Lover of the East Bay Regional Parks, photographer Bob Walker was an activist who wanted to preserve as much land as possible.  He would have been quite happy about Measure WW passing, which extended the East Bay Regional Bond that he advocated through Measure AA.

Walker spoke through his photographs, not only snapping iconic vistas but also capturing other important open space perspectives.  Look at these examples below, showing the quiet perfection of fragile salt flats or new streets snaking into the landscape.

Bob became an environmentalist by chance, through his lenses.  He lead hikes, hosted slide shows, and took thousands of photos.  He’s known today by the ridge named in his honor, within the Morgan Territory Regional Preserve that he helped save.

Walker left behind 40,000 photographs of the parks, which he snapped between 1982-1992 for the Park District.  After his death in 1992, these images were eventually donated to and archived by the Oakland Museum.

The Museum periodically displays some of Walker treasures, including an exhibit of 40 selected images that closes today.  No worries, as there are many ways to check out the Walker collection online or in print – or just walk around the East Bay Parks legacy instead.

More info:   Some of Bob Walker’s images are available through this quick virtual slideshow.  The Wilderness Press also published After the Storm last year, a larger collection which is currently available from Amazon.  Learn more about Bob’s story, from the After the Storm exhibit several years ago.