Access.
Belonging.
Stewardship.
Resiliency.
2024 Annual Report
We are proud to present Parks California’s 2024 Annual Report, marking five years of partnership, innovation and impact alongside California State Parks. As we look back on our first half‐decade, we’re energized by how far we’ve come and more determined than ever to meet the needs of California’s evolving communities and landscapes.
We're Just Getting Started
Dear Friends,
Since our founding, your partnership and generosity have helped our state parks become more welcoming, educational and resilient. As we celebrate this five-year milestone, we reflect on how, together with local communities, tribal nations, nonprofit organizations and state parks staff, our work is strengthening the role of state parks for people and habitats. Through innovative and inclusive ideas we:
Empower Belonging: Through community‐led grants, culturally rooted storytelling and work with tribal partners, we shape park experiences where history and heritage are reflected in our landscapes.
Expand Access and Health: By fully funding field trips, blending virtual lessons with in‐park visits and partnering with schools and community groups, thousands of students and families discover parks as classrooms, retreats and cultural hubs.
Build Sustainable Parks: From visitor use management to fragile habitat protection and watershed restoration, we reduce environmental impact and enhance resilience so parks thrive in the face of change.
Train Tomorrow’s Stewards: Our Career Pathways initiative provides hands‐on training, mentorship and paid internships — equipping the next generation of park professionals to manage and care for these public lands.
In the stories that follow, you’ll meet some of the people whose lives have been changed by these efforts. They serve as our guides and inspire our work.
Looking ahead, California’s state parks face growing pressures — climate threats, infrastructure demands and shifting public needs. With your continued support, we will deepen our work with communities, scale innovative programs and ensure these living landscapes remain vibrant, welcoming and resilient for decades to come.
Thank you for standing with us on this remarkable journey. Together, we’ll write the next chapter in our story of parks for all.
With gratitude,
Kindley Walsh Lawlor
President & CEO
Parks California
Deanna Martin Mackey
Chair, Board of Directors
Parks California
Year in Review
We center Access and Belonging in everything we do — building welcoming, inclusive park experiences where people of all backgrounds and abilities feel seen, supported and at home.
Silver Strand State Beach in San Diego County
We center Access and Belonging in everything we do — building welcoming, inclusive park experiences where people of all backgrounds and abilities feel seen, supported and at home.
Transporting First-time Visitors to New Experiences
Launched in 2020, Route to Parks provided grants to 29 local organizations in 2024, generating more than 154 park visits from Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park on the northern border to Silver Strand State Beach in the south, helping remove transportation barriers and connecting communities to nature.
Program Accomplishments
Giving local partners the opportunity to design and lead outdoor experiences that reflect the interests, backgrounds and needs of their communities, programs can span organizing a family-friendly park day, a culturally relevant nature walk or an educational field trip.
Oceano Elementary Students visit Oceano Dunes in Pismo State Beach
These experiences are often the first step in building lifelong connections to California’s state parks and public lands and often involve bike commuting and public transit as transportation alternatives.
Access in Action
At BMO, we believe strong communities are built when everyone has the opportunity to connect — to nature, to culture and to one another. Parks California’s work opens doors for families and future leaders across the state to enjoy public lands in ways that honor both community needs and cultural heritage. We’re proud to support programs that bring people into parks and parks into people’s lives. It’s the reason we became involved with Parks California — our shared dedication to fostering a more sustainable society for all Californians.
— Helen Seibel, VP & Head, North American Giving, BMO
Blended Educational Programs Bring Students Outdoors
Salton Sea State Recreation Area in Riverside County
Visited
Traveled
Grantee Spotlight
City Heights Community Development Corporation
The BLVD to Beach program hosted more than 150 students at Silver Strand State Beach on Coronado Island in San Diego County. From March 2024, three unique transportation programs provided new experiences and empowered youth participants to see parks as accessible, welcoming spaces to explore and enjoy. While in the parks, they learned about conservation, alternative transportation options, local history and enjoyed recreational activities.
During overnight bike camp, a high school participant who had never been camping before asked a coordinator, “Who do I need to talk to so we can stay here longer?”
For a student who didn’t know if they’d even like camping, this moment was a powerful testament. Programs like these open doors and create lasting connections to nature, transforming what may have once seemed as inaccessible or irrelevant into a cherished memory.
Grants Build Galleries without Walls
Launched in 2024 and building on our successful grants model, Arts in California Parks uplifts creativity and culture, harnessing the power of the arts to invite more people into nature and into a deeper connection with their communities.
Basketry at Midpines Park, near Yosemite National Park in Mariposa County
Awarded
This collaboration, in partnership with California State Parks and the California Arts Council, inspires artwork, installations, performances and activities created specifically for our parks. Grant funds support artists, culture bearers, California Native American tribes, individuals and their local host organizations in developing unique works that reflect on our past and help us reimagine what’s possible.
