Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Mission San Francisco de Asís, founded in 1776, sits in the heart of modern San Francisco. Its grounds and immediate surroundings host a modest array of urban-adapted wildlife:
Songbirds (sparrows, finches), doves, hawks (red-tailed, Cooper's), and owls (great horned, barn) are regularly observed.
Gray squirrels, raccoons, Virginia opossums, and striped skunks forage in the gardens and courtyards.
Pacific chorus frogs, western toads, and western fence lizards inhabit damp, sheltered areas.
Butterflies (monarchs, swallowtails), native bees, ants, and spiders are abundant in flowering plants.
Nearby creeks and ponds (e.g., Mountain Lake, Presidio) support native fish like three-spined stickleback and introduced species.
As an urban oasis, the mission provides habitat islands amid dense development, though biodiversity is lower than in wildlands.