Projects

These are just some of the projects Redwood Parks Conservancy helped fund in the recent past. Project funding comes from: sales in our park stores, fundraising event proceeds and donations from individuals and foundations. We also manage grants from government and philanthropic sources for our partners, giving them added flexibility to do more valuable work in the parks.

5th of July Beach Cleanup

A project to clean up the beach was carried out on July 5th of this year. Each year, Crescent City and Del Norte County welcome anywhere between 5,000 to 15,000 visitors to celebrate the 4th of July. An important attraction among the impressive program of events is the beach, where as many as 1,000 people can congregate. In 2023, 60+ volunteers participated in our event to pick up this trash and keep our beaches clean. Volunteers were given gloves, bags, and vests to aid them in their efforts to collect as much trash from the beaches as possible. Refreshments and lunch were also provided to thank our amazing volunteers. We cleaned up 3,290 pounds of trash and firework debris in just 3 short hours. 

California Condor Reintroduction

After 100 years, California Condors have returned to the redwood skies! Thanks to donations to our fundraiser, RPC raised $42,000 towards this effort to provide housing for the Great Basin Institute Interns who monitor and track the birds, funds to repair and replace tracking technology, and educational materials to inform visitors about these endangered birds struggle, the Yurok Peoples’ connection to the Condors and how to protect the birds’ habitat. Learn more about the status of the project here.

Titaneers

Located near Crescent City, CA, the Grove of Titans is home to a towering grove of ancient coastal redwoods that include some of the world’s tallest trees. Officially opened to the public last May, the Grove of Titans features a raised walkway that allows visitors to experience this incredible section of forest while protecting the delicate understory and shallow root system that had been damaged by years of off-trail activity. The Titaneers, a group of volunteer interpreters and monitors, play a critical role in the continued preservation of the Grove of Titans’ delicate ecosystem by keeping visitors on the trail, providing important information on trail conditions, preventing vandalism, and so much more. Become a Titaneer today!

Experience Nature

Experience Nature is a new project aimed at having some fun engaging activities in the park for people of all abilities! These activities are open to the public with a special emphasis on getting people with intellectual and or developmental disabilities outside in nature and making friends! We are so passionate about this, that we will be creating new events each month for the community! We are even offering limited transportation on a first come first served basis to Redwood Coast Regional Center (RCRC) clients. We will be welcoming feedback from our visitors about how to make the parks more accessible for all to enjoy! Wander with Wonder each Tuesday in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park from 11am - 1pm and each Thursday in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park - Simpson Reed Trail. Experience Nature program events are on Wednesdays from 11am-1pm and will take place in a different location in RNSP each week. Follow us on Facebook to find out more about upcoming events in this series.

North Coast Junior Lifeguards

This California State Parks program, running for the 7th year in Humboldt County and the 3rd year in Del Norte County, offers kids aged 8 through 18 a hands-on education in ocean safety and recreation via one and two week sessions. Throughout the months of June, July and August, a North Coast Junior Lifeguard begins their day with stretches and an assessment of the ocean’s conditions, in preparation for the day’s events. Events can include activities like run-swim-runs, buoy swims, boogie boarding, body surfing, surfing, lectures on topics such as lifeguard skills (rescues and first aid), and shoreline games and activities. Each activity is designed to educate the Junior Guard on how to maneuver the ever-changing conditions of the ocean, the importance of a daily workout, and aim to maximize enjoyment of living along the coast. Thanks to the success of the Junior Lifeguards program here on the North Coast, a total of 13 instructors this season are former Junior Lifeguards themselves. Four hundred kids from our community became Junior Lifeguards just this season alone! RPC is proud to have supported this program since 2017.

David’s Chair

Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) and Redwood Parks Conservancy (RPC) recently celebrated the arrival of a new Actiontrack electric all-terrain track chair to assist visitors with mobility challenges in exploring the trails and grandeur of the old growth redwood forests of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. This new chair has been made possible thanks to a partnership with David’s Chair Outdoor Mobility Systems (David’s Chair) a 501 (C)3 non-profit organization whose mission is “to enrich the lives of mobility impaired people with independence and freedom by empowering them to engage in outdoor activities they previously were unable to, free of charge.” The track chair based out of Prairie Creek Visitor Center is the first location in California where David’s Chair has a permanent location for one of its chairs. Make your reservation today.

California State Parks Foundation

The Forests for All program, funded by the California State Parks Foundation, made wilderness exploration accessible for anyone who wanted to participate. For many, the cost of camping or backpacking gear is prohibitive and keeps people out of the parks. Transportation can also be a limiting factor for those who desire to visit. This grant aimed to remove those obstacles by providing the gear necessary for day trips, camping, or backpacking, and offering free transportation to and from the parks. 

National Park Foundation 

This grant project helped connect kids to parks and covered costs for busing in students from Humboldt and Del Norte counties as well as from Southern Oregon. Fourth through Sixth graders were able to come into the parks and experience firsthand the uni que ecosystem of the Coastal redwoods. Without this funding, schools would not have been able to provide these field trips. Children were able to experience the majesty of the redwoods firsthand and learn principles such as conservation, interdependence, adaptation, and the scientific method. Some of the classes were able to camp in the park, providing an immersive nature experience. Some students had never camped before, making this experience one they will remember for a lifetime. 

