pink safari wall art

Your cart is empty

• Jungle & Animal Safari

This collection of nursery wall art is jam packed full of animal safari themed designs. We have elephant art, lion and crocodile prints, koalas, toucans, funny ostrich's - also our popular born to be wild quote prints - perfect for boys, girls or gender neutral bedroom decor.

• Framed Print
• £75 to £100
• Price: Low to High
• Price: High to Low
• Newest Last
• Best Selling

Mr Lion Animal Safari Art | Unframed

Green - Elephants in the Jungle Print | Fine Art Print

Hello Little One Giraffe - Original | Unframed

Born To Be Wild Print - Jungle | Unframed

Crocodile & Fish | Unframed

Go Bananas Orangutan Poster | Unframed

Born To Be Wild Print - Navy Illustrated | Unframed

Lion - Blue Stripe | Unframed

Lion - Kids Jungle Art | Unframed

Zebra - Nursery Art | Unframed

Hello Little One Giraffe - Original | Framed Print

Crocodile - Snap, Snap, Snap! | Fine Art Print

Born To Be Wild Print - Jungle Illustrated | Fine Art Print

Toucans - Jungle Wall Art | Unframed

Born To Be Wild Print - Muted Rainbow | Unframed

Lion - Courage & Brave Quote | Unframed

See You Later Alligator - Quote | Unframed

Mr Lion Animal Safari Art | Framed Print

Lion - Courage & Brave Quote (striped) | Unframed

Green - Elephants in the Jungle Print | Framed Print

Rainbow Wall Art - Navy Blue, Green, Brown | Unframed

Born To Be Wild Print - Woodland | Unframed

Orangutan Poster | Unframed

Born To Be Wild Print - Navy & Brown | Unframed

King Koala - Kids Animal Art | Unframed

You Are My Sunshine - Jungle Colours | Fine Art Print

Cool Kids Live Here - Brights | Fine Art Print

White - Elephants in the Jungle Print | Fine Art Print

Born To Be Wild Print - Jungle | Framed Print

Leopard & Toucans | Unframed

Lion - Blue Stripe | Framed Print

Leopard & Palms | Unframed

Giraffe Nursery Art - Peekaboo | Unframed

Crocodile & Fish | Framed Print

Born To Be Wild Print - Magic Carpet | Fine Art Print

Rainbow Wall Art - Subtle Colours | Framed Print

4x4 Land Rover - Green Defender | Unframed

Hey Kiddo - Jungle (Landscape) | Unframed

Reach for the Stars Quote - Navy | Unframed

Orangutan Poster | Framed Print

Lion Print - Green Stripes | Unframed

Zebra - Nursery Art | Framed Print

Go Bananas Orangutan Poster | Framed Print

Cool Kids Live Here - Jungle | Fine Art Print

Born To Be Wild Print - Navy Illustrated | Framed Print

Born To Be Wild Print - Woodland Illustrated | Fine Art Print

Born To Be Wild Print - Rainbow | Unframed

Lion - Kids Jungle Art | Framed Print

Want 5% off your first order.

Sign up to our mailing list. We only send good things.

• Pregnancy Weeks
• Nursery Design
• Toddler Sleep
• White Noise

17 Safari Nursery Ideas for Your Little Wild Thing

Expecting a baby? Life’s about to get wild. If an animal-themed safari nursery is on your mind, consider stepping things up a bit with these adorable safari nursery details. Whether you’re going all-out with the safari nursery theme or are making subtle nods with, for example a giraffe-print crib sheet or elephant wall art, there are so many ways to create a beautiful safari-themed space for your little one. Here are some of our favorites safari nursery ideas. 

Dancing Animals Rug Safari Nursery Decor

Photo and where to buy: Pottery Barn Kids

A mid-century modern safari animal rug is the perfect choice for an upscale nursery—it’s on-theme and yet not cheesy. 

Monochrome Safari Nursery Wallpaper

Photo: Happiest Baby

A busy safari-print nursery wallpaper will bring elegance and timelessness to the space, especially if you opt for a black-and-white version like this one from Cole & Son . 

