SPRING 2025
reetings, state parks community. We hope you’re enjoying the spring sunshine after a challenging winter for California. Whether you’re admiring desert wildflowers, strolling along the coast, or picnicking at your local park, this season of renewal is a welcome one. Spring is busy at California State Parks Foundation — but it’s also when our team loves getting into parks and connecting with supporters like you. We’ve been hard at work protecting and restoring parks in 2025, and we couldn’t take on these efforts without your support.
This April, you helped us rally hundreds of Earth Day volunteers at 12 state parks — from Silver Strand State Beach in the south to Sue-meg State Park
Red Rock Canyon State Park
in the north. You’re also powering vital efforts to protect iconic wildlife on the brink of extinction — like western monarch butterflies that migrate through state parks every fall and winter. Thanks to you, we’re building capacity to create culturally meaningful experiences and programming at parks like Pacifica State Beach and Los Angeles State Historic Park. And when the devastating Palisades Fire happened in January, your support provided critical relief — not only for Topanga State Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park, but also for the parks staff impacted by the tragedy.
These treasured places need our collective stewardship. None of us – staff, volunteers, members, or partners – can do this alone. Thank you for being a passionate advocate for California’s 280 state parks. We’re honored to do this work alongside you.
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Hello
park lovers,
This April, we celebrated Earth Month, our annual effort to inspire stewardship of California’s state parks. Meanwhile, federal budget cuts and ongoing instability have severely impacted our national parks and forests, leaving park staff unsure of how they will welcome summer visitors amid reduced staffing and limited resources. As we’ve said time and again, a threat to any public land is a threat to all.
I’m deeply grateful for our dedicated California State Parks staff — professionals who continue to serve despite chronic underfunding and resource challenges. 2025 has already brought significant hardship, including the devastating Palisades Fire that destroyed Will Rogers State Historic Park and much of Topanga State Park. We were proud to provide emergency assistance to staff who lost homes and belongings in the wildfires — individuals whose daily work ensures that park visits are meaningful. It’s also an honor to engage with volunteers who care for these treasured places. They support park staff with maintenance and build climate resilience against climate threats like wildfires.
Spring also marks a critical period for our legislative work in Sacramento. This year, we’re working diligently to safeguard funding authorized by Proposition 4, passed overwhelmingly by voters this past November. Voters supported this bond measure because they believe California desperately needs additional resources to meet the climate threats we face. We’re deeply concerned that the Governor’s budget proposal would redirect Proposition 4 funding for park maintenance and wildfire prevention to fill budget holes instead of funding the new priorities promised to voters. We’re actively pushing back — and at the same time, advocating for a permanent funding source for the California State Library Parks Pass.
Thank you, as always, for standing with us in this vital work.
Rachel Norton, Executive Director
RSVP TO CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS WEEK
California State Parks Week will return June 11–15, 2025, now in its fourth year. This year's tagline is, once again, "This is where you live." Our state parks have been through a lot this year, and this weeklong event is an opportunity to engage with our precious natural spaces as we welcome visitors to explore our parks through a series of free events. Join us at over 170 free events across California’s state parks, and celebrate everything that makes these public lands so special.
Events throughout the week will center on the following themes:
n Explore New Experiences —
Discover new ways to enjoy the parks, whether it’s joining a ranger-led bird walk, paddling on a guided kayak tour, or learning traditional crafts with Indigenous partners.
n Nourish Your Health and Well-Being —
Reconnect with nature and yourself through guided meditation, forest bathing, or a run on the park’s best trails.
n Support Climate Resilience —
Learn how you can help protect and steward parklands by joining an interpretive walk or tuning into a virtual program.
n Celebrate Community and Culture —
Come together for a day of art workshops, affinity hikes, or a lively celebration with food, music, and dancing.
n Care for Our Shared Lands —
Give back by volunteering for a stewardship day, joining a beach cleanup, or getting inspired by talks from park partners.
