Earth Month 2023: How Volunteering Can Strengthen our Parks!

We had an incredible Earth Month in California's state parks! Although Earth Month 2023 has officially ended, our volunteers’ impact in state parks continues to last.  

With the help of our amazing sponsors and park staff partners, we mobilized 712 dedicated volunteers that joined specialized projects to build climate resilience in 11 state parks.   

Missed out on Earth Month, or excited to relive some of your favorite moments volunteering? We've got you covered! We've summarized the direct impacts our volunteers accomplished throughout Earth Month in some of your beloved parks.
 

Here’s a snapshot of our impact:

On April 1, we had Earth Day Climate Action events at China Camp State Park and Folsom Lake State Recreation Area!  

• At China Camp State Park, volunteers removed 26,000 square feet of French broom. Not only is French broom an invasive species that outcompetes with native habitat, but it’s also exceptionally flammable and can significantly increase the fire fuel load in vulnerable areas. This critical project promotes the resilience of native habitat and reduces potential wildfire fuel near the park’s main access road which can help emergency services.  

• At Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, volunteers focused on habitat restoration. They planted 11 native plants and removed 2,000 square feet of invasive plants around Black Miners Bar. The project location was heavily impacted in the early 1900s by dredging (excavation of material from a water environment) and urban expansion. Due to these factors, the site has been impacted by invasive species causing low biodiversity.

On April 8, we had Earth Day Climate Action events at Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook and Montaña de Oro State Park!  

• At Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, volunteers removed 3,000 square feet of invasive black mustard and Chrysanthemum. They also planted various native plants such as California bush sunflower, giant wild rye, and coastal goldenbush. During the event, volunteers had the opportunity to learn more about invasive and native vegetation in the park and how they affect the local ecosystem. 

• At Montaña de Oro State Park, volunteers planted a total of 905 native plants and trees around coastal bluffs and in the Islay Creek Campground. They also weeded around the park’s native plant garden and installed 245 feet of new fencing to protect native coastal bluff habitat. Their actions increase biodiversity while helping reduce erosion.

On April 15, we had Earth Day Climate Action events at Angel Island State Park and Half Moon Bay State Beach! 

• At Angel Island State Park, volunteers removed 800 square feet of invasive plants such as broom and Pride of Madeira at Ayala Cove and the US Immigration Station to provide habitat for native species. This park is logistically challenging for first and emergency responders to access due to its physical isolation from the mainland. Therefore, our volunteers' efforts an extremely important step towards reducing the risk of wildfires.  

• At Half Moon Bay State Beach, volunteers removed a total of 70,500 square feet of invasive species around the coastal dune and scrub areas. They also mulched 1,700 square feet. Restoring coastal dune and bluff habitat will help sustain coastal habitats in changing climate and build resilience to impacts from rising sea levels. 

On April 22, we had Earth Day Climate Action events at Chino Hills State Park, Crystal Cove State Park, Los Angeles State Historic Park, Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, and Old Town San Diego State Historic Park! 

• At Chino Hills State Park, volunteers removed 6,500 square feet of invasive plants in the Native Plant Garden creek and near the Discovery Center. By clearing overgrown invasive species, this will help prepare the area for future plantings of native grasslands.  

• At Crystal Cove State Park, volunteers cleared 6,156 square feet of invasive mustard around highly visible areas at the park. Now that the mustard has been removed, it won’t spread seed for next year. This will also allow for better access for future park visitors.  

• At Los Angeles State Historic Park, volunteers planted 100 and watered 300 milkweed plants. They also cleared 1,000 square feet of invasive species around the wetland habitat. Native milkweed is an essential habitat to support the declining western monarch population. Milkweed plants are the only source of food for larvae, so planting milkweed can help restore vital lost habitat.  

• At Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, volunteers planted 30 native plants and trees to create shade for future park visitors. They also helped park staff with some critical maintenance projects such as constructing 100 feet of split rail fence to prevent off-road vehicle use in natural areas and rebuilding a pedestrian bridge and railroad tie steps in a day-use area.  

• At Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, volunteers collected 230 pounds of trash. By removing trash from the park, volunteers stop it from going to the ocean and watersheds to help mitigate the human impact on our climate.

Thank you to all of the volunteers who joined our Earth Day Climate Action Month movement! We can’t thank you enough for your remarkable contributions. Your time and effort spent on one (or two) of our volunteer events truly reflect your passion and commitment to our state parks.   

Lastly, we want to thank our generous sponsors who continue to champion our work in creating meaningful experiences that support our parks and the community around them. Special thank you to Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Edison International, United Airlines, Oracle, REI Co-op, Target, Blue Shield of California, Intel, SoCalGas, SMUD, and goodr for making these events possible!  

“Thank you for the opportunity to contribute positively to our environment. I look forward to more events like this.” - Volunteer 

Let’s keep the momentum going year-round!

It’s no secret that our Earth Day Climate Action events generate a large number of driven volunteers to support state parks all over California! While Earth Month is a fantastic way to get involved with environmental action, we have volunteer events year-round to help you continue your stewardship in our parks.   

We can’t wait to see you in the parks again soon! Check out our calendar and register for your next volunteer workday event: https://volunteer.calparks.org/.