Harriet
Blanchard Mundy

BIO:

Harriet Blanchard Mundy was an environmentalist who was particularly interested in preserving the Baylands.  She was born in Montclair, New Jersey in 1906, and went on to graduate from Vassar College and become a social worker in New York City. She moved to Palo Alto in 1949 and lived there until 1977. During her time there, she fought to preserve the marshlands, was an enthusiastic birder and also lectured on birding.  

Before urban development, all of the San Francisco Bay was surrounded by extensive salt marshes. In Palo Alto, the salt marshes extended a bit past where the 101 freeway now sits. A wharf was built to ship products up to San Francisco and by the late nineteenth century, much of the surrounding marsh was drained. The preservation of the Baylands began in 1921, when the City of Palo Alto purchased 40 acres. By 1960, they had purchased almost 1880 acres of Baylands.  

Harriet Mundy was an active voice in the preservation of the Baylands for future generations of wildlife and people to enjoy. The Harriett Blanchard Mundy Marsh was named in her honor in 1982, to commemorate her dedication to preserving these lands.  

Womanhood is a public art and digital media project that promotes the historical contributions of women to Santa Clara County. https://womanhoodproject.org/ 

Womanhood is supported by the County of Santa Clara Office of Women’s Policy.