Alcatraz Island

https://www.nps.gov/alca/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz_Island Alcatraz reveals stories of American incarceration, justice, and our common humanity. This small island was once a fort, a military prison, and a maximum security federal penitentiary. In 1969, the Indians of All Tribes occupied Alcatraz for 19 months in the name of freedom and Native American civil rights. We invite you to explore Alcatraz's complex history and natural beauty. The Alcatraz Ferry Terminal is located on The Embarcadero near the intersection of Bay Street at Pier 33. Dock Ranger Station The ranger station at the Alcatraz Island Dock is staffed at all times. Staff here can help you with directions, information, Special Ranger and Junior Ranger programs, emergency assistance, and more. In accordance with CDC, state, and local public health guidance related to COVID-19, these hours may vary. For more information on ticket reservation call (415) 981-ROCK [415.981.7625] or go to www.alcatrazcitycruises.com Alcatraz Island View of the Alcatraz Lighthouse and Island from the water Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Cellhouse A corridor extends between two rows and three tiers of cells. Skylights let in light from overhead. Looking down Broadway in the Alcatraz Cellhouse Alcatraz Rangers and Firetruck Alcatraz Rangers and Firetruck Alcatraz Rangers and 1934 Diamond T Firetruck Army Prisoners in the Stockade, 1902 Army Prisoners in the Stockade, 1902 Army Prisoners in the Stockade, 1902 Serving the Christmas Meal, c 1951 Cook serving Christmas dinner with menu posted above. An inmate worker distributes trays near the steam table. Bars separate the kitchen from the mess hall. The day’s menu, the Christmas meal, appears on a sign over his head. The menu includes consomme, stuffed celery, green olives and mixed sweet pickles, The Civil War at Golden Gate The National Park Service is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War (1861 – 1865.) We acknowledge this defining event in our nation’s history and its legacy in continuing to fight for civil rights. Fort Point We Hold the Rock Early use of Alcatraz Island by the indigenous people is difficult to reconstruct, as most tribal and village history was recorded and passed down generation-to-generation as an oral history of the people. A large portion of this oral history has been lost as a result of the huge reduction of the California Indian population following European contact and exploration. American Indians raising thier fist Alcatraz's Diamond T A fire engine once used for the famed prison on Alcatraz Island was restored to its former glory and greets visitors to “The Rock.” Alcatraz Diamond T Patch Researchers Pilot New Methods in Study of Brandt’s Cormorant Diets on Alcatraz A new paper summarizes a three-year study that took place between 2014 and 2016 on Alcatraz Island to evaluate the best methods for determining diets of Brandt’s cormorants nesting on the Island. Diets are typically analyzed after the nesting season through the collection of regurgitated pellets containing undigested prey. But pellets may only represent cormorant diets towards the end of the breeding season. Fish ear otoliths in a Petri dish. Late Spring Storm Caused 30% Loss to Alcatraz Brandt’s Cormorant Colony This year, a large multi-day rainstorm flooded 537 Brandt’s cormorant nests on Alcatraz Island. The May storm occurred during the peak nesting season when cormorants were incubating eggs or caring for newly hatched chicks. Brandt's cormorant pair standing over their nest full of eggs Occupation of Alcatraz, 50th Anniversary Commemoration In 1969, a group of Native American activists called the Indians of All Tribes arrived on Alcatraz. Red Power on Alcatraz: Perspectives 50 Years Later tells the story of their 19 ­month occupation of the island. For the 19 months duration of the exhibit, visitors can view photographs by Brooks Townes, Ilka Hartmann and Stephen Shames, original materials from the collection of Kent Blansett, and contributions from the community of former occupiers. Tipi in doorway framed by two panels Golden Gate's Journey to Carbon Neutral Park Operations Golden Gate National Recreation Area has attained carbon-neutral park operations, arriving at a major milestone set forth in the park’s Climate Change Action Plan a full year ahead of schedule! As of 2019, the park is using 100% renewable electricity and offsetting additional emissions from park operations by purchasing carbon offsets. Three different kinds of vertical-axis wind turbines Harbor Seal Habitat and Sea Level Rise in the San Francisco Bay Harbor seals are year-round residents of San Francisco Bay Area waters. But they don't just stay in the water. They also need safe places to come ashore to rest, shed their fur, and raise their young. They “haul out” in several coves, lagoons, and estuaries along the coast, and at many sites within the San Francisco Bay. Three harbor seals resting on rocky islets rising above the water during a low tide. Sea Star Recovery Slow in Bay Area National Parks Sea stars like ochre stars used to be abundant in Bay Area National Parks, but in 2013 park biologists saw a sharp decline in both the size and number of sea stars along park shorelines. Scientists are still looking for the cause of the mysterious “sea star wasting syndrome” behind this population crash. The disease has persisted along much of the Pacific coast, including