Recent wildlife tours through the park have reported a burst of animal activity — owls, coyotes, raccoons, hawks, and all manner of creatures doing their thing in one of the greatest urban parks in America. No special task force. No $2 million "biodiversity equity initiative." Just 1,017 acres of green space doing exactly what green space is supposed to do when you leave it alone.

It's a good reminder that some of the best things about San Francisco aren't the product of government programs or bond measures. They're the product of a park that was built over a century ago by people who had the radical idea that public land should actually serve the public — and that nature, given half a chance, will show up.

As one local put it, "What a gift GGP still is to everyone" — while also noting the irony that Outside Lands season temporarily turns a thriving ecosystem into a muddy concert venue every year. Fair point. There's a conversation to be had about how much we let commercial events chew up our best public spaces, but that's a fight for another day.

For now, the takeaway is simple: Golden Gate Park is a masterclass in long-term public investment that actually pays off. The original builders spent wisely, built durably, and created something that generates value — ecological, recreational, spiritual — without needing an annual budget line item with seven zeros.

If only the rest of San Francisco's public infrastructure aged this gracefully. Our roads could never.

So if you haven't taken an evening stroll through GGP lately, consider this your nudge. Bring binoculars. Leave the Bluetooth speaker at home. And maybe — just maybe — learn how to use your phone's cinematic mode before you try to film an owl in the dark. The wildlife deserves better cinematography than what's been showing up online.