California State Parks Foundation is proud to have provided grant funding to over 20 events across the state. This year’s event planning, materials, promotion, and more were made possible in part through the generous support of our presenting sponsor, Niagara Cares, and other supporters such as Boeing.
Explore this year’s exciting events by scanning the QR code or visiting CAStateParksWeek.org. Make sure to RSVP to save your spot! After you attend, we’d love to see your experiences on social media. Use the hashtag #CAStateParksWeek to spread the word, and tag us @calparks on Instagram or at California State Parks Foundation on Facebook.
TRANSFORMING PARKS THROUGH EQUITY GRANTS
tate parks belong to all Californians, but access to these places has not always been equal and inclusive. Through California State Parks Foundation’s Partnership Equity grants, we are gaining firsthand insights into the barriers to park access, the creative innovative solutions emerging from communities, and the transformative power of partnerships in shaping an inclusive future for our state parks.
Equity in park access goes beyond simply visiting a park — it’s about fostering a sense of belonging. Our commitment to this led to the creation of our Partnership Equity grants. Through this initiative, we awarded grants to five community organizations across the sate, including Queer Surf and Los Angeles River State Park Partners (in partnership with Rep Club).
LOS ANGELES RIVER STATE PARK PARTNERS AND REP CLUB
Los Angeles River State Park Partners is a nonprofit supporting state parks along the LA River, including Los Angeles State Historic Park and Rio de Los Angeles State Park. They help guide advocacy, stewardship, and programming work at the parks. This spring, they partnered with Rep Club, a concept book shop and creative space in South Central LA. Far more than a bookstore, Black- and womenowned Rep Club serves as a vital community hub offering a robust program of events and community resources.
Together, with funding from the Partnership Equity grant, they hosted Read the Park, which turned Los Angeles State Historic Park into a reader’s paradise this April. The co-curated, day-long festival centered around literature and nature, drawing heavily on Rep
Los Angeles State Historic Park
Club’s author and reader networks, and their unique perspectives and experiences in serving BIPOC communities. Events included a free community book exchange, audiobook club, creative workshops, and more. Find out more about both organizations at larsppartners.org and rep.club.
QUEER SURF
Queer Surf’s mission is to support the mental, physical and social health of queer, nonbinary, and trans people through equitable access to ocean recreation, curating relationships to nature, and building supportive queer community. They offer year-round, state-wide, accessible programming with scholarships for Queer, Trans, Black, and Indigenous People of Color. This includes surf lessons, surf and sea overnight camps, and community beach days.
The Partnership Equity grant helped fund Queer Surf's event, SWITCH: An Exhibition of Queer and Trans Surfing, at Pacifica State Beach. SWITCH is the first and only of its kind, breaking new ground for LGBTQ+ community engagement. It’s an expansive and nontraditional community celebration of queer, nonbinary, and trans expression in the waves and on the beach. This exhibition welcomes all genders, all boards, and all bodies to participate, providing a platform for LGBTQ+ wave riders to showcase their talent and express themselves. Learn more about Queer Surf at queersurf.org.
Other organizations who received a Partnership Equity grant include Disabled Hikers, Negus in Nature, and Test Plot. Read about all the grantees and how equity grants are transforming California state parks at calparks.org/partnershipequity.
Pacifica State Beach
CELEBRATING EARTH DAY AT STATE PARKS
n April, California State Parks Foundation celebrated Earth Day Climate Action in 12 state parks. We are proud to continue our annual tradition of providing grants to parks and hosting volunteer workdays throughout the state, and we had an incredible turnout this year! Our events invited the community to come together to build climateresilient parks for future generations.
This year, 10 of the 12 events were held at parks that we worked at last year. Consistent stewardship creates a lasting impact, and returning to the same sites is key to providing the care necessary for meaningful change. Two parks we visited again were Angel Island State Park and Half Moon Bay State Beach, allowing us to build on our previous efforts and ensure that resilience work is not only effective but sustainable.
