Ways to enjoy and support state parks all through 2018

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FORT ORD DUNES STATE PARK © STEVE ZMAK

The Newsletter for Members of CSPF | Winter 2017

Ways to enjoy and support state parks all through 2018

Looking toward the New Year In This Issue 3 Resolve to support state parks this New Year

4 Grants provide critical improvements

5  12-year-old gives a birthday gift to state parks

6 Governor signs park bond for June 2018 ballot  7 Your favorite winter park activities



In 2018, I’m resolving to live life to the fullest. Since joining the California State Parks Foundation in May, one of my favorite parts of the job has been spending time in our state parks, enjoying the diverse experiences and meeting the passionate people who keep them running. It’s one of the things that has made my first six months at this job the most fulfilling, and the most fun. Since May I’ve volunteered at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area, met with Department of Parks and Recreation staff at Angel Island State Park, talked to nonprofit park operators at Crystal Cove State Park and Jack London State Historic Park, saw the impact of our 20 years of work to open Los Angeles State Historic Park and toured Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historic Park and Baldwin Hills State Park with our park commissioners, visited Old Town San Diego State Historic Park with our board of trustees, attended the grand reopening of Providence Mountain State Recreation Area, and spent the day after Thanksgiving at Montara State Beach with my family. All of this time in our state parks has affirmed what I’ve already learned from my team and from talking with many of you: through Park Champions like JayDe (who waited patiently for his 12th birthday to volunteer), through advocacy for legislation like the upcoming park bond, through generous donations to our State Parks Improvement Campaign, and of course through visiting and enjoying your state parks this year like I did, your support will make for a better 2018 in our state parks.

RACHEL AT LASHP WITH ANDY VOUGHT, A BOARD MEMBER WITH LOS ANGELES RIVER STATE PARK PARTNERS

I’m looking forward to where 2018 will bring me and the California State Parks Foundation, including some planned and hoped-for trips to see the elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park and the wildflowers at Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, and to explore Fort Ross State Historic Park and Forest of Nisene Marks State Park for the first time. I’m hopeful that the new year will also bring you closer to your parks. Whether you make New Year’s resolutions or not, I hope you’ll join me in keeping our state parks a priority in 2018.

Rachel Norton, Executive Director

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ABOUT CSPF

WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU

California State Parks Foundation is a membersupported nonprofit dedicated to protecting and improving our state parks and expanding access to their natural beauty, rich culture and history, and recreational and educational opportunities for all Californians, now and in the future.

Contact us at any time at [email protected], sign up for eNews and action alerts at calparks.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates and news.

What’s your New Year’s resolution for 2018? Whatever you resolve to do to make your year, life or community better next year, here are some ways the California State Parks Foundation can help you meet and keep some of the most common resolutions. “ENJOY LIFE TO THE FULLEST”

“GET A NEW HOBBY”

Living life to its fullest means different things to each of us, but we’d bet that visiting a state park doesn’t hurt. Get out to a state park and make 2018 a better, fuller year.

Our state parks make beautiful photography subjects, and we love seeing them in our My California State Parks Flickr group. Pick up a photography hobby and enter our monthly contest to help us share why these parks are worth protecting. (Some 2017 winners are shown above!) Upload your photos and see others at flickr.com/groups/mycastateparks.

“STAY FIT AND HEALTHY” If being fit and healthy for you means a workout, how about a workout that helps keep our parks fit and healthy, too? Volunteering with our Park Champions program can get your heart rate going if you’re up for it! Visit calparks.org/parkchampions to register.

“SPEND MORE TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS” Take care of the planet and our state parks while taking care to connect with family and friends. Gather the kids or coordinate friends to spend quality time together volunteering at our 20th annual Earth Day of service on Saturday, April 21, 2018. Visit calparks.org/earthday for more info. “LEARN SOMETHING NEW” Learn something new about CSPF in our monthly E-News and get updates on our state parks by following us on social media. It’s that easy! Subscribe to our E-News at calparks.org /newsletter.

“GET ORGANIZED” So we can’t help you organize your closets or to-do lists, but we can help you organize to advocate for our state parks! Our action alerts provide opportunities to easily reach your elected officials to ask for their support for state parks. Learn more about our advocacy work and sign up to receive action alerts at calparks.org/advocacy.

