For 35 years Garden for the Environment (GFE) has served as San Francisco’s only public teaching and education garden and is a dynamic third space for all residents. Located on a half acre of land owned by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), GFE is open to the public every day of the year and hosts programming on site four days a week.

Nearly 3,000 children and adults learn with us annually. Our core programs include twice-weekly volunteer days, weekend workshops, school field trips, and our renowned three-month Gardening and Composting Educator training program (Get Up!). All of our educational programs are free or low cost. In addition, visitors can learn by walking through, observing our plants, and reading our educational signage. 

GFE was founded in 1990 by a group of community gardeners, from the (now defunct) San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners, who wanted to teach residents of San Francisco and the Bay Area to be more climate resilient by replacing lawns and water-intensive gardens with native and drought tolerant plants, without sacrificing beauty.

Today, GFE receives funding from the SFPUC, among other donors, to promote organic gardening, water conservation, and pollution prevention. All tours, field trips, and workshops at GFE support the SFPUC’s mission to bridge the agency’s work with environmental and community interests.

GFE is the central location for environmentalists and educators to learn in San Francisco. Last year we partnered with more than 40 local organizations from museums and libraries, universities and colleges, to local community gardens and farms. Our students take what they’ve learned in our programs and share their knowledge and passion with others who will do the same. It is a regenerative process that reflects the regenerative gardening practices we follow..