A special thank-you to our sponsors for helping us make this month of action possible as well: The PG&E Corporation Foundation, United Airlines, and Oracle. Many of their team members came out and joined us for these two Earth Day volunteer workdays!
HALF MOON BAY STATE BEACH
Volunteers were in high spirits, thanks to the gorgeous scenery, and they supported our ongoing habitat restoration efforts at the park. Restoring coastal habitats at Half Moon Bay State Beach expands native plant and animal communities and builds a natural barrier to rising sea levels. Volunteers – 134 total! – were divided into groups to execute the day’s work plan: Three groups focused on removing invasive species along the dunes, and one group focused on sheet mulching. Sheet mulching efforts not only reduce competition from invasive
Half Moon Bay State Beach
plants but also conserve water and help new plants survive the hotter and drier conditions associated with climate change.
Want to join us here sometime? We host recurring workdays at Half Moon Bay State Beach on the third Saturday of most months. Visit volunteer.calparks.org to find upcoming dates.
ANGEL ISLAND STATE PARK
Sunny, clear skies made for a beautiful day at Angel Island for volunteers. The park was lush from winter rains, and views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay were hard to beat. After taking the ferry to the island, volunteers broke off into groups for various projects. Much of the work focused on wildfire resilience, such as removing invasive plant species and downed wood. Volunteers removed plants that could be potential fuel loads, which in turn helps native species
grow in those areas, as well. Fuel reduction is especially important here since the park is located on an island and, in the event of a fire, is further from mainland resources that could slow fire spread. Volunteers also split wood and moved it to locations where it will be used for historic programming.
Over the past 25+ years, our Earth Days events have had nearly 93,000 participants and resulted in more than 364,000 volunteer hours. Thank you to all the volunteers who joined our Earth Day Climate Action movement this year! We can’t thank you enough for your remarkable contributions. By returning year after year, we build a stronger foundation for climate-resilient parks, ensuring that our efforts lead to long-term progress.
Angel Island State Park
TRIONE-ANNADEL
STATE PARK
There’s a great variety of wildflowers here from spring until early summer, and some stay as late as September. The best months to see the park’s wildflowers are April and May. Look out for goldfield (Lasthenia), monkeyflower (Erythranthe), buttercup (Ranunculaceae), and iris (Iris).
MOUNT DIABLO STATE PARK
There are several plant species that are only found in this park, including the Mount Diablo fairy-lantern (Calochortus pulchellus), Mount Diablo manzanita (Arctostaphylos auriculata), and Mount Diablo bird’s beak (Cordylanthus nidularius). Visit the interpretive center to learn more about species endemic to the park.
Share your adventures with us!
@calparks /calparks
CHECK OUT OUR FULL WILDFLOWER GUIDE:
Want more tips for viewing spring blooms in California state parks? Download our guide at calparks.org/wildflowerguide, and find more parks to visit throughout the state!
WITNESS WILDFLOWER BLOOMS IN STATE PARKS
s the weather warms and the rains subside, California bursts into a vibrant display of color and fragrance. Make the most of spring by visiting one of these stunning state parks near you!
CHINO HILLS STATE PARK
SOUTH YUBA RIVER STATE PARK
The most impressive season at this park is spring, when snowmelt roars over massive granite boulders, and wildflowers grace the riverbanks and secluded waterfalls. The Buttermilk Bend Trail is usually perfect for wildflower viewing, and you may see Collinsia (Collinsia heterophylla), foothill sunburst (Pseudobahia heermannii), and lupine (Arroyo lupine).
The rolling hills in this park are bright green in the spring and covered with blooming flowers. It can get busy in the spring, so remember Leave No Trace principles and stay on the trails to avoid crushing blooms such as Canterbury bell (Campanula medium), California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), and school bell (Dichelostemma capitatum).
ANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK
If you’ve never explored California’s largest state park, spring is one of the best times to go. You’ll see desert wildflowers in bloom, such as wild heliotrope (Phacelia crenulata), desert dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata), little gold poppy (Eschscholzia minutiflora), and various cacti.
