“I left my heart in San Francisco. High on a hill, it calls to me.” Tony Bennet famously sang of the captivating beauty of San Francisco, and a few JNPA staff members were lucky enough to experience that beauty earlier this month at the 2024 Public Lands Alliance Annual Convention.

This year, the convention was held March 4-8 in San Francisco. For some attendees, the week began with “field trips” to public lands sites in the Bay area, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point National Historic Site, and the Presidio Tunnel Tops.

The convention officially began with a session about how organizations in the Bay Area have collaborated to create inclusive experiences and outdoor spaces in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The session ended with a bang — literally! The incredible percussionists and dancers of Fogo na Roupa, a Bay Area Brazilian Carnaval performance group, gave a performance that got everyone up on their feet dancing along. Attendees were then treated to an opening reception themed around Rosie the Riveter, including a visit from a real-life “Rosie,” Jeanne Gibson. Jeanne was a welder at Todd Pacific Shipyard from 1944-1945 and now volunteers for Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park.

A whirlwind of sessions began bright and early Tuesday morning and continued the rest of the week. A few highlights included:

• A panel discussion on outdoor stewardship and wellness;
• A case study on the work done in the Marianas Islands to commemorate indigenous stories;
• An in-depth guide to ethical storytelling;
• A panel discussion about how the National Park Service and others are collaborating with the Native American veterans of the Alcatraz Occupations to highlight their personal stories while creating a new Alcatraz exhibit about Indigenous history and the occupations.
• An education session about how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service are using innovative new ways to prevent birds from colliding with glass at federal sites, as well as how the public can make their homes and businesses safer for birds.

Not only were attendees able to attend the illuminating education sessions, but there were a few extra opportunities both in and out of the convention. One evening, PLA hosted a screening of the breathtaking documentary, “Out There: A National Park Story” followed by a discussion with filmmaker Brendan Hall.

During one of the convention’s general sessions, the Public Lands Alliance surprised attendees with an early announcement of a few winners of its coveted Partnership Awards. Jefferson National Parks Association won Best Innovative Product for our virtual reality experience Cobblestones and Courage!

JNPA attendees took a few individual excursions outside the convention. One person visited Alcatraz Island in Golden Gate Recreation Area. A featured experience at Alcatraz is the highly immersive audio tour of the cellhouse, which is narrated by former guards and inmates. Alcatraz is also home to several types of wildlife and is the second largest seagull nesting ground in the world.

JNPA’s retail team visited the Golden Gate Bridge Store, which is operated by Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. They were very impressed by how well the store mixes both product merchandising and storytelling through exhibits.

The convention concluded with a special presentation by Rue Mapp, Founder & CEO of Outdoor Afro. Rue spoke about her life and the inspiring story of how she created this organization dedicated to bringing the African American community closer to nature. She also talked about the benefits of people connecting with the outdoors and how public lands can play a vital role in improving community health.

While each attendee came into the convention with different perspectives and goals, it is safe to say that everyone left with a shared sense of appreciation that we all get to play even a small part in supporting our amazing public lands.