Habitat Enhancement for the Western Snowy Plover

This grant project aims to enhance snowy plover breeding habitat at Gold Bluffs Beach by establishing and maintaining oyster shell patches. The project will study predator responses, degradation rates, and snowy plover usage of the shell patches in order to develop an effective long-term habitat enhancement program. Over 3-5 years, the project seeks to attract snowy plover breeding and improve reproductive success by making nest sites less visible to predators using oyster shell camouflage.

Oregon Silverspot Butterfly Habitat ( 5 Projects)

This grant project aims to restore and enhance habitat for the endangered Oregon silverspot butterfly in Tolowa Dunes State Park through removing invasive plants like European beachgrass, enhancing native nectar plants and violet host plants, and mapping and monitoring habitat conditions over 2 years. The restored habitat will support a future reintroduced Oregon silverspot butterfly population as part of a recovery effort by California State Parks and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The project objectives are to remove invasive plants, plant violets, seed native nectar plants, and monitor habitat responses.

GIS Internships

The GIS Internship project employed GIS interns to work on mapping, linear referencing, channel classification, and deriving new data from LiDAR to guide watershed restoration in Redwood National Park. The project was delayed by COVID-19 restrictions, but has made progress on mapping, developing a new stream linear referencing system, classifying channel types, and analyzing LiDAR data, while also creating tools to synchronize GIS data across agencies. Though delayed, the project has achieved its goals of developing GIS datasets to support park watershed restoration efforts.

Department of Developmental Services

The Development Services project aims to increase access to northern California's parks and natural areas for youth with disabilities through programs including training for parents and caregivers to become outdoor educators, providing person-centered planning tools, enhancing culturally responsive programs, highlighting local Native American and environmental history, and offering outdoor recreational experiences. Activities will include visiting Redwood National/State Parks, camping, art classes, and career exploration, while partnering with tribes, schools, and disability agencies. The goal is to connect underserved youth ages 21 and under to nature for health, education, career, and stewardship benefits.

Care for Shared Lands

The Care for Shared Lands project consisted of a guided hike led by a Tolowa Dee-Ni' representative through Tolowa Dunes State Park to view wildflowers, marine mammals, and learn about the natural and cultural history of the Tolowa people. The hike included installing land acknowledgement signs and concluded with a traditional Tolowa Dee-Ni’ lunch to share Tolowa history, culture, and connection to the land. By hiking together and learning from Tolowa guides, participants gained appreciation for the Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation and their enduring relationship with the park lands.

Invasive Plant Removal at Trinidad

The Invasive Plant Removal project removed invasive, non-native plant species threatening sensitive native habitats at Trinidad State Beach through community work days focused on manually eliminating targeted invasive plants like pampas grass, Scotch broom, and English ivy. By engaging volunteers in habitat restoration, the project aimed to restore native plant communities, especially Pacific reed grass and native shrublands, while educating participants about invasive species impacts and control methods for future stewardship. The goal was to revitalize sensitive native plant habitats at Trinidad State Beach through collaborative invasive plant removal.

Watershed Wednesday

The Watershed Wednesday project offered guided morning and afternoon kayak paddles down part of the Smith River through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park where participants received paddle instruction, interpretive talks on river ecology and geology from rangers, and lunch with discussions of park stewardship efforts. Participants met for kayak fittings and safety instructions, then hiked to the put-in to paddle Class I-II whitewater to the take-out. The guided paddles provided an educational river recreation experience highlighting the Smith River watershed.

Rim Trail bridge replacement and Reroute

The Rim Trail in Sue-Meg State Park is a 1.7 mile section of trail that is part of a wider network of trails in the area. Years ago, a bridge along the trail was damaged by erosion and became unsafe for hikers. The bridge was removed, replaced by a seasonal pipe bridge. The pipe bridge is now being replaced by a new, permanent footbridge, and part of the trail will be rerouted to reestablish trail continuity. This project will improve visitor experience on this trail and make it safer for hikers. 

Aquatics Department 

The North Coast Junior Lifeguard program gives local youth the opportunity to learn important skills such as first aid, CPR, rescue skills, and ocean safety. The program is inclusive for children and youth across the spectrum of mental and physical abilities, and also aims to include kids from low income and underserved populations. Junior lifeguards also learn about ecology by exploring the coastline and hearing talks from Park Rangers about how to care for these lands.

Summer Ranger

The Summer Ranger program employs three local high school students from Del Norte County from June through the end of August. These students learn new skills that will be valuable to them as they continue their education and eventually seek other employment. 

Grove of the Titans “Be a Forest Friend” Signage

Funds were allocated to create 250 signs to encourage visitors to “Be a Forest Friend.” These signs will increase ecological awareness and responsibility in visitors and lead to greater understanding of conservation in this area. With greater understanding, these lands will continue to be protected for generations to come.