in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore. Orange ochre star alongside anemones and barnacles in the rocky intertidal zone Third System of Coastal Forts How should a country protect its borders? The United States had to consider this question when the War of 1812 ended in 1815. One year later, the federal government believed it had an answer. The nation created a broad national defense strategy that included a new generation of waterfront defenses called the Third System of Coastal Fortifications. Robert Simmons When Robert Simmons, an African American man from Savannah, Georgia, was brought to the foggy, windswept island of Alcatraz in the winter of 1918, he was thrown into the “hole,” a pitch-dark dungeon cell with slimy walls, crawling with rats. He was held there for 14 days. His crime? Simmons was a Conscientious Objector (CO) who opposed war and refused to fight on the battlefields of World War I. Alcatraz dungeons in 1974 Where Are All The Sea Stars? Since 2013, sea stars from Alaska to Mexico have been dying in droves of a mysterious disease referred to as sea star wasting syndrome. Symptoms typically include the appearance of white lesions followed by tissue decay, body fragmentation and death, often within only a few days. Sea star die-offs are not necessarily unusual, but this one is unprecedented in terms of the numbers affected and the extensive area impacted. Disintegrating legs of a diseased ochre star The Army and American Indian Prisoners Looking at the entire history of the island, most prisoners held on Alcatraz were in fact U.S. military personnel. Notable exceptions included Southern sympathizers/supporters during the Civil War, conscientious objectors during WWI, and a number of Native Americans, beginning in 1873. On June 5 of that year the first Indian prisoner arrived. American Indian Prisoners Seacoast Ordnance Cannon manufactured for use in Third System forts are called seacoast ordnance. These were some of the largest and heaviest cannon available at the time. Cannon at forts Pickens, McRee, Barrancas, Massachusetts, and Advanced Redoubt fell into three categories: guns, howitzers, and mortars. Each had a specific purpose. A cannon is mounted over a brick wall, an American flag is flying to the left. Peregrine Falcons May Be Nesting on Alcatraz A pair of peregrine falcons has been active on Alcatraz Island since January 2019. While it is not unusual to see peregrines on Alcatraz during the fall and winter months, they usually depart by February. But last year, the peregrines remained active on the island through the spring and summer months. This year, on March 3, a photo was taken of the peregrines mating on the Alcatraz Water Tower. If are now nesting on Alcatraz, it will be the first time in recorded history. View through a scope of peregrine falcons mating on the Alcatraz Water Tower. Rare Bird Sighting on Alcatraz On March 9th, 2020 Alcatraz Biologist Tori Seher captured a photo of a black-legged kittiwake on the northwestern side of Alcatraz Island. This bird species was observed one other time on the Island more than 20 years ago, in 2000. Slender gull with a yellow bill and black legs The Occupation of Alcatraz At first the Occupation was wildly popular, attracting thousands of Native Americans on a pilgrimage to the cold, windy island in San Francisco Bay. Woman and Man with children on the way to Alcatraz New Rocky Intertidal Biodiversity Surveys Seek a Broader Perspective For Monitoring Change Every year, National Park Service biologists conduct intertidal surveys at sites along the San Francisco Bay Area coast, contributing to growing long-term data sets. Typically, they survey fixed plots, focusing on small areas of the reef and specific communities like mussels, barnacles, and algae. This year, they have also adapted an approach of sampling large areas of the reef at once and documenting all observed species along a set of transect lines. People wearing waders stand and crouch along a transect tape through the rocky intertidal zone Hopi Prisoners on the Rock Historian Wendy Holliday, formerly of the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office, traces the government’s Indian policy and the effect it had on the people of Hopi in the late 19th century, culminating with the imprisonment of 19 Hopi men by the U.S. Army. In September 1895, these men finally returned home after spending nearly a year on Alcatraz Island. Hopi prisoners of the U.S. Government sent to Alcatraz Island Robert Lipscomb Robert Lipscomb was an African American federal penitentiary inmate. Labeled as a “race agitator” and “known homo,” he fought and organized for civil rights within the prison walls during the segregated 1950s. A man in a collared shirt and dark tie. Alcatraz Waterbird Docents Assist with Island-wide Winter Bird Counts During the waterbird nesting season on Alcatraz Island (~March-September), docents are stationed near the colonial waterbird colonies. Using spotting scopes and binoculars to view waterbirds incubating eggs or feeding chicks, docents teach visitors about the ecology of nesting gulls, cormorants, herons, and egrets. However, waterbirds are not Alcatraz’s only avian inhabitants. In the winter months, these same waterbird docents assist with Island-wide bird counts. Peregrine falcon overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Series: Red Power on Alcatraz, Perspectives 50 Years Later How far would you go to fight for your community? Indians