Climate Resilience Through Habitat Restoration

Many species of California pollinators and other wildlife are in peril due in large part to habitat loss and climate change.  Restoring habitat and reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change are necessary to increase our wildlife’s ability to survive the effects of climate change. 

For this project, CARCD assembled a large block grant of 42 Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) from across California, with the support of expert partner organizations, to expand monarch, pollinator, and other wildlife habitat on public and private lands and to assist landowners in the implementation of carbon farm practices that create habitat and sequester carbon. As the grant recipient, CARCD sub-contracts to RCDs and partners to carry out the work on the ground. We manage and administer the overall project, reducing the administrative burden for our Resource Conservation District community. 

The project leverages experience and resources gained through recent technical assistance and habitat installation projects for monarchs/pollinators and carbon farm plans (funded by WCB and other sources) along with our growing number of partnerships with expert organizations, agencies, and landowners/managers to ensure efficient and effective projects that will increase climate resilience and support the survival of California wildlife. Partner organizations included in this proposal will support multiple RCDs in their work by providing technical assistance and guidance in planning, implementation, and monitoring; capacity building, and by increasing and ensuring the availability of native plant materials.

Participating RCDs: 

  • Amador (supporting Tuolumne and Calaveras)
  • Guadalupe Coyote/Northern Santa Clara
  • San Diego
  • Red Boot Ecology (Butte County)
  • Humboldt
  • San Mateo
  • Coarsegold
  • Inland Empire
  • Santa Cruz
  • Coastal San Luis
  • Lake
  • Santa Monica Mountains
  • Colusa
  • Madera-Chowchilla
  • Sierra
  • Contra Costa
  • Marin
  • Solono
  • Dixon
  • Mariposa
  • Sonoma
  • East Merced
  • Mendocino
  • Sutter
  • East Stanislaus
  • Mission
  • Tehama
  • Eastern Kern
  • Monterey
  • Upper Salinas - Las Tablas
  • Georgetown Divide
  • Napa
  • West Hilmar - Valley Eco
  • Gold Ridge
  • Placer
  • West Stanislaus
  • Grasslands
  • Riverside Corona
  • Western Shasta
  • Greater San Diego
  • San Benito
  • Yolo

Participating Partners:

  • Audubon
  • Carbon Cycle Institute
  • Heritage Growers
  • Monarch Joint Venture
  • Point Blue Conservation Science
  • Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Children are planting a seedling together in a sunny outdoor setting, promoting teamwork and environmental care.
Planting Day at a Pajaro River farm - San Benito RCD
A green caterpillar rests on a leafy plant, surrounded by dry grass and a clear blue sky. Nature scene with potential butterfly.
Yolo County RCD has success with their first year plantings.
A group of six people stands on a dry, open area with boxes and metal materials in the foreground against a clear sky.
Staff at Riverside-Corona RCD build a greenhouse for their native plant nursery program, which creates jobs while providing a source of native plants for restoration efforts.
A group of people is volunteering to plant in a garden area, working together in an outdoor setting.
Mission RCD planting day installing a hedgerow at a school for differently abled individuals. The hedgerow will not only provide beautiful landscaping and pollinator habitat, but it will help reduce dust drift into the school from a neighboring farm.
Children are planting a seedling together in a sunny outdoor setting, promoting teamwork and environmental care.
A green caterpillar rests on a leafy plant, surrounded by dry grass and a clear blue sky. Nature scene with potential butterfly.
A group of six people stands on a dry, open area with boxes and metal materials in the foreground against a clear sky.
A group of people is volunteering to plant in a garden area, working together in an outdoor setting.