The Nature Conservancy in California

09/08/2026

Join us this Friday for a night of stars, nature and learning!

https://nature.ly/4pbctRG

09/03/2026

POV: You attend a bird walk at the Santa Clara River Preserve and spot more species than you thought possible 👀

See the red-tailed hawk, Anna's hummingbird and more by attending a bilingual bird walk at TNC’s Santa Clara River Preserve. Each expedition is led by Alexander Vaca, a bilingual biologist from the Ventura County Resource Conservation District with extensive knowledge of and experience with birds, amphibians and rare or protected flora.

This 2–3-mile nature walk will allow attendees to observe local bird species in their natural environment and learn about their ecology.

Our next bird walk will be Saturday, September 5 from 8:30 – 10:30am at the Santa Clara River Preserve (exact address provided on the event page).

To RSVP, visit: https://nature.ly/4zRouRd

See you there 🐤🦅🪶

All photos taken by Alexander Vaca.

09/02/2026

The BirdReturns Sandhill Crane Program is now accepting applications!

Greater Sandhill Cranes travel up to 400 miles a day to return to their wintering habitat in the wetlands of California’s Central Valley.

However, these wetlands are rapidly disappearing due to climate change and human disturbance. Today, more than 90% of those wetlands are gone.

For sandhill cranes and other migratory birds, it’s as if all the inns and homes along their route have gone dark, the “No Vacancy” signs lit.

The Sandhill Crane Program incentivizes farmers to create new habitat for these returning cranes. The goal is to complement existing habitat in the region with additional foraging and roosting habitat.

Participants play a vital role in creating and maintaining high-quality habitat for migrating sandhill cranes – all while receiving financial incentives.

Farmers and landowners interested in participating in the program can learn more and apply here: https://nature.ly/4yg3Poh

Applications will be accepted through September 11, 2026.

BirdReturns is made possible by The Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership, led by The Nature Conservancy, Audubon California and Point Blue Conservation Science.

09/01/2026

Trade the city lights for starlight at our final Dye Creek Preserve dark sky experience this summer ✨🌙

Our nighttime skies play an important role in supporting wildlife, healthy ecosystems and human well-being. But the prevalence of artificial light at night is steadily reducing natural darkness across the world and disrupting wildlife behavior, migration, pollination and habitat use.

At Dye Creek Preserve, we’re raising awareness of light pollution and the ways we can all protect natural darkness, so our communities and wildlife can enjoy the night sky as it’s meant to be.

Join us on September 11 for a stellar twilight sky tour and a conversation with Rodd Kelsey, Land Program Director for TNC in California, on why conservation organizations are paying greater attention to dark-sky preservation.

Please plan to arrive between 6:00 and 7:15pm. Guests are welcome to enjoy a sunset stroll along Dye Creek before we gather at 7:30pm for Rodd Kelsey’s talk, a twilight sky tour and telescope viewing.

Register to attend at the link below and scroll through to check out some amazing photos of our other dark sky experiences this summer 🌌

https://nature.ly/4pbctRG

08/28/2026

In California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, TNC and partners including the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy have been working with farmers to transition their farmland from corn to rice.

While corn has long been a staple crop in the region, it can worsen subsidence – the sinking of the land – and dry the Delta’s historically rich soil, releasing significant amounts of greenhouse gases in the process.

In contrast, because rice is grown in flooded fields, it brings moisture back into the Delta’s soil, helping to slow subsidence and store carbon.

The rice conversion program, which takes place at TNC’s Staten Island Preserve in the Delta, is a win-win for both people and nature: farmers can maintain viable operations while strengthening the Delta’s ecological resilience.

An added benefit: the rice fields act as “surrogate wetlands,” creating a vital overwintering site for sandhill cranes and stopover habitat for hundreds of thousands of other migratory birds traveling the Pacific Flyway.

“It’s sustainable, bird-friendly – that’s the future,” says Jerred Dixon, Director of Staten Island Preserve.

Read the full story at AgAlert: https://nature.ly/3Uq5J7a

08/27/2026

We’re thrilled to see that SB 1250, authored by Senator Dave Cortese, has reached Governor Newsom’s desk!

With SB 1250 on the Governor’s desk, we’re one step closer to preserving critical wildlife corridors while improving safety for both drivers and wildlife.

We urge the Governor's signature on this critical piece of legislation.

Governor Gavin Newsom will now have an opportunity to help save lives by helping to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions as my Senate Bill 1250 (SB 1250) reaches his desk, where it awaits his signature.

Every year, thousands of Californians are involved in crashes with wildlife, putting drivers, passengers, and our state's wildlife at risk. SB 1250 strengthens coordination between transportation agencies, wildlife experts, and local stakeholders to identify high-risk areas and support solutions that protect motorists while preserving critical wildlife corridors.

Thank you to The Nature Conservancy for sponsoring my bill and to our supportive partners at Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Green Foothills, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, Pew Charitable Trusts, and Wildlife Conservation Network .

To express your support and urge the Governor to sign SB 1250, go to the Governor’s Official Contact Page. Select “An Active Bill” under the request or comment options, and then select SB 1250 to log your support. Here’s the link: https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/

08/19/2026

For World Photography Day, we asked our team in California to share the moments in nature that inspire them most — from a striking Great Blue Heron posing in San Francisco to a beautiful sunset at Big Sur.

These images remind us how lucky we are to protect places this beautiful and how much wonder waits when we pause and look closely.

08/19/2026

08/11/2026

Ten years ago, the Santa Cruz Island fox made conservation history.

On August 11, 2016, the Santa Cruz Island fox, found only on Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park, was removed from the endangered species list, marking the fastest recovery of any mammal protected under the Endangered Species Act.

The comeback followed years of science, collaboration and coordinated conservation with partners including the National Park Service, Institute for Wildlife Studies, Santa Barbara Zoo, University of California, the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore balance to Santa Cruz Island.

A decade later, TNC and our partners continue monitoring and vaccinating Santa Cruz Island foxes, learning how this isolated species responds to disease, drought, intense rainfall and other environmental changes.

As restoration continues, we’re celebrating how far this small but mighty species has come and looking ahead to the next chapter.

Learn more about this incredible story of recovery: https://nature.ly/3UBRrgz

08/06/2026

Pronghorn, the fastest land mammal in North America and one of the last survivors of the Ice Age, once thrived on the Carrizo Plain, a vast grassland 60 miles east of San Luis Obispo. But a fractured landscape, changing climate and shrinking habitat threaten the livelihood of the Plain’s local population.

If the pronghorn are struggling, other animals that call Carrizo Plain home may soon be as well.

In Red Canary Magazine, reporter Nikolai Barkats joins TNC California’s Scott Butterfield and Ethan Inlander, as well as partners from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Cal Poly, on a journey into “California’s Serengeti” to spot the elusive pronghorn and learn more about the plant and animal conservation work happening on this extraordinary landscape.

Read the full story: https://nature.ly/4bvyANd

Photo 1 and 5: Brandon Swanson

Photos 2-4: Nikolai Barkats