2024 Annual Report – Yosemite Conservancy

2024

Annual Report

O U R M I SS I O N

We inspire people to support projects and programs that preserve Yosemite and enrich the visitor experience for all.

C H A I R ’ S N OTE

Dear Friends of Yosemite, was a year of expansion and change in Yosemite National Park.

I am pleased to share the year’s annual report, which highlights remarkable transitions in species conservation efforts, technology and reservation systems, visitor programs, and more.

The year began with the announcement that we would fund a record number of projects — 60 initiatives with around $18 million in total support to the park — and Yosemite came to life with donor-funded programs that were felt in every corner of the park.

In the spring, biologists began surveying peregrine falcon nests to protect hatchlings while also providing visitors with recreational access to Yosemite’s big walls. As flowers reemerged, so did visitors, and another entrance reservation project was piloted to manage park traffic and long lines at the entrance gates.

Summer brought warmer days and the annual multiday Obata Art Weekend, which drew a total of 5,200 visitors, the highest number of participants in the event’s history. Keep It Wild crews restored and maintained 750+ wilderness campsites throughout the park. Biologists completed novel amphibian releases to nurture species resiliency. Our in-park programs had a record-breaking year for revenue, and our fundraising reached its highest mark ever, topping $24 million.

As 2024 came to a close, our impact remained steady. The Yosemite Ancestral Stewards Crew finished their season of reducing hazardous fuels in black oak groves. Five new horses and mules joined the Yosemite herd to support visitor service efforts. And right as snow began to fall, the WildLink program concluded its seventh and final in-park experience of the season, connecting 50+ students and families to the wild spaces and wilderness of Yosemite.

These initiatives were made possible by the generous support of donors, as well as the invaluable gift of time provided by volunteers, staff, and all of us who love and care for Yosemite. These highlights capture just some of the ways you made a difference in Yosemite in 2024.

Thank you for your continued dedication to preserving the natural wonders and cultural history of Yosemite National Park.

Steve Ciesinski, Chair

PHOTOS: (COVER: GREAT GRAY OWL) © VISHAL SUBRAMANYANI. (OPPOSITE PAGE: SIERRA NEVADA YELLOW-LEGGED FROG) © MICHAEL HERNANDEZ.

2024

BY THE NUMBERS

T R A I L R E H A B I L I TAT I O N & A C C E S S

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

California Conservation Corps crews completed

Volunteers completed the annual health survey of

repairs to more than 64 feet of single- and multitier stone walls, 21 steps, and 72 miles of trail

all large sequoias in the park, assessing the response of more than 630 trees to fire, drought, and

maintenance in the Merced watershed.

insect attacks.

W I L D L I F E M A N AG E M E N T

C U LT U R A L & H I S TO R I C P R E S E R VAT I O N

750 California red-legged frogs and 471 Sierra

The annual United in Yosemite event hosted

Nevada yellow-legged frogs were released into

10 designated sites to support amphibian species recovery.

13 Pacific fisher dens used by six females were recorded in the park — the highest number ever

100 rock climbers from various backgrounds for skills clinics and stewardship opportunities.

Cultural demonstrators shared their traditional practices of knapping, weaving, beading, and dancing with more than 1,800 visitors.

found in Yosemite.

V I S I T O R S E R V I C E S & E D U C AT I O N H A B I TAT R E S T O R AT I O N More than 2,300 native seeds were planted in Puppy Dome Meadow to restore an area previously impacted by a trail.

5 crews of young-adult Tribal members removed hazardous fuels from black oak groves in

During its 10th anniversary, the Ask a Climber

program connected with 18,000 visitors in El Capitan Meadow.

More than 500 Junior Ranger walks and talks

inspired over 10,000 youth.

Yosemite Valley.

More than 56,000 donors funded 60+ projects in support of the park.

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Your Gifts at Work

2024 HIGHLIGHTS

ach year, we rely on gifts from donors to fund habitat restoration, scientific research, historic preservation, and more in Yosemite. Your support in 2024 was felt in the park from the High Sierra peaks to the Valley’s legendary trails to the giant wonders of Mariposa Grove.

Within the pages of this report, you’ll find more highlights from critical park projects. You’ll read about crucial restoration projects in and near Tuolumne Meadows, including the completion of the Tenaya Lake Loop Trail. You’ll take to the skies to learn about the park’s unique ecological web of winged species.

