americana in front of Golden Gate bridge

 Latest (up to my visit) census of birds of Alcatraz

Some of very nice and friendly Heermann's gulls (Larus heermanni) near the pier 39- up to me the most beautifullarge Larid ever!

With 29 species of birds (in the middle of December! ) and hundreds species of indegeous and introduced plants (mostly from the Cape phytogeographical region) Alcatraz is offering much more to explore than just its rich history. Although, gardens of Alcatraz are actually a product of its rich history- they were created from hard work and love of the prisons employees, their families, and also inmates, who were trying to make the Rock slightly more livable, (I am personally spent most of my time on the island staring at the Anna's hummingbird males, which are just stunning!). What is the take-home message? Well -obviously - never leave your binocular at home, and yeah, if you are at the San Francisco, go visit Gardens of Alcatraz!
There's still much to tell about ours West Coast scientific(ish) adventures.
 So, to be continued...

Oh, and bonus (cant help but place it hear): snowy Faroe Islands shot from board of my flight Berlin-Chicago, on the way to San Francisco (Janus and Birna - góðan morgun down there!)