WILDFIRE RELIEF FOR STATE PARKS IN LA
his year’s wildfires have caused unprecedented destruction, leaving parklands scorched, more than 1,000 structures destroyed, and thousands displaced. The impact in the LA region this January was heartbreaking.
The Palisades Fire, fueled by wind gusts up to 80 mph, caused catastrophic damage in two beloved California state parks. At Will Rogers State Historic Park, the ranch house once owned by Will Rogers, along with several other historic buildings, park structures, and park staff residences, were completely destroyed or severely damaged by the fire. At Topanga State Park, the historic Topanga Ranch Motel was destroyed, and the fire caused extensive damage to park concessions, visitor facilities, natural areas, and trails, resulting in significant habitat loss for local wildlife.
California State Parks Foundation is so grateful to everyone who is supporting our Climate Crisis Relief Fund during this time. It’s a dedicated resource to assist parks devastated by wildfires, winter storms, and other climate-related disasters. Our goal with this fund is to ensure that our beloved state parks have the immediate resources they need to recover when disasters like this strike.
Many California State Parks employees at these two parks had to evacuate, losing their personal house or state housing, in addition to their personal belongings. Having this fund meant we could act quickly and partner with the Ranger Foundation to provide impacted park staff with immediate funds in the aftermath of the wildfire devastation.
We are also working to support funding gaps whenever possible at the parks. These needs include temporary facilities for visitor services, such as entrance kiosks, offices, bathrooms, and interpretive programming.
In terms of longer-term resilience needs, there will be ongoing conversations to prioritize assessments of sensitive areas, invasive species control, and land restoration.
California State Parks Foundation will keep you updated as recovery continues. In the meantime, thank you for acting with us and supporting state parks and park staff when they need it most.
A LABOR OF LOVE AT VIKINGSHOLM IN EMERALD BAY STATE
ikingsholm, a Scandinavian style castle located on Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, is a beloved landmark – and Dr. Helen Smith has a storied history with it. Dr. Smith is a long-time member of California State Parks Foundation, and her commitment to Vikingsholm illustrates the profound impact one person can have on preserving parks.
Her bond with Vikingsholm began in her early years. Lora Knight, the original builder of the historic estate, invited Dr. Smith’s family to stay at Vikingsholm for two weeks annually. This tradition started around 1931, when Dr. Smith's mother was pregnant with her, and continued for the next 14 years.
Those early visits left an indelible mark on Dr. Smith, embedding a deep appreciation for the estate and its stunning surroundings.
Years later, as an adult, Dr. Smith revisited Vikingsholm. A spontaneous visit led her to connect with park employees who allowed her inside the house. To her delight, the original furnishings still adorned the rooms. However, she noticed a
PARK significant error in the information displayed about the estate, prompting her to take action.
In 1953, the house and property were acquired by California State Parks with plans of demolishing the historic home. During this period, Dr. Smith petitioned California State Parks to allow her to offer tours. At that time, women employees worked solely in administrative jobs, and her request to serve the public in a frontline position was bold and courageous. Recognizing Vikingsholm's need for attention and restoration, Dr. Smith turned to California State Parks Foundation for assistance in the early 2000s. She connected with Susan Smartt, the then executive director, who helped her raise over $3 million for the estate. This not only facilitated crucial funding but also ensured that the estate remained a wellpreserved, accessible treasure for the public to enjoy.
Dr. Smith dedicated 47 years to giving tours and advocating for the estate’s upkeep. She even wrote a book, Vikingsholm: Tahoe’s Hidden Castle. Her efforts have ensured that this beautiful estate remains a cherished destination for all to enjoy. Learn more at calparks.org/vikingsholm
REMEMBER TO RECREATE RESPONSIBLY
ith summer around the corner, you may be mapping out plans for the warmer months already. Please keep in mind that due to current impacts on the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, California State Parks are gearing up for increased visitation this summer. National Parks and Forests were already short-staffed before these cuts, and now, with fewer rangers and staff, the parks are strained even more. These cuts put more pressure on fragile ecosystems and the people working hard to protect them.
