Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

We're honored to see the Parks Conservancy’s internship programs featured in the High Line Network “Inspiration from the Field,” a strategic hub for infrastructure reuse projects and the people helping them come to life. “One of the main goals is to create welcoming and belonging spaces for individuals who come from communities that have been historically excluded from our field,” says Dennis Mabasa, Vice President of Community and Youth Programs at the Parks Conservancy. More than 350 San Francisco-area college students have completed a summer internship program designed to diversify leadership in public spaces and the environmental field, as the Parks Conservancy works to expand access to outdoor spaces through education and opportunity. To learn more, click the link: https://lnkd.in/gJPPWggk

Last week, Parks Conservancy and Alcatraz Island National Park Service staff attended and presented at FAN EXPO HQ in San Francisco, bridging historical interpretation and pop culture at the Moscone Center. Our staff was thrilled to bring our excitement around Alcatraz and the GGNRA to 700+ people, sparking new conversations about Alcatraz, its history, and its role as a global site of reflection. It's the crux of so much of what we do at the Parks Conservancy: utilizing education as an access point for people to connect with their public lands and historic landmarks. To learn more and plan your trip to Alcatraz, visit https://lnkd.in/gHqTvSjP

In honor of #NationalPhilanthropyDay tomorrow, we want to express gratitude to the 300 supporters who joined us at our Trails Forever Dinner this year. This event celebrates the trails, programs, and partnerships that power these beloved national parks. With the generous support of the participants, we raised nearly $1 million to fund improvements across more than 82,000 acres of parklands, from Alcatraz and Muir Woods to Mori Point and Crissy Field. As national parks face continued challenges, this support ensures that trails stay open, habitats stay healthy, and young leaders continue to find inspiration in the outdoors. To learn more and to give to the parks, visit parksconservancy.org.

The longest government shutdown in history is finally over. Thanks to the dedication of our Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy members, donors, volunteers, and park partners, beloved places like Alcatraz, Fort Point, and Muir Woods remained accessible to visitors from around the world throughout the shutdown. As rangers return and daily operations resume, we’ll be working closely with the National Park Service to assess conditions, address impacts, and care for the places that connect and inspire us all. There is still uncertainty about the full effects of the shutdown, and it will take all of us to ensure the long-term health of these national park sites. Your partnership strengthens these parks and helps us advance our vision of Parks For All Forever. Thank you for standing with us. To learn more and donate, visit parksconservancy.org.

When federal funding falters, park partners step up. But lasting resilience will take all of us. Parks Conservancy President and CEO Chris Lehnertz was featured on the National Parks Traveler podcast alongside Jacqueline Harp from Smokies Life, Eric Stiles from Friends of Acadia, and Cassius Cash from the Yosemite Conservancy to discuss how the shutdown has impacted parks and how friends groups supporting the parks have responded. If you care about the future of our country’s national parks and the National Park Service, you won't want to miss this: https://lnkd.in/gHecXx-9

Parks Conservancy Named 2025 Modern Luxury Philanthropy Award Winner!   Modern Luxury’s November Giving Issue highlights San Francisco’s leading philanthropies exemplifying the art of giving with purpose, enduring vision, shaping a brighter future for San Francisco and beyond. Parks Conservancy was recognized for our partnership with NPS and commitment to preserving the GGNRA. Especially now, the Parks Conservancy is leaning into our mission of ensuring national parks are accessible, inclusive, and thriving, and it's an honor to be recognized for this critical work. The iconic park sites of the GGNRA from Muir Woods to Crissy Field to Mori Point protect nature, power the Bay Area economy, and bring people together. From land stewardship and trail restoration to community and youth programming, climate resilience, wildlife protection, and shining a light on untold histories—the Parks Conservancy is a champion for these public lands and for the wildlife and communities relying on them. To support the Parks Conservancy, visit parksconservancy.org. See more at https://lnkd.in/g4ZvXcAZ

The Parks Conservancy is helping in every way we can, but our support isn't a permanent solution: As the 2025 federal government stretches on, hear our President & CEO Chris Lehnertz on today's KQED Forum discussing the shutdown's growing impacts on parks and federal workers: https://lnkd.in/gNmxgxi6 We believe parks should be open and welcoming—and it will take more than a band-aid fix. It takes partnership, steady federal support, and long-term commitment to keeping our parks strong for generations to come. Thank you for your support of the Parks Conservancy and national parks!

Reposting this impactful video starring our very own Climate Change Community Engagement Program Manager, Nopal Reyes, made for the Kilian Jornet Foundation. It's an honor to have our staff and mission recognized and elevated by like-minded organizations. “Reconnection begins with a simple truth: we are not visitors in nature; we are nature.⁠ ⁠ From glaciers carving their slow paths to forests breathing around us, rivers running through valleys and deserts shifting with the wind, every place we step into reminds us that healing the planet is inseparable from healing ourselves.⁠ ⁠ Reconnection is about exploring how art, tradition and community can strengthen our bond with nature. Together, we can learn from the land, protect it, and rebuild our relationship with it and with one another.⁠ ⁠ Video | @nickmdanielson⁠ Edit | @toni_perello⁠" ⁠ #NNormal #YourPathNoTrace #StatesofElevation

This season, the Parks Conservancy was proud to host an inspiring cohort of interns across our programs, from native plant nurseries to legal, tech, and community engagement. At their graduation, Kate Casale of the Student Conservation Association shared that in her decades of workforce development, she’s never seen a stronger program.   The interns said it best: “This wasn’t a steppingstone. It was like putting on a jetpack to my future.” From releasing endangered butterflies to reclaiming ancestral connections to the land, their work left a lasting mark on the parks, and on all of us. Thanks to the Student Conservation Association, everybody within the Parks Conservancy who hosted an intern, and to this amazing cohort!

Our commitment to these parklands remains strong, even in moments of uncertainty. As the shutdown continues, the Parks Conservancy is stepping up to keep beloved park sites open for visitors. Through collaboration with the Hornblower Group and Alcatraz City Cruises, we’ve made a donation to the National Park Service (NPS) that allows Alcatraz Island to stay open to park guests. Similarly, through a donation to the NPS we’re proud to help keep Fort Point open for a final weekend of the Black Gold exhibition. Now is a moment to come together and stand with the parks you love. Your involvement and generosity help keep them thriving. A donation of any size helps sustain the work to keep parks thriving. Thank you for your ongoing support for your public lands. To learn more and contribute, click the link: https://lnkd.in/g3SdM9KB