Black & White Safari Nursery Prints 

Photo: @thenomadicbaby  

Sure, safari animals are usually a vibrant bunch, but sometimes black-and-white plays so nicely in a baby’s jungle-themed room. This monochrome animal wall art pops on a tribal-print background. 

Flower Crown Safari Nursery Prints and Decor

Photo: @busybeingsasha

There are so many unique safari theme wall art options on Etsy and Amazon , but if you’re designing a girly nursery, these flower-crown-wearing jungle animals are too cute to pass up. 

Faux Taxidermy Safari Nursery Decor

The modern trend of taxidermy-inspired decor is a fun one to pull into any nursery; a plush giraffe head adds whimsy to your safari-themed baby room .  

Giraffe Safari Nursery Decor

What safari nursery is complete without a giraffe? SNOO Zoo would fit right in with this nursery theme, while amping up the style with its elegant design. Plus, nature-lovers can feel good about adding this gentle giant to their decor because a portion of all proceeds goes to the World Resources Institute—an organization that's helping to restore and conserve natural habitats!

Safari Nursery Blushing Bears Rug

Photo & Where to Buy: Rugs USA

Another pop of pretty for your girly safari nursery! The soft pink tone is charming and neutral, and the friendly bears enhance the animal-themed nursery so sweetly.   

Safari Nursery Animal Nameplate

Photo & where to buy: Miller Kyle Studios vis Etsy

What baby’s room would be complete without a name or monogram sign? This handmade giraffe nameplate is the perfect touch to create a modern safari-themed nursery.

Safari Nursery Mat

Photo & where to buy: deeranddot via Etsy

Baby will love a soft and cozy tummy time and play mat with a cheerful safari animal print. Add fringe for boho flair!

Jungle Safari Nursery Neutral Wall Art

Photo & where to buy: Buy Buy Baby

Earthy tones and simple shapes like the ones in this series make for a beautiful, gender-neutral addition to any safari theme baby room.  

Safari Nursery Crib Sheet

Photo & Where to Buy: AGreatBaby via Etsy  

Personalized baby bedding is always a nice touch, but these animals on safari are an extra-special way to infuse your safari nursery theme in every aspect of the room. Plus, it’ll be the perfect backdrop for adorable snoozy baby pictures.  

Safari Nursery Animal Mobile

Photo & where to buy: NicoandMaddie via Etsy  

Baby will drift right to Dreamland while watching dainty safari animals dance above the crib with this great baby room accessory.

Safari Nursery Growth Chart 

Photo & where to buy: ThereseDekkerDesigns

Rather than scribbling baby’s height on the wall, consider a moveable, oversized ruler that can go anywhere—and it matches your safari nursery theme! 

Safari Nursery Giraffe  

Photo:  @augustaj

Tie the jungle safari theme together with an oversized, standing stuffed animal that will create interest and add humor to the space. Taking Baby’s photo next to this guy as he or she grows would be a cute way to mark milestones, too!

Nursery Safari Paper Art

Photo: @MittyandWilf  

Add charm and happiness with a bright splash of color. Nursery wall art can be so many different things, and these paper cut out pieces from Mitty and Wilf are just precious. 

Safari Nursery Hippo Rocker

Photo & where to buy: Pottery Barn Kids

The Pottery Barn Kids animal rocker has become a modern classic. Available in so many styles and colors, there’s one for every baby’s room—but the hippo is our top pick for your baby’s animal safari nursery.  

… Or Just Go All Out With Your Safari Nursery Theme!

Photo: @lust_life_designs  

This mama didn’t spare a single detail when creating her safari nursery, and we’re here for it! From banana leaf wallpaper and potted plants, to tons of rattan and wicker, and felt animal heads… every inch of this nursery pulls off the safari nursery theme flawlessly. Check the original post on Instagram for where-to-shop.

Final Thoughts on Safari Nursery Ideas 

No safari nursery is complete without an amazing baby bed that can complement any decor...no matter how wild! Enter: The SNOO baby bassinet  which is perfect for every baby room. Plus, SNOO actually helps promote healthy sleep and keeps baby's safely sleeping in their back!

