Knowland Park is a 500-acre wildland open space in the Oakland hills, deeded to the City by the State in the 1970′s under the condition that it would always remain a public park.
The largest and most pristine portion of the park is undeveloped, and yet is the most accessible to park users. The western highlands and northern slopes are currently a thriving hotspot for rare native plants and wildlife. Some of the natural highlights of the park include rare native plant communities, thriving but threatened wildlife, choice bird-watching locales, and a known-critical migratory corridor for mountain lions and bobcats.
The Oakland Zoo occupies the developed western lowlands of the park, just off I-580. The park is now gravely threatened by the ill-conceived development plans of Zoo executives. Its proposed development would sever the richest habitat from the rest of the park, and fence out the public and wildlife.