Our Story

From its inception, the Institute at the Golden Gate has been at the intersection of parks and social good. Follow our progress and learn how we have forged significant partnerships that take parks beyond traditional boundaries to help address complex human challenges.

2008
The Institute at the Golden Gate officially launches as part of the Fort Baker redevelopment project. The Institute was founded to ensure that the site maintained a robust element of public good and to advance environmental protection through cross-sector collaboration and action.
2009
The Institute hosts the first Turning the Tide conference at Fort Baker, which brought together thought leaders and activists to discuss some of the most critical environmental issues of the day.
2010
The second Turning the Tide conference is held at Fort Baker to further collaboration and action on key environmental challenges.
The Institute’s Food and Health work is launched. These initiatives grew out of the energy, interest, and innovative ideas generated at the Turning the Tide conferences. The Institute’s first report was published soon after, Park Prescriptions: Profiles and Resources for Good Health from the Great Outdoors.
2011
The Healthy Parks Healthy People U.S. conference is held at Fort Baker. Keynote speaker and director of the National Park Service Jon Jarvis announces his intention to create healthy food standards for the national parks.
2012
The Institute launches its Climate Education work.
The Institute begins its Park Prescription pilot in Bayview Hunters Point, San Francisco. In partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the Department of Public Health, this pilot was one of the first of its kind to bring together health and park agencies in a formalized way.
In partnership with the East Bay Regional Park District and the National Park Service, the Institute launches the regional Healthy Parks Healthy People: Bay Area collaborative.
2013
Former Director of the National Park Service Jon Jarvis announces the Healthy Food Choice Standards and Sustainable Food Choice Guidelines. The Institute provided analytical tools to help bring organic, locally-sourced food to over 300 million national park visitors a year.
The Institute hosts Parks: The New Climate Classroom conference at Fort Baker. The convening brought together a cross-disciplinary group deepen climate change education and to shift the public dialogue on climate change.
In partnership with the National Recreation and Parks Association, the Institute convenes the first-ever National Park Prescriptions workshop in Houston, Texas. This meeting brought together park and health leaders from across the country to form a growing national movement to prescribe parks and nature for people's mental and physical health.
2014
The Institute formally launches our Urban work and our Fellowship for Emerging Leaders.
The Institute convenes the first meeting of the Bay Area Climate Literacy Impact Collaborative, which is dedicated to increasing climate literacy and action throughout the Bay.
The Institute hosts the first-ever Park Prescriptions training for health care providers in San Francisco.
2015
The NPS Stewardship Institute launches its Urban Agenda program, in partnership with the Institute at the Golden Gate.
2016
The Institute joins the National Park Service and the U.S. Surgeon General in celebrating the first ever National Park Prescription Day on April 24, 2016, the last day of National Park Week.
The Institute convenes the Health Outdoors! Forum, which brought together 200 public health and park professionals to discuss how parks can create healthier environments and build local level partnerships through park prescriptions programs.
2017
The Institute spearheads the premiere National Park Prescription Day event at Crissy Field in San Francisco, with over 3,000 participants and 30+ health, park, and community-based organizations.