About Jenny Studenroth Gerson

Jenny Studenroth Gerson is an Atlanta-based lifestyle journalist and novelist ( Let Me Let You Go , 2020). Her work can be seen in publications including HuffPost, Cosmo, and WSJ, among many others. Jenny has researched thousands of baby names, combed through hundreds of nursery designs, and curated dozens of baby shower guides, making her absolutely the mom—and writer—you want to talk to when planning for Baby. When not meeting deadlines, she is chasing toddlers or chugging coffee—or both! Find her on Instagram @ourlifeinrosegold for mom hacks and more.

View more posts tagged, nursery themes

Have questions about a Happiest Baby product? Our consultants would be happy to help! Submit your questions here.

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.

You may also like

In the 48 contiguous United States, customers will be charged $59.50 + tax for the shipment of SNOO back to Happiest Baby. Added charges will apply for shipping to and from Alaska and Hawaii.

* An additional $185 shipping fee will be applied to SNOO purchases sent to Hawaii and Alaska.

colorful mirrored wall lamp by tarek dada casts transformative reflections

Tarek dada’s lamp uses two light sources.

Wall Lamp, a lighting fixture designed by Tarek Dada, merges art and function, using two distinct light sources. The first is a tube integrated with various materials, allowing the wall itself to become part of the piece as light interacts with different surfaces. The second, a concealed source, illuminates a colorful mirrored plane, casting reflections that transform the surroundings and the people within, blending the lamp into the living space. An LED strip light is discreetly nestled into the main metallic piece, casting a soft glow on the triangular plane, while an LED profile, concealed within a sandblasted plexiglass tube, diffuses the light gently throughout the space.

wall lamp features textured and colorful metallic planes

A steel sheet folded into an L-shape is manually etched to achieve the unique textured surface of the Wall Lamp by Tarek Dada. This primary piece attaches to the wall via a concealed metallic frame and supports all other elements. Next, a 5mm stainless steel sheet is cut into a triangular plane. After polishing its surface to a mirror-like finish, a lacquer with selected pigments is applied to create a gradient of colors. This plane is then discreetly attached to the main metallic piece at an angle. Subsequent steps involve perforating a sheet of brushed stainless steel to create a porous surface and oxidizing a piece of brass, which is then lightly polished to produce a reflective finish. Finally, the installation of the two light sources completes the design by the Beirut-based designer .

two distinct light sources allow light to interact with different surfaces

project info:

name:  Wall Lamp designer:   Tarek Dada | @tarekdada

designboom has received this project from our  DIY submissions  feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers  here.

edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom

lighting design (480)

Steel architecture and design (227).

world’s first watch with built-in bottle opener pushes out its steel case body to pop caps

we design beirut (6)

Product library.

a diverse digital database that acts as a valuable guide in gaining insight and information about a product directly from the manufacturer, and serves as a rich reference point in developing a project or scheme.

• maison et objet fall 2024 (1)
• design interviews (57)
• love hultén (12)
• musical instruments (172)
• iF design (22)
• NYCxDESIGN 2024 (9)
• cassina (21)
• milan design week 2024 (71)
• philippe starck (104)

Pink salts ponds make waves in SJ

Pink salt ponds are the new attraction for San José locals and visitors. This rose-colored body of water is found at Alviso Marina County Park.

“There is bacteria that grows in the salt ponds and that bacteria creates a pink hue that you see,” San José State University marine biology assistant professor, Maya deVries, said.

DeVries said the ponds have a higher concentration of salt in the late summer and early fall because of warmer weather conditions.

“It's been really warm here all summer and there's been a lot of evaporation all summer, so now is kind of the height of this pink bacteria and the salt’s warming,” deVries said.

 SJSU microbiology professor Cleber Ouverney said he is not sure whether these pink ponds are a result of climate change.

“It's not necessarily too difficult to make the leap into climate change because . . .  higher temperatures lead to higher evaporation [and] higher temperatures in the water,” Ouverney said. “I don't know if (it) is true that the San Francisco Bay water temperatures (are) going up.”

Ouverney said the pink water is safe to touch, but he would not advise anyone to drink it.