You’ll experience the wonder of the new Yosemite Exploration Center. And you’ll celebrate the next phase of restorationat Ackerson Meadow.

PHOTOS: (LEFT) © ADONIS VILLANUEVA. (ABOVE: SONG SPARROW) © COURTESY OF NPS.

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YO U R GIFTS AT WOR K

Program H I G H L I G H T S Our in-park programs served more than 1.12 million visitors through overnight adventures, art retreats and classes, naturalist-led walks, and more. This included serving 66,000+ people through the Conservancy’s wilderness programs and permits; 7,000+ people through our art programs, including children’s art classes, which were offered at no charge and saw a 24% increase in participation; nearly 600,000 visitors at our seven retail locations; 24,000+ people who participated in Outdoor Adventures; and 400,000+ contacts through volunteer outreach.

Conservancy volunteers provided the equivalent of $645,000 in labor value to the park. Work Week Crews maintained trails, restored meadows, gathered native seeds, and repaired fencing, contributing 4,300+ hours of work. Our visitor information assistants reached nearly 425,000 visitors to help orient them to the park and experience Yosemite safely.

“With each adventure in Yosemite — from our first backpacking trip together to every hike, wildlife-spotting, and glimpse of the night sky — our appreciation for this park grows.

Now, we look forward to sharing the wonder, awe, and restorative power of this special place with our daughter. We are so grateful to participate in the Future Leaders Advisory Circle, where our commitment to the stewardship of Yosemite flourishes.”

— JESSICA & BRENDAN MCLOUGHLIN Future Leaders Advisory Circle & Leadership Donors

PHOTOS: (TOP TO BOTTOM) © YOSEMITE CONSERVANCY/JOSH HELLING. © JESSICA & BRENDAN MCLOUGHLIN.

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YO U R G I F TS AT WO RK

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Ackerson Meadow

Ackerson Meadow sits at the edge of Yosemite National Park, where more than a century of private ownership and landscape manipulation — ranching, timber harvesting, and more — devastated the wetland ecosystem. When the National Park Service acquired the land in 2016, a massive 3-mile-long, human-caused gully had already eroded 90 acres of soil and was actively impacting an additional 100 acres in the 400acre mid-elevation meadow.

In 2023, 20+ organizations, agencies, and entities

Nearly a decade of planning, partnership, and

— including the National Park Service and the

$18 million in funding — partially provided by

Conservancy — began work to restore 103 acres of lost

Conservancy donors — transformed this grazed and

wetland habitat and protect 84 intact acres. During

gullied area into a functioning wetland. Thanks to our

the following two years, restoration crews filled in

supporters, committed restoration ecologists, state

the gully network, re-established natural water flows,

funding agencies, and the expertise of the National

planted 400,000+ native wetland plants, removed

Park Service, hope for a more resilient, biodiverse

15+ acres of invasive plants, and restored habitat for an

future has returned to Ackerson Meadow.

array of wildlife — including four threatened species.

PHOTOS: © COURTESY OF NPS.

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PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Tuolumne

The broad grasslands, granite domes, and sharp peaks of Tuolumne Meadows offer visitors a quintessential experience of the Sierra Nevada high country. Tuolumne also holds immense cultural significance that can be easily harmed by overvisitation during the summer months. Conservancyfunded projects play a key role in sustaining the land through collaborative stewardship. From restoring native habitats to visitor outreach and engaging with Tribal knowledge, we work to create long-term resilience in Tuolumne.

Donor-funded wildlife monitoring and research projects protect flora and fauna that call Yosemite’s high country home. Adapted to high elevations, the Yosemite toad is extremely sensitive to minor habitat changes, and the population has declined rapidly.

In 2024, to prevent precipitous species decline, park scientists successfully conducted the first-ever reintroduction of 118 Yosemite toads. Learn more about these amazing amphibians on YouTube in the latest Yosemite Nature Notes video, “Yosemite Toads.”

On the other side of the mountain ridge, alpine plant communities also face extinction from habitat loss.

Thanks to you, teams monitored 19 high country sites in 2024 to understand how drought and rising temperatures are affecting plant communities and to identify solutions.

Cultural legacies were preserved at the Parsons Memorial Lodge Summer Series, where a variety of perspectives are brought together at the alpine cabin.

From talks on natural sciences to musical and poetry performances, the event series reached nearly 1,000 visitors in 2024.