of All Tribes, American Indian Occupation of Alcatraz, 50th Anniversary Commemoration Alcatraz Island Cultural Landscape Alcatraz Island is a 22.5 acre historic district located in California's San Francisco Bay, and holds a commanding position at the entrance of the bay. Fog and high winds pour in from the Pacific Ocean to buffet the island's 50-foot-tall cliffs. The island contains the Pacific Coast's oldest lighthouse, military fortifications, and, most famously, a federal prison. view of alcatraz island Top 10 Tips for Visiting Alcatraz Island Make the most of your visit to Alcatraz Island with this helpful list. Park Rangers share their top 10 insider tips on how to have the best Alcatraz experience. View of an island covered with buildings from the water. Alcatraz Hosted Unprecedented Numbers of Waterbirds During 2021 Nesting Season Waterbirds, which nested on Alcatraz Island long before people built upon it, have been reclaiming parts of the island in recent decades. But Alcatraz Natural Resources staff hadn't seen anything quite like the 2021 nesting season. It was one for the record books, with numbers far surpassing previous years' estimates. It’s been quite a journey for one species in particular—the Brandt’s cormorant. The Island's great blue herons and peregrine falcons also had a good year. Sleek black bird with blue eyes and throat patch opens its mouth wide to feed its chicks. POET Newsletter February 2014 Pacific Ocean Education Team (POET) newsletter from February 2014. Articles include: A Beacon of Light for the Channel Islands; A Challenging Place; Isolation within Isolation; Destruction Island Lighthouse A black and white historic photo of the Destruction Island lighthouse tower on a bluff top. Staff Spotlight: Rebecca Au and Jackson Lam Meet Rebecca Au and Jackson Lam! Becca and Jackson at Muir Woods on Earth Day 2022 The Men of Baker Street In 1918, the United States Army learned that the Presidio of San Francisco was home to men who desired other men. The Men of Baker Street were incarcerated on Alcatraz Island for five months awaiting their courts-martial. These courts-martial found all six soldiers guilty and dishonorably discharged. They forfeited all pay, and five were sentenced to be “confined at hard labor” for sentences ranging from 2-10 years. With Ocean Foraging Conditions All Over the Map, Alcatraz Offers Breeding Seabirds an Alternative Ocean conditions are becoming more unstable (remember The Blob?) with more frequent impacts to seabird prey, and ultimately, offshore seabird breeding success. Meanwhile, estuaries like San Francisco Bay, home to Alcatraz Island’s seabird colony, may offer more stability. A new study of pigeon guillemots on Alcatraz and Southeast Farallon Island, led by National Park Service Natural Resource Specialist Victoria (Tori) Seher, lends further support to that idea. Black bird on a building ledge, carrying a fish in it's bill. Central to visitor access: stabilizing 1939 Alcatraz Island wharf This GAOA funded project will repair and seismically strengthen the concrete wharf on Alcatraz Island, a contributing feature of the Alcatraz Island National Historic Landmark District. Stabilization of the island’s point of access will ensure that visitors, government, concession, and park partners have consistent, safe access to the island. Park offices and visitor services, managed by several partners, are located on the wharf and will also be protected by this project. Aerial view of Alcatraz Island wharf and finger pier with ferry moored at dock. Series: Pacific Ocean Education Team (POET) Newsletters From 2009 to 2015, the Pacific Ocean Education Team published a series of short newsletters about the health of the ocean at various National Park Service sites in and around the Pacific Ocean. Topics covered included the 2010 tsunami, marine debris, sea star wasting disease, ocean acidification, and more. Ocean waves wash in from the right onto a forested and rocky shoreline. Staff Spotlight: Brian Aviles Meet Brian Aviles, the Chief of Planning and Environmental Programs! Older Latino male smiling with white hair looking off to the side Alcatraz Island Citadel Virtual Tour Beneath the prison block at Alcatraz Island sits the foundation of a U.S. Army fortification built in the 1850s. Once four stories tall and surrounded by a dry moat, the fort was razed to the foundation in 1909 to make way for the current prison building. This "dungeon" space was repurposed numerous times throughout Alcatraz Island’s history. Explore the citadel via HDP's virtual tour, point cloud, animation, and archival HABS documentation. Grayscale photo of prison building with tower and concrete ruins Case Study: Hybrid Ferries to Alcatraz How can innovation help us meet our sustainability goals? At Golden Gate National Recreation Area, park staff partner with Alcatraz City Cruises to meet unprecedented problems with unprecedented solutions. They’ve pushed to be on the cutting edge of sustainable technology by investing in the nation’s first hybrid-electric passenger ferries. A ferry boat in front of Alcatraz Island. The side of the ferry says Women on Fort Alcatraz Were there any women on Alcatraz? While no women were incarcerated here, during the military fort years, women laundresses were some of the most important workers on the island. Women like Bridget Madden had a specific and critical role in military operations on the island.

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