“Animals may fall in there and deteriorate because they cannot survive for one reason or another,” Ouverney said. “That can generate a bunch of other microbes and contamination that you don't want to be exposed to.” 

What looked like mountains of salt rocks appeared lining up across the water, resembling smaller versions of the ice glaciers found in the Antarctic.

However, deVries said they were not mountains but layers of salt and brine on the water’s surface formed by evaporation on the banks.

Many sightseers took photos at the park capturing the pink water and “mountains of salt rocks.”

SJSU studio practices junior Yilin Yu visited the ponds several times and she did not appreciate when people went inside the water.

“Personally, I don’t dare to touch beautiful things because I worry about causing irreversible damage to them,” Yu said. “They are always fragile, especially the natural environment.”

Yu said the pink ponds inspired her to go back and take photos of clients when she started doing commercial photography.

“When I first saw it, I felt it was new and interesting because I had never seen it before,” Yu said.

Photographer Winston Lai also took photos at the park for his business. He specializes in portrait and lifestyle photography. Lai took photos of his friend, Lauren Outhabong, at the pond on Monday.

“I never heard of this spot prior to this weekend,” Lai said. “I've lived in the Bay Area my whole life and never knew we had salt lakes around us so I figured it would be a cool spot to check out.”

Lai said he decided to have a photoshoot at Alviso after Outhabong mentioned the pond was pink.

Park visitor David Li said he also grew up in the Bay Area. He said he knew about Alviso Marina County Park, but did not know the pond turned pink.

“It's very memorable,” Li said. “You can take a lot of great pictures, enjoy this with friends and family and show to social media that you’ve been to a sight that’s popular.”

Industrial and systems engineering junior Sahil Shah said he first heard about the pink ponds from an Instagram reel.

“(I thought) hey, I’ve been there before, but I didn’t know they turned pink until I saw that video,” Shah said. 

Shah said he comes to the park often because it’s not too far from home and participates in many of the activities the park offers. 

Alviso’s park provides the local community with outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and bird-watching according to the Santa Clara County Parks website .

Shah said he bikes a couple times a week and occasionally chooses Alviso park because it’s more convenient.

“After work, if I don't want to go up into the hills to go mountain biking. It's a nice place where it still feels disconnected from things,” Shah said.

Know something that we don’t?

You may also like, more in sports.

Want to Advertise?

Contact us to discuss options and pricing.

Prof. Tim Hendrick

408-924-3275

[email protected]

Raging Waters theme park dries up

Indigenous center opens at SJSU

School of Journalism One Washington Square San Jose, CA 95192

• Spartan Daily
• Submit Letter to the Editor
• Submit News Tip
• Place Classified Ad
• Advertise with Us
• Make a Donation
• DBH Communications
• Copyright 2019 sjsunews.com

Here are some of our popular theme parties:

…or we’ll create a new one for you.

Exotic Africa is the scene for the Safari Party.  Enter the village through a large communal hut and be entertained by African drummers and dancers while you sample foods from Morocco, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. We set up an exhibit of exotic animals where your guests can get an up-close experience with a monkey, lemur, African porcupine, alligator and an assortment of other gently raised and respected creatures.

• Handmade Products
• Home & Kitchen

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

• Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
• Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
• Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
• A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
• Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
• Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Return this item for free

We offer easy, convenient returns with at least one free return option: no shipping charges. All returns must comply with our returns policy.

• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select your preferred free shipping option
• Drop off and leave!

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Safari Nursery Decor, Jungle Wall Art, Gender Neutral Animal Theme Wall Art - Safari Themed Wall Art for Boys and Girls - Set of 6 Prints - 8x10 - UNFRAMED (Safari Animals on Gray)

Purchase options and add-ons.

