06/13/2026
Jake joined us for many outings in his neighborhood of Golden Gate Heights where the Green Hairstreak Butterfly Corridor grew up around and in part because of his support, advocacy, and devotion to native landscapes. We will miss his Nature News that hit our boxes a few times a week for many, many years. And we remember visiting Jake and seeking his guidance on plant lists for the Green Connections plan and were struck by his reflections on the bay shore plants and seedlings—the plants all around the SF Bay will seed in by way of water he told us, and that’s why it so hard to restore and preserve bay edge ecosystems. We love you, Jake!
The Presidio community joins many across San Francisco and California in mourning the loss of Jake Sigg, who passed away at the age of 99.
Jake was one of the most influential advocates for native plants and ecological restoration in the Bay Area. For decades, he championed the protection of native biodiversity and helped shape public understanding of the importance of caring for the natural landscapes that define our region.
His contributions to the Presidio were profound. During the Army era and through the park's transition to national park stewardship, Jake was a steadfast voice for protecting the Presidio's remnant dunes, grasslands, coastal scrub, and rare plant habitats. He helped ensure these landscapes were recognized not as vacant spaces, but as irreplaceable pieces of San Francisco's ecological heritage.
The thriving native plant communities and restored habitats visitors experience throughout the Presidio today reflect the vision, advocacy, and persistence of leaders like Jake. His work helped inspire generations of volunteers, conservationists, and land stewards, leaving a legacy that will continue to shape the future of this park and the broader environmental movement.
