Earth Day Climate Action month was a resounding success for California State Parks Foundation, marking its 26th year of Earth Day celebrations this April. Throughout the month, we engaged 743 dedicated volunteers in 12 state parks, collectively working towards building climate resilience.
341,601 square feet of invasive species removed
58 native trees planted
495 native plants planted
1,000 square feet of fire buffer zones created
0.5 miles of trails restored
50 recycling bags collected
28 trash bags collected
88 feet of fencing installed
Many of our projects focused on addressing invasive species, which threaten native plants and serve as potential fuel for wildfires within our parks. Our park staff partners understood the importance of removing these plants to ensure their parks remain wildfire resilient.
With the support of our volunteers, we focused on specific areas of the park to clear of invasive and non-native plant species. We removed 341,601 square feet — about 8 acres or 6 football fields — of invasive species and created 1,000 square feet of fire buffer zones in state parks all over California in April!
Habitat restoration was also a focus during our Earth Day Climate Action month. Native plants support local ecosystems by providing food and shelter for native wildlife, such as the endangered Least Bells vireo at Rio de Los Angeles State Park or the black-tailed jackrabbits at Silver Strand State Beach. Native plants are incredibly resilient to the impacts of climate change and local climates as they require less water and maintenance over time.
Volunteers supported various habitat restoration projects throughout the month, planting 495 native plants and 58 native trees!