• JUNGLE SAFARI ANIMAL ART PRINTS: This gender-neutral baby girl or boy room decor set of 6 is printed on archival satin photo paper with professional inks to add depth and beauty.This collection with cheer your child throughout his or her day.
• 8x10 UNFRAMED ART PRINT - Archival ink and Fuji Crystal archival photograph paper are both high-quality materials that help to ensure that your prints look beautiful for many years to come; The prints are unframed so you can choose the best mats and or frames that fit your aesthetic - NOT Canvas or Tin Sign
• UNIQUE WALL ART DECOR - Cool original home decorations for office, living room, bedroom, bathroom, family room, man cave, she shed, playroom, dorm, dining room, kitchen, classroom, apartment, bar, baby nursery
• PERFECT PRESENT FOR EVERY OCCASION - Cute gift ideas for women, wife, girlfriend, her, girls, daughter, men, guys, boys, son, husband, boyfriend, him, kids, teens, best friend, cat lover, Christmas, Xmas, holiday, Halloween, housewarming, cheap inexpensive gag gifts, presents, bridal shower, wedding, birthday, anniversary
• SO MANY STYLES! Boho, bohemian, abstract, aesthetic, mid century modern, minimalist, contemporary, black art, African American, goth, gothic, pagan, country, rustic, vintage, shabby chic, farmhouse, typography, positive quotes, inspirational, motivational, Zen, religious, Christian, funny sayings, nautical, tropical artwork, beach, arte decoracion, retro, encouragement, glam

Additional Details

Similar items that may ship from close to you

Product Description

Madaket Lane Offers Affordable, Quality Art Prints for All the Walls in Your Life

Art shouldn't break the bank. Instead, it should be easy and affordable, it should celebrate your aesthetic, and should be easy to customize with your own mats and frames. That's why we at Madaket Lane design high quality, yet affordable, art prints that you can change as your tastes and needs change. Our prints are professionally printed in the USA using archival inks and archival satin/luster photography paper. We ship them in protective sleeves and rigid mailers so the prints are safe and protected as they travel from our NH studio to your home.

Nursery Art and Wall Art for Young Kids

With every new addition to the family, you'll want to create a special environment - whether a nursery, bedroom, bathroom, or playroom - that reflects the aesthetic you've chosen for your little one. At Madaket Lane , we offer a large range of art prints specially designed for little ones, whether you want artwork designed for girls, boys, or neutral wall art that offers greater flexibility.

Modern Art for Home and Office

We offer a wide range of wall art, whether for your home, office, dorm, or any other space where you want to decorate your walls. Whatever your style - modern, floral, coastal, vintage, and more - we have it. We have single prints for small spaces, and entire, coordinated galleries to choose from to make your rooms distinctly yours.

Art Prints for Tweens and Teens

As kids grow, their tastes change - sometimes often. At Madaket Lane , we offer a large range of art prints designed especially for that age group. From mermaids to astronauts to inspirational wall art, your teens and tweens are sure to find just what they are looking for.

Art for All the Walls in Your Life

Whether you want art specifically designed for your kitchen, your bathroom, living room, office or bedroom, Madaket Lane offers it.

Motivational & Inspirational Art for Girls and Women

Gifts for special occasions, custom artwork, and coordinated wall art prints, madaket lane offers quality unique design, professional printing, and protective packaging.

Product specifications

Technical details, product details.

• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.63 inches; 4.97 ounces
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ August 28, 2020
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B8JXS8B5
• #17,077 in Handmade Prints
• #206,877 in Posters & Prints

Looking for specific info?

Customer reviews.

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

No customer reviews

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

• Skip to Nav
• Skip to Main
• Skip to Footer

What Are Those Weird, Pink Ponds in San Francisco Bay?

Please try again

Passengers flying into Bay Area airports usually spot them out the window: huge, colorful ponds, hugging the shoreline of the bay. The patchwork of brown, green and pink looks like a bizarre quilt.

They’re known as the “salt ponds,” and Bay Curious listener Ann Vercoutere has wondered about them since her childhood in the South Bay.

“When you’d drive by on the old Bayshore Freeway, you’d see these big piles of salt,” she says. “So, my question is: what’s the process of how they go from dirty bay water into salt that comes out white from my salt shaker?”

143 Billion Bowls of Popcorn

Those giant piles of salt actually hold of piece of the Bay Area’s history going back to the Gold Rush and reflect the legacy of environmental change since then.

Of course, they also hold a lot of seasoning.

“The salt stack is 80 feet tall and about 800 feet wide,” says Maria Alizo-Martell of Cargill, Inc., standing next to the 500,000-ton pile. By rough estimate, it would season 143 billion bowls of popcorn, give or take, depending on how salty you like it.