These lands belong to all of us, and it’s our responsibility to step up and recreate responsibly when visiting public lands this summer. Remember these tips whenever you visit a park:
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Before setting out to visit a park, check the status of the park unit you want to visit to find current park information. Trails, roads, or certain areas may be unavailable due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Check local weather forecasts to know how to dress to make sure you are both comfortable and safe from the elements.
PLAN AND PREPARE
Permits may be required for entry, camping, certain recreational activities, or transportation. Also, having and knowing how to use the appropriate gear for your activity could make or break your experience. Have a back-up plan in case your destination or activity is unavailable.
PLAY IT SAFE
State parks are meant to be enjoyed in many different ways, but to play it safe, err on the side of caution. Make sure not to underestimate temperatures or hiking distances. Let somebody know that you are in the park, especially if you undertake longer hikes. Enter waterbodies such as rivers or lakes in parks only if and where it is safe and encouraged.
LEAVE NO TRACE
It takes all of us to care for California’s spectacular public lands. California parks protect some of the most iconic landscapes, from redwood forests to picturesque coastlines and pristine waterways. We all have an opportunity to ensure that the natural places we enjoy visiting stay healthy and resilient for future generations. Leave areas better than you found them by staying on designated trails and packing out all trash. View wildlife from a distance, and leave plants where they belong.
EXERCISE CAUTION DURING WILDFIRE SEASON
Do not enter closed areas for your own safety and the safety of park employees. This is especially true for park units that have been previously impacted by wildfires. In addition to safety concerns, be aware of poor air quality when spending time outdoors in the vicinity of wildfires.
Thank you in advance for being a great steward to parks!
PROTECTING MONARCHS, A FRAGILE SPECIES
In partnership with Project Monarch LA, our park stewardship volunteer workdays at Los Angeles State Historic Park are creating vital habitat for western monarch butterflies and other pollinators
Because California state parks host the majority of overwintering monarchs, preserving and restoring these sites is essential to maintaining the western monarch population.
Volunteers join us in the winter to plant native species like milkweed, buckwheat, and Coyote brush and mulch the area. During the summer, we shift our focus to removing invasive species. Over the past nine months, we have planted more than 300 plants and removed approximately 40,036 square feet of invasive species at the park.
Creating new habitat at this Los Angeles park provides monarchs food, shelter, and breeding grounds along their migration route. Native milkweed is especially important, as it is the only plant monarch caterpillars can eat. Without
it, they cannot survive. Other nectar plants are equally important to have because they provide adult butterflies with the energy and fuel needed to survive migration.
This work also provides education to park visitors who may not know about the challenges monarchs face or why it’s important to have a pollinator garden. At our Earth Day project in April, we also installed signage for each plant species. We hope that the project educates and inspires visitors to take action in their own communities, helping to expand conservation efforts beyond the park.
Protecting monarchs is crucial, and we are working beyond our volunteer days to preserve this species. A recent U.S. government analysis found that the probability of the iconic species going extinct by 2080 is 95%. In December, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended listing monarch butterflies as Threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. This would create additional protection for the western monarch butterflies and their habitat and encourage conservation efforts that will help save this beloved species from extinction.
Add your name to urge immediate protections for western monarch butterflies under the U.S. Endangered Species Act! Sign the petition at calparks.org/monarchthreat, or join one of our volunteer days at calparks.org/volunteer.
Write the story of your legacy and make it one of love for the stunning natural beauty and rich history in California’s state parks. By including California State Parks Foundation in your estate plan, you can ensure that your generosity helps to protect and preserve our state park system. In doing so, you’ll make an impact that lasts forever.
You will join a group of passionate California state parks supporters dedicated to protecting the parks during their lifetimes and beyond. Learn more at calparks.mylegacygift.org
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