One Year Later, San Jose's Former Homeless Camp 'The Jungle' Returns To Nature
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- It was once the biggest homeless camp in San Jose, but now nearly a year after the city tore it down, the Jungle is slowly returning to nature.
"A year ago, the rangers didn't come down here," said San Jose Park Ranger Wes Steen as he walked through the area on a recent afternoon.
Back in December 2014, the cleanup of one of the largest homeless encampments in the country had become an international story.
As many as 250 people lived in squalor alongside some of the richest tech companies in the world.
Resembling an environmental disaster, work crews hauled out tons of garbage and debris.
As the one year anniversary of its closure draws near, it's becoming obvious the Jungle was no match for Mother Nature.
What was once the main row of shacks is now wild grass. The large village near the center is now an inviting grove of trees. And the iconic, waist-high putrid pile of trash at the entrance is now gone.
"It looks like a natural habitat, the way it's supposed to look," Steen said.
Volunteers have steadily and painstakingly removed an additional two and half tons of tiny bits of trash.
You can still find the occasional stray piece of garbage and a few shopping carts and tires, but the difference is night and day.
"We're still working on trying to get it back to what it should be," Steen said.
Rangers maintain regular patrols to keep the homeless out. Small camps are constantly being broken up before they grow out of hand.
The city knows they can't police their way out of this problem, so the plan is to build a safe, inviting trail there that lets Mother Nature and the people of San Jose reclaim it as their own.
"It's still going to be cheaper than constantly removing camps and garbage and dealing with people that are trespassing," Steen said. "We want people to enjoy nature, and help take care of nature. So it's around for generations to come."
Now one of the saddest chapters in San Jose's history just might have a happy ending.