The piles are at Cargill’s Newark facility, where the final harvest takes place. But it begins in San Francisco Bay.

Salty water from the bay is captured in vast ponds, where it starts to evaporate because of heat from the sun and drying by the wind. At first, the ponds are green or brownish in color, like the bay itself.

As the salt water becomes more concentrated, it’s moved into other ponds where the color becomes more yellowish. Finally, in the last stage, the “pickle” brine, as it’s known, starts turning pink.

“We like pink,” says Alizo-Martell with a chuckle, walking across a shallow pond with an inch of pink water. It covers a thick layer of crusty salt and looks like a giant, raspberry snow cone.

LISTEN: What Are Those Weird, Pink Ponds in San Francisco Bay?

Don’t call it a “salt pond”.

“This is what we call a crystallizer bed,” says Cargill’s Pat Mapelli. “This is very engineered, managed and manicured, where everything has been rolled, graded, sloped and compacted. Whereas a salt pond is essentially a diked off area that has been flooded with salt water.”

The vibrant pink hue comes from a natural source: halobacterium and microscopic algae.

As the water gets saltier, some microbes can’t hack it and they die off. But others are specially adapted to salty conditions and they flourish, changing the color of the water.

“When they get stressed as the salinity increases, they produce that red color,” says Alizo-Martell.

The saltier the water, the redder the microbes get. That color aids in the salt-making process by absorbing sunlight and increasing evaporation. Clear water doesn’t absorb as much light.

Once several inches of salt form, Cargill begins the harvest, which lasts from September to December.

“It’s just beautiful,” says Alizo-Martell, picking up a handful of the flaky, white cubes. “It’s so weather dependent. You had a bad year, you get not much salt.” A lot of rain slows down the process.

In all, it takes three years and a thousand gallons of bay water to produce just one pound of salt. From here, it goes to a refinery where it’s cleaned, sized and sold as sea salt, bearing the Morton’s or Diamond Crystal brand.

But only 3 percent of the salt ends up on our table. The rest supplies a huge range of industrial processes, from pharmaceuticals to food production, water treatment and road salt.

Gold Rush History

Believe it or not, the Bay Area may not be what it is today without its salt. Harvesting salt from the Bay dates back to Native American groups like the Ohlone, but demand really picked up in the 1850s.

“As people migrated from the east to the west, mostly around the discovery of gold, there was a need for salt,” says Mapelli. “Everybody traveled with salt.”

Without refrigeration, salt was how people preserved food.

“It was almost worth its weight in gold,” he says.

Salt-making boomed through the 1970s, when Cargill bought the operation. 44,000 acres of the bay were in production then, but today, it’s just 8,000.

That’s because the market for salt shifted and so did our view of what San Francisco Bay should be. The salt ponds used to be marshes, which, around the time of the Gold Rush, were seen as wasteland.

“There was an encouragement by both the state and federal government to put what they considered wasteland or swamp and overflow lands into economic use,” Mapelli says.

Today, the Bay has lost more than 80 percent of its marshes. So, in 2003, the federal and state governments bought thousands of acres of ponds from Cargill. In the biggest ecosystem restoration project on the West Coast, the ponds are being reconnected to the Bay and restored to their original status as marshlands to support wildlife and act as buffers against rising sea levels.

For Bay Curious questioner Ann Vercoutere, the ponds are one of the few things that haven’t changed from her childhood in the South Bay.

When she was a kid in Mountain View, “there were lots of orchards around,” she says. “Some of our summer jobs were going to work picking Italian prune plums with the migrant workers. Shoreline Amphitheater was the city dump. That was always a fun Saturday to go with our dad and pick through the dump and look for stuff.”

Now, the salt ponds border some of the most expensive real estate in the nation, not far from gleaming tech campuses. The chances of starting a large, industrial salt-making operation in the Bay today are effectively zilch, for financial and environmental reasons.

Because of the long, colorful history, Cargill still holds rights to make salt, which really, is the only way salt-harvesting has stuck around amid the intense development pressure of the Bay Area.

To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy.