Only in San Francisco at a school like Hamlin, would the technology of QR codes be integrated with Spanish, Art, and the release of the Pacific Chorus Frog into Mountain Lake, a member of the National Park Service.

When Highway 1 was built through the Presidio, runoff from the road and golf course impacted the water quality of Mountain Lake.  San Francisco residents have also dumped non-native aquatic life like pet koi, carp, turtles, and even an alligator into the water.

Hamlin students, and teachers Rachel Davis, Maggie Jo Feldman, and Alison Trujillo decided to do something to help alleviate this environmental problem.  Students designed beautiful and informative images painted on wood panels, each embedded with a QR code.  Along with the unique artwork, they created videos in both English and Spanish that can be watched by scanning the codes.  The videos provide information on everything from the history of Mountain Lake to the specific ecological dangers of littering.

Along with this artistic, collaborative messaging, the students participated in hands on citizen science by releasing the native Pacific Chorus Frog into the lake.  This is part of a larger effort by the Presidio Trust to restore the pristine natural ecosystem by removing non-native fish and plants, while introducing ones that improve the health of the lake.

To watch the videos in English or Spanish, please visit them in person at: http://www.presidio.gov/explore/Pages/mountain-lake.aspx

Or you can watch one here to learn more about the ecological damage caused by dumping pets into the lake:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z6T0zWfW2A (in English)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCdYxoP6amk (in Spanish)