PHOTOS: (TOP) © ANASTASSIYA BORNSTEIN. (MIDDLE & BOTTOM) © COURTESY OF NPS.

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YO U R G I F TS AT WO RK

Park managers also protect Tuolumne by directly restoring habitat and trails. For 31 years, the Keep It Wild crew has documented, removed, and restored inappropriately located wilderness campsites, fire rings, social trails, and invasive non-native plants. In 2024, the crew surveyed 529 acres of the Tuolumne watershed to diminish the impact of visitors. Wilderness crews also spent the summer rerouting sections of the John Muir and Pacific Crest trails that cut through Puppy Dome Meadow and disrupted its natural hydrology and native plants. By moving the trail to the meadow’s northern edge, crews reduced continued erosion of the area and enhanced traditional wetland habitat.

Native plants and trail work played a key role in enhancing habitat and visitor experiences at Tenaya Lake. Thanks to your support, crews completed the Tenaya Lake Loop Trail, an effort that began in 2012 and now allows visitors to traverse the entirety of the lake’s shoreline. At the adjacent Murphy Creek trailhead, the Yosemite Ancestral Stewards Crew — a group of young-adult Tribal members who conduct critical conservation work in the park — revegetated this culturally significant site with native plants.

Conservancy funds also enhanced visitor experiences through direct education and outreach efforts. On the cliffs of Tuolumne, the Climbing Stewardship Program encourages safe and sustainable rock-climbing practices through trail restoration work and safety clinics.

Without you, our dedicated donors, it would be impossible to complete these critical projects, and Yosemite’s high country would be less resilient to shifting patterns of human visitation and severe weather. Tuolumne thanks you.

PHOTOS: © COURTESY OF NPS.

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PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Yosemite Flyers Some of the most fascinating wildlife in Yosemite makes its home in the skies. This past year, Conservancy-funded projects studied nesting peregrine falcons, great gray owls, songbirds, spotted owls, bees, and bats to understand the needs of Yosemite’s flying species and their unique place in the park’s ecological web.

Yosemite is a habitat haven for an estimated 150 breeding adult great gray owls, the largest owl found in the park. While the park’s meadows and forests provide high-quality nesting and foraging opportunities for gray owls, human activity in the park remains the leading cause of owl mortality. In 2024, donor-funded research assessed the fine-scale movements of owls near roadways to pinpoint strategies to reduce owl–vehicle collisions.

No less charismatic is the California spotted owl. This species is found in Yosemite’s mid-elevation forests — areas that, unfortunately, are highly impacted by megafires that can severely affect available habitat and resources for owls. To protect owl habitat, park scientists used recording devices to locate nesting sites and identify areas where prescribed burns could protect owl habitat by reducing the likelihood of megafires.

Songbirds, colorful and vibrant, were surveyed in the summer as part of the park’s longest monitoring effort: 34 years. With your support, this program captured, recorded, and released more than 3,000 individual birds, representing 65 species, to contribute critical data on the long-term population trends, habitat ranges, and nesting productivity of Sierra Nevada songbirds.

PHOTOS: (TOP TO BOTTOM) © VISHAL SUBRAMANYAN. (JUVENILE CALIFORNIA SPOTTED OWL) © PAUL BANNICK. (WESTERN TANAGER) © ANN & ROB SIMPSON.

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YO U R G I F TS AT WO RK

The abundance of songbirds provides ample prey for a faster flyer, the once-endangered peregrine falcon, which was thought to be completely eradicated from Yosemite in the 1970s. Through critical management efforts partially funded by Conservancy donors — including efforts to ensure coexistence between falcons and recreational rock climbers — the park’s peregrine falcons have been brought back from the brink of extinction. In 2024, biologists monitored 106 cliff areas and nesting sites to protect peregrines with temporary closures on specific climbing routes.

At night, Yosemite’s cliffs are filled with the park’s 17 bat species. These bats protect the health of park ecosystems by consuming insects and acting as a food source for other species. As a result, the unprecedented impacts of severe shifts in weather patterns and invasive disease that threaten bats have park-wide implications. This past year, the Conservancy funded projects to develop novel cliff-surveying techniques and partnered with recreational climbers to improve our understanding of these critical bat populations.

