Gardens of Alcatraz

San Francisco, California

For nearly 150 years Alcatraz was gardened by inmates and their guard’s families. But the gardens, and their story, had disappeared by the time the Garden Conservancy began rehabilitating them in 2003. I managed the planning effort and hired and supervised garden staff while we researched their history and removed forty years of overgrowth. The key garden areas are now fully restored and have a strong management and volunteer team in place. They are an essential part of the story for the millions who visit Alcatraz and were recognized by the California Preservation Foundation’s prestigious Trustees Award for Excellence.