“TRAVEL MORE” Many of our Park Champions sites across the state offer free camping to our volunteers as a “thank you” for your help. It’s a great opportunity to support state parks while traveling and seeing more of the state. Visit calparks.org/parkchampions to find work days with free camping.

“READ MORE” CSPF membership makes it easy to read more with a subscription to Sunset magazine (a $16 value). Members of our Californians Leadership Circle get a copy of Trail Posts: A Literary Exploration of California’s State Parks, too. Visit calparks.org/membership for more details on membership perks and benefits.

“FIND A BETTER JOB” Volunteering can make you a better job candidate: a Deloitte survey found that 82% of interviewers prefer applicants with volunteer experience, and a study by the Corporation for National and Community Service found that volunteers have a 27% better chance of finding a job. Visit calparks.org/volunteer to register for a volunteer day that will boost your resumé.

“DO MORE GOOD DEEDS FOR OTHERS” Our grants fund the work of nonprofits and community organizations connecting people to our state parks. You can do good deeds for others by donating to support these programs that teach youth about environmental science, nature stewardship and more. Visit calparks.org/donate to make a taxdeductible gift any time of year.

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MOUNT SAN JACINTO STATE PARK © MARILOU LEKANNE VAQUER

© PHILIP OAKLEY OTTO

MACKERRICHER STATE PARK © KATIE ESKRIDGE

10 resolutions CSPF can help you keep

ANGEL ISLAND STATE PARK

CHINO HILLS STATE PARK

Your support in action Your generosity makes great things happen. These grant projects are just a few examples of improvements in progress or recently completed, thanks to generous contributions to the State Parks Improvement Campaign in the past. ANGEL ISLAND STATE PARK

Improving the park experience through self-help kiosks Angel Island State Park, with its abundant recreational activities and panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay, hosts 200,000 visitors annually, meaning there aren’t always enough staff and volunteers to greet and guide visitors. With a $6,000 grant, Angel Island Conservancy is installing selfhelp kiosks to make walking guides more accessible to visitors. EMPIRE MINE STATE HISTORIC PARK

Long-term bird monitoring conserves habitats The Bear Yuba Land Trust is completing a long-term bird monitoring station in Empire Mine State Historic Park with a $5,000 grant. The project brings together students and the local community to help monitor the habitat and bird populations, providing a dynamic opportunity for environmental education, volunteer engagement and conservation training. PISMO STATE BEACH

Reducing pollution through education

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With a $5,000 grant, the Central Coast State Parks Association is

installing educational panels throughout Pismo State Beach to inform visitors of the negative impacts of trash on wildlife and the ecosystem. Through education and outreach, they will reduce the amount of trash pollution that ends up on the beach, in the ocean and in nearby creeks.

This is just a sampling of the things we have helped accomplish thanks to your support. There are many more projects to fund, and we need your help to make these critical improvements. Please make your year-end gift now, while it will be matched!

CHINO HILLS STATE PARK

Replacing signage improves park navigation

GIVE BY DECEMBER 31 AND DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT!

Since a devastating fire in 2008, Chino Hills State Park Interpretive Association has collaborated with park staff to replace trail signage for over 90 miles of trails. With a $2,000 grant, they are creating and installing durable informational signs for the recently restored native plant garden.

You’re leading the way to better experiences in California’s state parks

SANTA CRUZ MISSION STATE HISTORIC PARK

Preserving historical treasures through reconstruction The Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park is home to the oldest building in Santa Cruz County. With a $5,000 grant, Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks are building wooden platforms in three rooms to protect the adobe block floors at the park and preserve this historical treasure.

You already know that our state parks are wonders of nature and history, but they need our help. To keep parks pristine, wildlife protected and visitor experiences as positive as possible, our parks require regular improvements. You can make the difference for them now. When you donate to the State Parks Improvement Campaign by December 31, 2017, your gift will be matched dollarfor-dollar. $25 becomes $50 $50 becomes $100 $250 becomes $500 Donate online at calparks.org/match2018.

