2025
Impact Report
Together, we’re creating a resilient Catalina Island C
atalina Island reached a transformative year
and impact the Island’s freshwater aquifer. Thanks to
in 2025 as we put our five-year strategic plan
your philanthropy, we are taking bold action to prevent
into action. Thanks to your support, we advanced critical conservation work, expanded educational opportunities and enhanced recreational access. With the launch of Operation Protect Catalina Island, we are beginning the most ambitious restoration work in island history. The stakes have never been higher. The devastating January 2025 wildfires that swept through Los Angeles County served as a stark reminder of what’s at stake—one major wildfire could devastate our island community, destroy habitats for endangered species
such a catastrophe. Through your support, we’ve also strengthened our partnership with the Gabrieleno-Tongva Community, whose ancestral knowledge enriches every aspect of our work. New interpretive signage at the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden, co-created with tribal partners, helps visitors understand the Island’s history. A forthcoming Catalina plant guide—20 years in the making— honors Indigenous stewardship that spans millennia.
Your investment powered immense growth across our mission pillars. C
onservation teams cleared invasive, flammable
invasive mule deer management program has begun.
plants across 160 acres. Science-engagement
Educational experiences have expanded. And more
programs reached 65% more K-12 students than in 2024,
people have discovered the transformative power of
bringing 2,600 young people into L.A. County’s largest
Catalina’s wildlands.
outdoor classroom. Recreation initiatives introduced new programs like Sunset Conservancy Eco Tours and the Islander Membership, making the interior accessible to more Catalina residents and visitors.
Every achievement in this report exists because of you. Your generosity doesn’t just fund programs—it protects biodiversity, reduces wildfire risk, secures freshwater resources and connects people to nature. You’re helping create a Catalina Island that’s more resilient, more accessible and better prepared for the challenges ahead. As we move forward, the foundation you’ve built positions us to scale these successes even further. The
Thank you for believing in our mission and investing in Catalina’s future.
Redefining Conservation Building resilience through science and action
O
peration Protect Catalina Island moved from
With roughly 35% of island ecosystems dominated
vision to reality in 2025, thanks to your support.
by invasive grasses that can ignite easily, and invasive
This isn’t just another conservation program—it’s our
wildlife preventing native plant regeneration, we’re racing
comprehensive response to converging threats that could
against time. Philanthropy enabled us to complete and
forever alter Catalina’s ecological balance.
move forward on our island restoration plan. Most significantly, as 2026 began, we secured permits for the removal of invasive mule deer. After listening
New hope for ironwood The Catalina Island ironwood, a tree that exists nowhere else on Earth, spreads slowly through stump sprouting. Each of the small groves on the Island consists of one plant with multiple trunks. Browsing mule deer have threatened the ironwood’s existence by eating new growth. In 2025, Kevin Alison, Conservancy native plant manager, successfully cloned the plant in his lab at the Ackerman Native Plant Nursery. Once the deer are gone, the Conservancy team will plant the cloned ironwood to revitalize this endemic species.
to community concerns, we committed to humane, ground-based deer management. This plan positions us to address the root cause preventing native plant regeneration. In approving the permits, California officials noted that the plan will support the recovery and longterm health of native and endemic species. Meanwhile, we are collecting seeds for “bulking”—growing the harvested seeds in a controlled environment until we can plant them in a deer-free landscape.
2025 | CONSERVATION
Island-wide Impact In 2025, our conservation achievements included: Invasive plant management. Through our expanded volunteer program, participants cleared high-priority invasive plants from 160+ acres. We’re targeting the worst offenders—Genista linifolia and invasive grasses—with pampas grass nearly eradicated.
Scientific discovery. The Conservancy hosted research projects studying everything from bats to dung beetles to the medicinal benefits of native plants. One project is sequencing the complete genome of the Catalina Island fox in a process that can inform species conservation. Restoration infrastructure. Work began on preparing a
Wildlife protection. The fox monitoring program continued its vital work to maintain our Catalina Island fox population. As the Island’s largest endemic mammal, the fox helps keep wildlands healthy by dispersing native seeds and controlling prey.
10-acre demonstration site at the top of the watershed near the Airport in the Sky. We are collecting native seeds to plant at this pilot site. We will perfect techniques for island-wide restoration efforts to come after the deer are gone and fences are no longer needed.
