July-September 2007

Letters from Our Readers

I am writing to express my disappointment with your most recent “Bay View,” which described cows as “ugly.” I value the beauty of all living creatures. Describing a cow as ugly prioritizes the natural world and encourages apathy toward inhumane treatment of domestic animals. Given your magazine’s purpose of “exploring, celebrating, and understanding the natural world,” I would have hoped you could avoid such bias.
—Jane Piel, Novato

I am tempted to just repeat the old saying “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” But you are correct that I was revealing a personal bias regarding animals that have evolved with, and as part of, the natural world of the region. [DL]

Regarding “Whispers in the Water” about the Presidio’s Tennessee Hollow watershed: There were no streams flowing to the Bay from the area now called Tennessee Hollow watershed. For some 220 years, there was no recognition of a watershed here. The water near El Polin derives from the highly fractured geology around Inspiration Point. This produces wetlands and seeps that sustain rare wildflowers, which could be threatened by creating creeks downslope.
—Sue Smith, San Francisco

From what we’ve seen, the Presidio Trust has based its plans on extensive hydrological data and historical documents. The creeks here were likely intermittent, as are many in the Bay Area. [DR]

I just read the April–June issue with the usual pleasure. Just a minor quibble about the article “Whispers in the Water”: Captain Anza is justly celebrated for his overland expedition to Monterey. For this accomplishment, he was promoted two ranks, so he came to San Francisco in 1776 as Lieutenant Colonel Anza.
—Ron Krause, Oakland

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