FORT ORD DUNES STATE PARK

12-year-old makes a difference volunteering on a special day At Fort Ord Dunes State Park, the morning of July 11 was pretty cold, particularly for a 12-year-old who woke up early on a Tuesday during summer vacation to spend the day volunteering — on his birthday. When California State Parks Foundation member Kelly Ray suggested volunteering with our Park Champions program for her son JayDe’s birthday, she wasn’t sure how he’d respond. “I thought, would he really be interested in doing this on his 12th birthday? But when I asked him, his knee jerk reaction was ‘sure! what time?’”

mom and I chose the opposite,” said JayDe. “We are both good at going ALL IN on projects,” added Kelly. They developed a system where one would pull the plant while the other used a shovel to cut the roots. One plant was so big, they needed a little extra help from Core Leader John Salcido.

“I had never been to Fort Ord Dunes before because I had never known how to get there,” JayDe said. “It was pretty cool to look out at the dunes and the restoration that had already taken place.” A member of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Student Oceanography Club, JayDe was familiar with the importance of beach cleanups. “We had been learning about invasive plants and what they can do to our parks and beaches. I thought coming to this event would really make a difference.”

“After minutes of pulling, we finally got all of it and collapsed on the ground,” said JayDe. “It felt very satisfying to throw a long piece of ice plant onto an already large pile. It was nice to see us all working together.”

That day, Park Champions were making a difference by weeding mustard flowers and pulling up ice plant, both invasive species. “Most people chose to pick flowers, so my

That’s how John learned it was a particularly special day. “JayDe let slip that for his birthday he wanted to do something to help the environment,” said John. “All the volunteers were impressed by JayDe’s commitment, and heartened by this young person’s enthusiasm and hard work.” During a break for snacks and water, JayDe remembers something that still makes him smile. John announced to all the volunteers that they were celebrating JayDe’s birthday, and

“I enjoy going to parks to go down paths that lead to new things. I like going with my mom because it can be a place to talk about everyday things. California state parks are a place to escape and enjoy your state’s backyard.” JAYDE, PARK CHAMPIONS VOLUNTEER

presented him with an official Park Champions pin. “It was totally awesome and I still have the pin on a shelf above my desk,” JayDe said. JayDe loved the tangible difference that volunteering makes at Fort Ord Dunes. At the end of the day, they could finally see the sand that had been underneath all the invasive plants they had removed. When asked what he would tell his friends or classmates wondering if they should volunteer too, he said, “I would tell them that they are making a difference in our world. Our world, not the next generation’s. I would ask them if they had a favorite beach or park. And then I would ask them if they wanted to protect it.” Find a Park Champions work day at a state park near you, including many that welcome youth as young as eight, at calparks.org/parkchampions.

20TH ANNUAL EARTH DAY RESTORATION AND CLEANUP SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2018

Mark your calendars for the 20th anniversary of CSPF’s Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup, presented by Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Join more than 3,000 volunteers doing something meaningful for our planet, boosting California’s climate resiliency efforts, and supporting healthy and beautiful state parks. Visit calparks.org/earthday for more information.

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RIO DE LOS ANGELES STATE PARK

SALTON SEA STATE RECREATION AREA

Californians to vote on a park and water bond in June 2018 On October 15, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill (SB) 5, placing a water and park bond before California voters in June 2018. With an aging state park infrastructure, our parks continue to need critical repairs to stay available and well maintained. It has been 15 years since California voters approved the last legislatively crafted park bond, and it is time to invest in California’s natural and historic infrastructure – including significant investments into California’s state park system.

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SB 5 (officially the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018) includes funds that will address the over $1 billion in deferred parks maintenance, provide necessary funding for natural resources protection and restoration, and allow for repairs and improvements that will help facilitate better visitor experiences. The bill also includes funding for state parks successfully operated by park partners, including local governments and nonprofit organizations. The State Park and Recreation Enterprise Fund will receive an infusion of

$10 million to help support projects that achieve the state park mission while providing revenue generation benefits to the state. Additionally, increased access to the coast will be closer to a reality with $30 million to the state park system for creating new low cost coastal accommodations. Thousands of advocates contacted their legislators asking them to support the passage of SB 5, leading to this great victory for our parks. The June 2018 election will ask California voters to support the water and park bond and help our parks benefit from critical repairs and improvements so that all Californians and visitors will be able to enjoy the natural resources and cultural treasures in our state parks. Over the coming months we’ll share how you can support this much needed investment in our state parks at calparks.org/parkbond. For updates on other key park-related legislation from the 2017 session, visit calparks.org/advocacy.

