Top Three Ways You Made a Difference in 2025

As 2025 comes to a close, California State Parks Foundation is celebrating everything our donors and supporters made possible over the most recent fiscal year, which ended in July 2025. We connected thousands of Californians to their state parks, deepening their relationship with nature, especially through our volunteer program. Your support preserved state parks by funding critical projects like the Climate Crisis Relief Fund that confront some of the most pressing challenges facing our state. And together, we acted to protect California’s climate resilience through the passage of Proposition 4.  

Check out the full annual report here, or read our top three highlights below: 

Connecting People to Parks in the North Coast Redwoods

On a foggy March morning at Trinidad State Beach, Volunteer Core Leaders Perry and Larisa King rallied a group of California State Parks Foundation volunteers to remove English ivy and other invasive species — work essential to protecting the rare Sitka spruce forest that defines their community. Their leadership reflects a years-long effort to strengthen our presence in the North Coast Redwoods District, home to California’s northernmost state parks and more than half of the world’s remaining old-growth redwoods. 

For over 25 years, California State Parks Foundation volunteers have helped expand the capacity of often-under-resourced park staff. Since launching year-round service in 2010, we have led more than 2,000 workdays across the state, restoring habitats, maintaining trails, and reducing wildfire risk. 

“Having the extra assistance from the California State Parks Foundation volunteer team lets us address additional areas that we may not otherwise get to and also frees my staff up to continue ongoing projects.” – Jason Finlay, Trails Coordinator, Angeles District

Consistent volunteer presence has built long-term impact in districts like the Angeles and Bay Area. But in the remote North Coast Redwoods District, our presence had been lighter — until Perry and Larisa stepped forward earlier this year. Like all our Volunteer Core Leaders, the Kings plan, coordinate, and lead restoration and maintenance projects that keep parks thriving. They provide critical leadership and on-the-ground support that ensures every workday succeeds. In the process, they have become trusted community pillars, standing tall among the redwoods and welcoming their neighbors into the parks they cherish.

Their service — and that of all our volunteers — is indispensable to advancing our mission and vision.  With the dedication of our volunteers, we will continue weaving a powerful network of connections between people and parks throughout California. 

Preserving California’s Living Legacy Through Crisis 

Climate change–fueled disasters demand swift, flexible responses. After the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire devastated Big Basin Redwoods State Park, we recognized the need for a fund that could be activated immediately — prompting the creation of our Climate Crisis Relief Fund. This fund allows us to meet urgent park needs the moment a disaster strikes. 

“People wanted to help. They wanted to know what happened. But in those first few days, we didn’t even know yet ourselves. We just knew it was bad.” –Mary Calvaresi, Program Manager of Interpretation and Education, Angeles District

In January, the Palisades Fire burned for 21 days across Will Rogers State Historic Park and Topanga State Park, destroying 47 structures and displacing park staff. In partnership with the Ranger Foundation, we provided direct support to affected employees and funded critical recovery tools, including fencing, a small off-road vehicle, and a drone to safely assess damaged terrain. These rapid investments help park staff move from crisis to action and begin the long path toward recovery. 

At California State Parks Foundation, we hold our responsibility to support parks with care. After the Palisades Fire, we allocated $100,000 to address the parks’ immediate needs. This agile response is only possible with the generosity of our donor community replenishing the fund after it is used. 

Protecting Proposition 4 Funding for California’s Climate Future

With voters’ overwhelming approval of Proposition 4 in 2024, California committed $10 billion to climate resilience — including $425 million for state parks. This funding will repair infrastructure, prepare coastal parks for sea level rise, and expand green spaces in communities with the greatest need. 

Over the past year, California State Parks Foundation has advocated vigorously to ensure these funds are used as intended. When state leaders proposed substituting Proposition 4 dollars for previously committed General Fund spending, our community mobilized. More than 1,600 supporters contacted legislators, helping protect the bond’s purpose. Continued action this summer ensured the Legislature appropriated funds without delay. 

“The damage our state parks are already experiencing from climate change is clear.” – Rachel Norton, Executive Director, California State Parks Foundation

Proposition 4 represents a generational investment in California’s climate future. Protecting its integrity — and ensuring this money reaches the parks that need it most — remains one of our highest priorities. 

Every story in this report is also your story. Your commitment has allowed us to grow programs, secure funding, and expand opportunities for people across the state to connect with, preserve, and protect California’s state parks. 

The challenges ahead are significant — climate change, inequity in access, and decades of deferred maintenance. But so is our collective resolve. Together, we are proving that parks are not a “nice to have” but a vital part of California’s environmental security, economic vitality, and community well-being.   

To read the full report, including our staff and board lists, a letter from our leaders, a story of legacy giving, unaudited financial data, please do so here.