Above the Valley’s cliffs, at the highest points in the park, are thousands of alpine bees that play a crucial role in maintaining Yosemite’s plant diversity through pollination. Yet these tiny flyers are experiencing dramatic global declines due to temperature spikes and drought. With your support, four park researchers surveyed pollinators at remote, high-elevation locations to assess habitat requirements for alpine pollinators, collecting a total of 5,880 bee specimens.

PHOTOS: (TOP TO BOTTOM) © JAMES MCGREW. © ROBB HIRSCH. © COURTESY OF NPS.

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YO U R G I F TS AT WO RK

Conservancy donors also supported the creation of a short, 7-minute film that highlights Yosemite’s Native people and their centuries-old connection with these lands. The film now plays on a loop in the Yosemite Museum lobby and has been seen by nearly a million

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Revitalizing Yosemite Village

people on the National Park Service’s social media and web pages.

Elsewhere in the village, new and updated park signage was installed along roadsides and paths to help visitors orient themselves. This project included creating and installing 37

In 2024, the Conservancy funded meaningful changes to improve

new wayfinding signs and revising 21

the visitor experience in Yosemite Village. From thoughtful

navigation panels in the South Lot and

storytelling practices to updated signage, these additions and

Yosemite Falls parking areas.

alterations better support the needs of 21st century audiences.

These village initiatives are essential in At the Yosemite Exploration Center — formerly the Valley

our effort to enrich the park experience

Visitor Center — park staff addressed flooding and damage

for all visitors. With your support, these

caused by the unseasonably wet winter of 2022–2023. To protect

projects allow new and returning

visitor safety and enjoyment in the space, donor funds enabled

park visitors to immerse themselves

the removal of hazardous mold and the design of new exhibits

fully in Yosemite’s science and history.

at the center.

“We are grateful for Yosemite Conservancy’s efforts to maintain our incredible national park and to support accessibility for so many to witness its majesty. We have seen the impact it has had on us and our family. We contribute because it is our hope that we can continue to enjoy our trips, to take our grandchildren in the near future, and that they can take their great-grandchildren, too.”

— OREN & JUSTINE JACOB Leadership Donors

PHOTOS: (TOP TO BOTTOM) © JENN EMERLING. © OREN & JUSTINE JACOB.

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Financials

2024

Statement of Financial Position

Support & Revenue $29,610,916

As of Dec. 31, 2024

ASSETS

Retail & Publishing

Current Assets

Cash & Investments Pledges, Receivables, & Other Assets

$36,622,989

Total Current Assets

$39,987,903

Endowment Assets

$962,105 $5,567,267

Total Noncurrent Assets

$12,164,231

TOTAL ASSETS

$52,152,134

6%

8%

81%

LIABILITIES & NET ASSETS

Contributions

Current Liabilities

Operating Lease Liability, Net of Current Portion TOTAL LIABILITIES

$1,528,322

5%

$192,561 Deposits $14,500 Land Held for Future Use $3,321,028 Property & Equipment, Net $1,700,547 Operating Lease Right-of-Use Asset $406,223

Total Current Liabilities

Visitor Services & Programs

$3,364,914

Charitable Gift Annuities

Accounts Payable & Accrued Expenses Operating Lease Liability Grants Payable to Yosemite National Park

$1,749,646

$2,288,575

Noncurrent Assets

Pledges Receivable, Net of Current Position

Investment Income & Other Revenue

$24,044,373

$1,410,157 $207,135 $4,322,524 $5,939,816

Individuals

$190,023

$20,428,437

Cause-Related

$1,677,150

Foundations

$1,227,743

$6,129,839

Net Assets

Without Donor Restrictions With Donor Restrictions

$31,006,430 $15,015,865

Total Net Assets

$46,022,295

Corporations

$577,259

Special Events

$133,784

TOTAL LIABILITIES & NET ASSETS

$52,152,134

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Financials

2024

Statement of Activities

Aid to Yosemite National Park $19,143,116

As of Dec. 31, 2024 Visitor Services & Programs

Retail & Publishing

$4,506,684

SUPPORT & REVENUE

Contributions Retail & Publishing, Net Visitor Services & Programs Investment Income & Other Revenue

$24,044,373 $2,288,575 $1,528,322

TOTAL SUPPORT & REVENUE

$29,610,916

$2,329,480

12% 24%

$1,749,646

64%

FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES Program Services

Park Enhancements Retail & Publishing Visitor Services & Programs Total Aid to Park