Candlestick Point
Undergoes Resurgence
State parks located in urban settings have particular significance, as they are often situated in or near communities historically overlooked or underserved. These parks can face unique challenges stemming from a lack of resources or social and environmental issues.
Parks California collaborates closely with park staff, local community and nonprofits to empower the Bayview-Hunters Point community to reclaim Candlestick Point.
Candlestick Point’s historic shoreline offers myriad activities — fishing, biking, bird watching, hiking and windsurfing — and, for decades, it thrived as a hub for 49ers tailgate parties. However, changes over recent years left the community feeling disconnected from this cherished space. Together with State Parks partners, forward-thinking donors and community leaders focused on solutions, Candlestick Point is rebounding — filled with activities, laughter and community.
Candlestick Point Undergoes Resurgence
Using Data to Protect Wildlife and Lands
Through our Climate and Stewardship programs, we deliver more resilient forests and coastlines, stronger capacity within tribal and local partner organizations and cost-effective, preventive stewardship that protects biodiversity and park infrastructure.
Wilder Ranch State Park in Santa Cruz County
Through our Climate and Stewardship programs, we deliver more resilient forests and coastlines, stronger capacity within tribal and local partner organizations and cost-effective, preventive stewardship that protects biodiversity and park infrastructure.
Using Data to Protect Wildlife and Lands
Shorebirds Need Habitat Protection
Take the Western Snowy Plover — one of the nation’s rarest shorebirds. Consistent data collection is essential to their protection. In partnership with Point Blue Conservation Science, we helped develop standardized monitoring protocols and a shared data platform that now connects researchers and park scientists from Washington state to Baja California. With real-time access to nesting and migration data, teams can act faster to safeguard habitats and guide restoration efforts with greater precision.
By combining scientific innovation with deep community partnerships, we can help California’s wild places adapt and thrive for generations to come.
Donor support powers our Climate Fellows program, which brings emerging science leaders into California State Parks to activate climate strategies and strengthen regional collaboration. In 2024, Parks California’s Climate Fellows helped integrate climate science into real-world park planning — supporting projects like Big Basin’s long-term recovery by identifying future facility locations that are more resilient to wildfire and other climate threats.
Mt. Diablo State Park in Contra Costa County
Parks California launched a partnership with East Bay Stewardship Network, a coalition working to protect more than 225,000 acres of natural lands across Alameda and Contra Costa counties. This region — home to more than 2.8 million people — is also rich in biodiversity, from burrowing owls to majestic mountain lions.
Partners Focus on Aquatic Habitats
Parks California joined Trout Unlimited in a multi‑year initiative to restore cold‑water fish and salmon habitats across key California State Park’s watersheds, rivers and streams that flow through our parks. Together, we’re creating statewide restoration strategies to remove fish passage barriers and reconnect streams and floodplains that sustain life above and below the surface.
Our Parks of the Future efforts drive forward-thinking solutions — from innovative planning and design to career training and tech innovations — that meet the needs of a changing California.
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park in Mendocino County
Our Parks of the Future efforts drive forward-thinking solutions — from innovative planning and design to career training and tech innovations — that meet the needs of a changing California.
Science Behind Protecting Public Lands
Parks California turns science into action, helping our state parks protect public lands, delicate ecosystems and fragile species.
California Gray Wolf sitting in field in an undisclosed state park.
Working with State Parks staff and conservation experts, we launched an easy-to-use visitor use management toolkit that shows park teams how small changes — like rerouting trails or timing access — can keep soil, plants and wildlife safe, even when millions of people come to explore each year.
Good choices need good information. In the fall, we deployed a user-friendly dashboard with the California State Parks Natural Resource Division, streamlining research permit processes and collecting details and learnings from every study in our 280 parks into one searchable hub. That means park managers and scientists spend less time on paperwork and more time caring for our precious public lands.
Brannan Island State Recreation Area in Sacramento County
Creating Paths to Future Careers
Tomorrow’s state parks need today’s workforce to be inspired by nature and prepared to lead.
Parks California’s Career Pathways grant program supports early-career adults and those exploring new directions by investing in local and tribal partners that offer hands-on learning in areas like wildfire resilience, trail building, habitat restoration and visitor services. These grantees also connect participants to job networks and provide career guidance, helping more people see parks as part of their future.
Inclusive Planning
We bring together scientists, park planners, community members and other experts to think big about reimagining state parks, like Big Basin Redwoods that sustained significant damage after the CZU Lightning Fires.
Journal for community members to capture ideas for Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County.
From GIS planning and trail rehabilitation to new innovations in fire resiliency and new ways to think about park experiences, inclusive planning ensures everyone’s voice is heard.