By the Numbers 4,141 HOURS DONATED BY VOLUNTEERS
1,974 CATALINA ISLAND FOXES
13 RESEARCH PROJECTS HOSTED
up 42% over 2024
thriving in the wild
to grow scientific knowledge
60 LONG-TERM MONITORING PLOTS
18,000 PLANTS
completed, establishing
produced at the
the baseline for
Ackerman Native
island restoration
Plant Nursery
Revitalizing Education Inspiring tomorrow’s conservation champions
Y
our philanthropy changed lives through education in 2025. Through programs like the Catalina
Overnight Experience, for example, youth from the mainland traded concrete for coastlines, many seeing the Milky Way for the first time. One teacher shared that, during night snorkeling, “Their faces lit up when they saw the bioluminescence and marine life in the nighttime. Looking up at the clear night sky with stars all around us while still in the water—they said it was like nothing they’d seen before.” Our educational mission extends across all ages thanks to your support.
After-school science fun Once a month, the Gallery at The Trailhead Visitor Center in Avalon buzzes with excitement as 50 Avalon schoolchildren in grades K-5 learn about native species and habitats and then turn their new knowledge into a craft project, such as building spiders and webs from yarn, popsicle sticks and chenille stems. The Catalina Kids Nature Lab is 90 minutes of learning and fun as the kids live and breathe the Conservancy’s mission. It’s also an after-school safety net for working parents, since transportation is provided. With additional funding, the popular free program could expand to every Monday as a pillar of science education in the community.
2025 | EDUCATION
Expanded Opportunities In 2025, our education achievements included: A sweeping enhancement of the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden visitor experience deepened how guests connect with Catalina’s native landscape. New interpretive signage, plant identification guides and a
The rebranded Catalina Speaker Series hosted Tara Roberts, a National Geographic Explorer in Residence, for a hybrid talk about her groundbreaking work documenting sunken slave ships. We hope to bring more world-class speakers to our community in the future.
journaling bench—only the third of its kind in the United
Through our partnership with Conservation Corps of
States—now invite visitors to slow down and reflect on
Long Beach, we hosted 20 two-week projects in 2025
their relationship with the natural world.
(53% growth year-over-year), providing leadership and
Public programming expanded with new offerings that combine science, storytelling and community to make research accessible through insightful gatherings with
technical training to Long Beach young adults while they support brush clearance, trail maintenance and invasive plant removal.
researchers and authors.
By the Numbers 42,977 VISITS
2,600+ K-12 STUDENTS
517 STUDENT VISITS
to the Wrigley Memorial &
engaged in science, up
to Catalina Kids
Botanic Garden
65% from 2024
Nature Lab
5,000 CHILDREN AND ADULTS
28% GROWTH IN LIFELONG LEARNING
participated in Conservancy
offerings for adults
immersive education programs
Reimagining Recreation Opening doors to discovery
T
hanks to your generosity, 2025 marked a pivotal year for recreation access. We hired our first-
ever Director of Recreation Scott Ammons, who immediately began enhancing how people experience Catalina’s interior. This strategic investment signals our commitment to making Catalina’s wildlands accessible to all.
Interior access for Island residents Many Avalon residents do not have an easy way to experience their own Island’s wild interior— until 2025. Most residents who work service jobs lack the funds and permits for their own full-size vehicle, but shuttle transportation had been cost-prohibitive as well. The Conservancy’s new Islander Membership changed everything. At $10 a year for couples or $25 for families, membership lets locals take advantage of $3 rides into the interior, with stops at Little Harbor and Airport in the Sky. Members also receive free admission to the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden, free bike passes and a complimentary Conservancy Eco Tour, transforming the interior from a distant dream to an accessible backyard.
2025 | RECREATION
Elevated Experiences In 2025, our recreation achievements included: New weekend Sunset Conservancy Eco Tours—ending on a high ridgeline with stunning sunset views—drew higher attendance than standard tours, while competitive
The Trailhead Visitor Center retail store now has a renewed focus on mission-aligned products from Parks Project and Patagonia Provisions, including apparel as well as food and gear for camping and hiking.
pricing brought up participant numbers for all the tours.
Most significantly, we’re proving that conservation and
Eye-catching graphics on our Conservancy Eco Tour
recreation strengthen each other. This is especially
vehicles helped increase tour participation. The designs
important on Catalina, the only Channel Island with
feature native island species and QR codes that let
a year-round population. Every hiker who summits a
visitors book tours directly from their phones—turning
ridgeline, every child who spots a fox, every resident who
each vehicle into a mobile billboard for conservation.
explores their Island’s interior, becomes a stakeholder in
We established daily shuttle service to the Wrigley
Catalina’s future.