$12,306,952 $2,329,480 $4,506,684 Park Enhancements

$19,143,116

$12,306,952

Support Services

Administrative Fundraising TOTAL EXPENSES

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS

$1,531,477 $3,991,792 $24,666,385

$4,944,531

Visitor Services & Education

Grant Administration

Habitat Restoration

$1,425,072

Donor-Restricted & Other Park Programs

Wildlife Management

Scientific Research

Trail Repair & Access

Cultural & Historical

$2,569,275

NET ASSETS

Beginning of Year End of Year

Mist Trail / Half Dome

$2,097,806

$1,707,971

$41,077,764 $46,022,295

$954,481

$1,293,431

$678,314

$1,218,812

$361,790

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“As a board member, I’m especially proud of the deep commitment every member of our volunteer leadership shows to the park we love. In 2024, 100% of our Board and Council members made a gift to Yosemite Conservancy, setting an example we hope others will follow to help preserve and protect Yosemite for generations to come.”

— LAWSON RANKIN Board Member, Leadership Donor, & Legacy Society Member

“Yosemite is a beautiful and legendary place. We love volunteering for the Conservancy and donating to preserve and protect Yosemite.”

— PAUL & NANCY BOYD-BATSTONE Leadership Donors

PHOTOS (MIDDLE): © NANCY ROBBINS. (BOTTOM) © PAUL & NANCY BOYD-BATSTONE.

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CO UNCIL MEMBER S

As of Dec. 31, 2024 YOS EMITE CONSERVA N CY CO UN CIL MEMBER S C HA I R

Steve Ciesinski* V IC E C H A I R

Dana Dornsife* S E C R E TA RY

Robyn Miller* TR E ASUR E R

Jewell Engstrom* PR E SI D E N T & C E O

Frank Dean* COU N C I L

Hollis & Matt* Adams Gretchen Augustyn David & Amelia Cameron Jessica* & Darwin Chen Diane & Steve* Ciesinski Kira & Craig Cooper Hal Cranston & Vicki Baker John & Meredith Cranston Carol* & Manny Diaz Leslie & John Dorman Dana* & Dave* Dornsife Jewell* & Bob Engstrom Kathy Fairbanks Sandra & Bernard Fischbach Cynthia & Bill Floyd Bonnie Gregory Rusty Gregory Laura Hattendorf & Andy Kau Christy & Chuck Holloway Christina Hurn Mitsu Iwasaki Erin & Jeff Lager Bob & Melody Lind Patsy & Tim Marshall Kirsten & Dan Miks Robyn* & Joe Miller Juan Sánchez Muñoz* & Zenaida Aguirre-Muñoz Kate & Ryan* Myers Daniel Paramés Sharon & Phil* Pillsbury Gisele & Lawson* Rankin Bill Reller Pam & Rod* Rempt Skip Rhodes Alain Rodriguez* & Blerina Aliaj Dave Rossetti* & Jan Avent* Greg* & Lisa Stanger Ann* & George Sundby Alexis & Assad Waathiq Clifford J. Walker Wally Wallner & Jill Appenzeller Helen & Scott* Witter YOS E M I T E N AT I O N AL PARK

Superintendent Cicely Muldoon *Indicates Board of Trustees

Contact Us Visit

Mail

yosemite.org

Yosemite Conservancy 101 Montgomery Street, Suite 2450 San Francisco, CA 94104

Email info@yosemite.org

Phone

Fax

Tax ID

415-434-1782

415-434-0745

94-3058041

C H I E F D E V E LO P M E N T O F F I C E R Marion Ingersoll mingersoll@yosemite.org 415-362-1464 L E A DE R S H I P G I F TS — N O RTH E R N C A L I FO R N I A & N ATI O N A L Caitlin Allard callard@yosemite.org 415-989-2848 L E A DE R S H I P G I F TS — S O U TH E R N C A L I FO R N I A Julia Hejl jhejl@yosemite.org 323-217-4780

A N N UA L , H O N O R, & M E MO R I A L G I V I NG Isabelle Luebbers iluebbers@yosemite.org 415-891-2216 G I F TS O F STO C K Eryn Roberts stock@yosemite.org 415-891-1383 FO U N DATI O N S & CO R P O R ATI O N S Laurie Peterson lpeterson@yosemite.org 415-906-1016

P L A N N E D G I V I N G & B E Q U E STS Catelyn Spencer cspencer@yosemite.org 415-891-1039

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