Grantee Spotlight
Career Development in Action
Grantee Greater Valley Conservation Corps provides youth with employment opportunities, green jobs training and life skills development.
SAMO Youth journaling at Big Basin
Grantee Spotlight
Santa Monica Mountains Fund
The SAMO Youth Program, which provides employment and mentorship for diverse college students in the Los Angeles area, hosted an outdoor service project at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, serving 23 participants who contributed 120+ hours of service to their community, including a quarter mile of trail maintenance and removal of invasive plant species. They then camped in the park, with many experiencing sleeping under the stars for the first time.
“One of the most memorable moments from this summer is the Big Basin work-camping trip. It was fun doing recreational activities such as hiking and swimming in the creek during our free time because I don’t usually do those activities back home. I felt very reconnected and grounded with nature and will take all that I have learned back to share with my family and friends.”
— Participant, Kaitlin L.
By the Numbers
$5.4M+
in grants to local and tribal organizations
Working hand-in-hand within our communities through nonprofit, governmental and tribal organizations, Parks California centers local needs and goals for state parks through its signature grant programs. In 2024:
Revenue $10M
73%
State Government
$7.3M
14%
Other
$1.3M
11%
Foundations
$1.1M
2%
Donors
$206K
Expenses $10.9M
86%
Program
$9.3M
10%
Development
$1.3M
4%
Management & General
$480K
Programs $9.3M
59%
Access and Belonging
$5.5M
28%
Parks of the Future
$2.6M
13%
Climate and Stewardship
$1.2M
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Philanthropy Connects
People to Nature
2024 Tour de Parks California
Doing Good in Nature
Baywood Artists Show
Tour de Parks California offered outdoor enthusiasts an opportunity to hike, camp, kayak, bike and paint while taking in the stunning beauty of our coastline and supporting California’s state parks.
Community events like these are important reminders to us all to build a future where every child feels welcome in nature, every family finds adventure close to home and every park thrives. Your support makes that future possible.
Philanthropic Partners
Nature doesn’t just need visitors — it needs champions. Stand with Parks California to ensure our parks remain vibrant, accessible and resilient for all. Thank you to our philanthropic partners for their investment in our state parks.
“Parks California is reconnecting communities to parks in ways that are designed to be inclusive and lasting. Their efforts at Candlestick Point in San Francisco show what’s possible when public spaces are revitalized with the participation of local voices. We’re proud to support their work and encourage others to invest in this powerful model for community-driven planning that centers the needs and cultural vibrancy of the area.”
— Samantha Campbell, President, The Campbell Foundation
Parks California is a proud beneficiary of funds from corporations that are committed to supporting people and the planet.
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Get Involved
Volunteer Leadership
Parks California brings together leaders from across the state who invest their time and expertise in helping us promote, protect and preserve our state parks. Members of our Board of Directors and Advisory Committee are stalwart advocates for park access and bring their passion for park sustainability to bear so that future generations will be able to enjoy these special places.
Kindley Walsh Lawlor
Ex-officio Board Member
Kindley Walsh Lawlor joined Parks California as its inaugural president and CEO in 2018. Through her leadership, Parks California designs and creates partnerships to support parks, implements best practices to scale sustainable and future-forward solutions and fosters inclusive experiences to better engage the public, younger generations and underserved communities.
Deanna Mackey
Chair
Michael Mantell
Vice Chair
José G. González
Treasurer
Rosie Clayburn Katri
Secretary
Steve Lockhart
Founding Board Chair
Rick Keating
Board Member
Adam Verdin
Board Member
Michael Camuñez
Board Member
Helen Hernandez
Board Member
Amy Dominguez-Arms
Board Member
Michele Perrault
Ex-officio Board Member
Armando Quintero
Ex-officio Board Member
Advisory Council
Lauren B. Dachs
Erica Flores Baltodano, Esq.
Dr. Caryl Hart
Doug Mcconnell
Dawn Ortiz-Legg
Sharon Farrell
Sean Woods
Michael Campbell
Louise Stephens
Board of Directors
“Parks California is helping us rise to the moment — supporting California State Parks with both urgent needs and long-term resilience. Through this unique partnership, we’re able to test new ideas, scale proven solutions and ensure community voices are central to the planning process, especially as we face increasing threats to the lands we cherish.
Parks California brings deep expertise, trusted local relationships and forward- thinking approaches that turn bold ideas into real-world results. Whether it’s guiding young people toward careers in conservation or expanding a climate resilience pilot across our entire park system, Parks California is helping us safeguard these treasured places — ensuring they remain welcoming, vibrant and sustainable for generations to come.”
Choose how to get involved
State parks are more than places. They’re powerful gateways to health, connection and discovery. Our parks are part of California’s identity, and it’s up to all of us to ensure they remain open, vibrant and welcoming for everyone and everything that calls them home.