Wildlife Conservation Board

🏖️ From all of us at the Wildlife Conservation Board, we wish Mary Ahern a very happy retirement!

Mary has spent the better part of the last decade as WCB’s administrative assistant, coordinating everything from quarterly board meetings, board member and staff travel, to running our day-to-day operations.

📥 Mary started her state service career with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife before moving down the hall to WCB in 2018. Prior to that, she spent over 30 years in the private sector working in environmental consulting.

✈️ Retirement will give Mary time for travel with her husband and extended family, gardening, and even more travel! We will miss you, Mary! Thank you for everything!

California Natural Resources Agency Celebrates Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Connecting with AAPI Trailblazers Advancing Climate Action and Equity in California.

This AAPI Heritage Month, join Secretary Wade Crowfoot for a conversation honoring AAPI leaders advancing climate action, expanding access to nature, and helping build a stronger, more inclusive California for future generations.

Register at the link in our bio and watch the next Secretary Speaker Series featuring the Wildlife Conservation Board’s own Damon Nagami on the panel this Friday, May 29 from 12:00-1:00 p.m.

https://ca-water-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Zn-8OqBFSQi8j2GmtEs_7A?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

About Damon:

Damon Nagami was appointed to the Wildlife Conservation Board by former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon in August 2021 and reappointed by Speaker Robert Rivas in February 2025.

He is a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and senior director of equity and justice initiatives within NRDC’s Environment, Equity & Justice Center, which focuses on advancing community-driven solutions in partnership with frontline and environmental justice groups.

Today, we pause to honor and remember the brave individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Forever grateful. Forever remembered.

Ready for Liftoff: 6,000 Acres of Floodplain Restoration are Shovel Ready - River Partners River Partners ready to double acreage of restored floodplains in the Central Valley, boosting critical habitat, flood safety, groundwater supplies

🚨📰🗞️ Big news for monarch butterflies whose western population has catastrophically declined in recent years: A group of 13 state and federal agencies - which includes the and - have highlighted key actions and research needs aimed at catalyzing western monarch butterfly conservation in California.

The Multi-Agency Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative’s “Conservation Priorities for western monarchs in California” report identifies five top-priority actions for the next three years:

‼️ Develop common monarch habitat definitions for the west

‼️ Track implementation and success of habitat projects

‼️ Centralize existing pollinator resources

‼️ Increase native plant availability for restoration projects

‼️ Develop a demographic model to identify vulnerabilities in the western monarch life cycle

🏦🔬📝 The report also underscores the need for sustained state investment. Since 2018, the Wildlife Conservation Board has awarded more than $10 million to restore and enhance monarch and pollinator habitat across California through its Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Rescue Program, with additional support available through Proposition 4.

🔗 For more information, visit the links in bio.

📖 Read the full report here:
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=243893

📚 To learn more about the California Multi-Agency Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative, visit:
https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invertebrates/Monarch-Butterfly/MultiAgency-Collaborative

📸 1 (Report cover):
Courtesy of CDFW

📸 2 (Monarch glove held):
Courtesy of Hillary Sardinas/CDFW

📸3 (Tagged glove hand):
Courtesy of Hillary Sardinas/CDFW

📸4 (Monarch):
Courtesy of Hillary Sardinas/CDFW

📸5 (Phacelia blooming at Bird Ranch):
Courtesy of Brian MacInnes/SJV Valley Eco via CDFW

📸6 (Blue tagged monarch lupine):
Courtesy of Hillary Sardinas/CDFW

The Wildlife Conservation Board has been working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and several other state and federal agencies to inform and promote integrated science, natural resource management, and policy that can increase the pace and scale of monarch and pollinator conservation throughout California.

The Multi-Agency Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative’s “Conservation Priorities for western monarchs in California” report also underscores the need for sustained state investment. Since 2018, the Wildlife Conservation Board has awarded more than $10 million to restore and enhance monarch and pollinator habitat across California through its Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Rescue Program, with additional support available through Proposition 4.

To learn more about monarch conservation, see the Collaborative’s web page: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invertebrates/Monarch-Butterfly/MultiAgency-Collaborative