SAVE THE DATE FOR PARK ADVOCACY DAY MAY 7-8, 2018

For 15 years, over 100 park advocates from throughout California have convened in Sacramento for our annual Park Advocacy Day to meet with legislators and lobby in support of California’s 280 state parks. Participants at Park Advocacy Day help send a powerful message to policymakers that California’s state parks are important places that need to be protected. Last year, park advocates met with 110 legislators and heard from elected officials and community organizations about the importance of parks for California and Californians. Visit calparks.org/PAD for more details.

The winter season offers unique ways to enjoy our state parks across California. We asked you to share some of your favorite state park winter activities, listed below. I'm not in to winter sports, but fortunately, most of our state parks are accessible during the winter months, unless we have particularly gnarly weather. I love the Mendocino Coast, and any of the state parks along that stretch, as well as Humboldt Redwoods State Park just to the north, in all seasons. My favorites in late fall-winter would probably be the Mother Lode sites along Highway 49."

Walking around Rio de Los Angeles State Park, in Los Angeles’s Cypress Park neighborhood, after a solid winter rain, means that you get to see the seasonal pond filled with water, with families of ducks and other birds enjoying the water. It could be a scene from New England, but it's in the heart of Los Angeles!”

MARGARET OAKLEY OTTO, PARK CHAMPIONS FIELD CONSULTANT, SANTA MONICA

Winter is coming and that means that we can start spending time at those parks that are inhospitably hot during the summer. From Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to Picacho State Recreation Area the desert has its own special charms that can only be appreciated in the winter. It is also the perfect time and weather to visit historical places like Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. There are so many state parks that can be best appreciated once the hot summer is over. I cannot wait to get started on my winter camping season.”

© RENE DE BOS

STEPHEN VAN LYDEGRAF, PARK CHAMPIONS CORE LEADER, SUN VALLEY

LINDA J. RILEY, DEL AIRE Ed. Note: We recommend Mother Lode sites Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park and Empire Mine State Historic Park.

© CHRISTA EDWARDS

COLONEL ALLENSWORTH STATE HISTORIC PARK

Your favorite winter activities in parks

Picking mushrooms at Salt Point State Park! A big hedgehog mushroom pictured (above).”

RENE DE BOS, NOVATO Ed. Note: Mushroom picking is not allowed at most state parks. Check your local park for rules and regulations.

Our family always walks through Natural Bridges State Park the day after Thanksgiving.”

CHRISTA EDWARDS, OAKLAND

Riding the county bike path past the state beaches…Will Rogers State Historic Park to Venice Beach on quiet early weekday mornings – inline skaters propelled by indiscernible movement, and pelicans in formation; noon stripes cast under the Venice Pier, families with kids on a winter afternoon; the isolation of abandoned boats on Dockweiler State Beach then moving into the bbq parties at the fire pits; riding Vista del Mar above the beaches in any incoming weather.”

KIRBY SHANKLIN, PARK CHAMPIONS CORE LEADER, VENICE Did we miss your favorite? Join us on social media and let us know!

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CALIFORNIA

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Join the My California State Parks Flickr Group to share your photos, see images from other members, share tips and advice, and enter to win our monthly contest. Learn more at calparks.org/gallery. MAKE A LASTING IMPACT

Your legacy gift, most often a bequest in a will, will strengthen the future of California’s state parks for generations to come. To learn more, call (415) 578-6084 or visit myplanwithcalparks.org. CALIFORNIA PARKLANDS

Winter 2017, Volume 34, Number 3 (ISSN: 0892-0095) is published by the California State Parks Foundation ©2017 CSPF. All rights reserved. Editor: Bettina Sferrino CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS FOUNDATION

50 Francisco Street, Suite 110 San Francisco, CA 94133 (800) 963-7275 [email protected] calparks.org N.B. we are moving offices in early 2018

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