Memorial & Botanic Garden. Winter service aboard the Wildlands Express shuttle now extends all the way to Two Harbors—the only transportation option during the off-season.
By the Numbers 29,029 HIKING PERMITS
2,551 BIKING PERMITS
issued, up 144%
issued for
from 2024
island exploration
26 STAFF MEMBERS TRAINED
12,963 WILDLANDS EXPRESS
in wilderness first aid and CPR
passengers, up 141%
through the National Outdoor
thanks to new free
Leadership School
Garden shuttle
Your support makes more possible P
hilanthropy makes possible some of the
EDUCATION: We unveiled new interpretive signage
Conservancy’s most important work—from
throughout the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden—
protecting Catalina’s endemic wildlife to expanding access
signage created in partnership with the Gabrieleno-Tongva
to the Island’s wild interior. Your generosity allows us to
Community. These signs honor the site’s history while
respond to emerging needs, invest in new approaches and
featuring Indigenous names of plants and traditional uses,
sustain work that requires a long-term commitment.
connecting visitors to thousands of years of ecological
In 2025, more than 700 new members joined the Conservancy, bringing our membership to more than 6,000. Together, our supporters are helping shape Catalina’s future. We look forward to many more moments that bring you closer to this extraordinary place, to the work you make possible, and to one another. What’s ahead We’ve made an impact in 2026, and that momentum is made possible through the continued generosity of donors like you. CONSERVATION: With permits approved, we began
knowledge. Now open at the Botanic Garden is Little Fox Hollow, a nature play space for children. Meanwhile, we’ve expanded our signature Catalina Overnight Experiences from two to three programs this year to allow more city youth to experience Catalina’s wildlands. RECREATION: Through a new partnership, our programs are becoming the only island experience offered directly to Airbnb vacation rental guests. New collaborations will bring our conservation message to thousands of cruise ship visitors through exclusive Conservancy Eco Tours and guided botanic garden experiences. Other new adventures include guided hikes on the Garden to Sky Trail, Little Harbor beach picnic experiences, five-day supported Trans-Catalina Trail adventures, and Airport
humane deer removal in 2026, an essential step toward
Loop interpretive walks, all designed to forge deeper
island-wide restoration. Simultaneously, we are making
connections between visitors and this extraordinary
significant upgrades at the Ackerman Native Plant Nursery,
landscape.
with a new greenhouse, hoop houses and dedicated space for growing native plants from seed. Meanwhile, our science teams are expanding their research scope, launching new surveys of endemic ground squirrels and the rare Catalina shrew to deepen our understanding of the Island’s unique biodiversity.
OPERATING REVENUE
OPERATING EXPENSES
$22.2M
$26.0M
Conservation is a long-term commitment. The Conservancy draws on annual revenue, endowment resources and philanthropic support to advance work that unfolds over many years. Our financial strength allows us to make significant investments when they are needed, while planning responsibly for the future.
REVENUE SOURCE SHARE
OPERATING EXPENSES
Contributions (23%)
Programs and Mission Infrastructure (66%)
Earned Income (40%) Endowment Distributions (35%)
Conservation, education, recreation and the infrastructure necessary to protect and manage Catalina’s wildlands and support public access.
Other Income (2%)
Administration (23%) Development (11%)
Your philanthropy goes further here.
The work behind the work.
For every dollar contributed, the Conservancy generates more than three additional dollars through earned income, endowment distributions and other revenue. Together, these resources support conservation, education and public access across Catalina Island.
Protecting and managing Catalina’s wildlands requires more than conservation programs alone. It means maintaining the roads, trails, facilities and infrastructure that make scientific research, habitat restoration, education and public access possible across the Island.
A resilient future starts now Catalina’s future depends on decisions and investments made over decades, not just individual years. Your support helps the Conservancy sustain that commitment—protecting the Island’s remarkable natural resources while creating opportunities for people to experience and understand them. Thank you for being part of Catalina’s future.
A resilient future starts with you The challenges are real. Climate change accelerates. Wildfire risk intensifies. But with your partnership, we’re building an Island that can withstand these threats while remaining open and accessible to all. OUR MISSION The mission of the Catalina Island Conservancy is to be an exemplary steward of island resources through a balance of conservation, education and recreation. OUR VISION The Conservancy’s vision is for a beautifully functioning island ecosystem for all to enjoy.
Catalina Island Conservancy Development Department Donate@CatalinaConservancy.org