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Split image of an owl on a branch versus an empty branch - with the words Choose it or Lose it.
Choose it. Or Lose it. The Nature Conservancy has a vision for a climate resilient California and we have a plan to make it a reality. © TNC
Stories in California

Choose It. Or Lose It.

Nature’s future is our future. Protect it.

April 07, 2023

Climate change is here and we are at a crossroads. We can take action or let life in our state become unbearable. From catastrophic megafires to the whiplash between drought and flooding, these disasters have become our new normal, but with an investment in nature-based climate solutions, we can create a better future.

Nature-based climate solutions can achieve one-third of the global greenhouse gas reductions needed to make our climate safer, while also protecting the species with whom we share this planet. But in order to make this happen, we need your support. Check out our plan below and sign our pledge as a first step towards building a climate resilient California. 

Our Plan for California

California Preserves

One of the best ways to learn about conservation is to witness it firsthand by spending time on a preserve. Learn about the Places We Protect and find a preserve near you.

Poppies on a field with an Oak in the background.
California Spring A sunset after a rain in California poppy covered hills. © Jay Huang/TNC Photo Contest 2019
A fisher stands in the water of the McCloud River.
McCloud River Preserve The Kerry Landreth Preserve at McCloud River: A Legacy for Nature and People © Levi Miller
A person stands under a rock overhang on Dye Creek.
Dye Creek A rock overhang on Dye Creek Preserve. © Sue Pollock
A kayaker passes by a lone harbor seal pup.
Scenic views of the rolling green hills and oak trees.
Tehachapi Corridor Scenic views of the rolling green hills and oak trees of the Tollhouse Ranch located in the heart of the Tehachapi corridor, California. Over the last four years, a consortium of landowners and conservation groups has worked to protect a vital 50-mile wildlife corridor through the Tehachapi range. And last year, when the Conservancy purchased the 15,000-acre Tollhouse Ranch, the deal secured the final link in a 270,000-acre ecological corridor that joins the vast ecosystems to the east, west, north and south. © Ian Shive
Poppies on a field with an Oak in the background.
California Spring A sunset after a rain in California poppy covered hills. © Jay Huang/TNC Photo Contest 2019

Introduction

California Land Protection

Our team uses land protection as a strategic tool to fight climate change and help species navigate unavoidable climate impacts. Keep scrolling to learn about some of our key preserves.

A fisher stands in the water of the McCloud River.
McCloud River Preserve The Kerry Landreth Preserve at McCloud River: A Legacy for Nature and People © Levi Miller

Northern California

The Kerry Landreth Preserve, McCloud River

The McCloud snakes its way down a scenic canyon beneath the rugged slopes of 14,000-foot Mount Shasta. The cool waters of the river roil with life. In the spring, clouds of emerging insects dance across the waters as they hatch, and trout are driven to fits of feeding frenzy. The McCloud has been a fisherman's paradise ever since its original inhabitants, the Wintu Indians, speared and trapped salmon and steelhead as the fish made their seasonal journeys from the sea.

A person stands under a rock overhang on Dye Creek.
Dye Creek A rock overhang on Dye Creek Preserve. © Sue Pollock

Central Valley

Dye Creek Preserve

The 37,540-acre Gray Davis Dye Creek Preserve is a refuge encompassing untilled valley grasslands and rugged Lassen foothills. Protecting virtually the entire Dye Creek watershed and a diverse array of life, these wild lands are the centerpiece in a mosaic of properties safeguarding wildlife migratory pathways over land, in the water and by air.

A kayaker passes by a lone harbor seal pup.

Central Coast

Elkhorn Slough Reserve

Meandering seven miles inland from the coast in the center of the picturesque Monterey Bay, the Elkhorn Slough harbors the largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California outside of San Francisco Bay. Estuaries—areas where fresh water meets salt water—are among the most productive habitats in the biological world, able to support many animal species.

Scenic views of the rolling green hills and oak trees.
Tehachapi Corridor Scenic views of the rolling green hills and oak trees of the Tollhouse Ranch located in the heart of the Tehachapi corridor, California. Over the last four years, a consortium of landowners and conservation groups has worked to protect a vital 50-mile wildlife corridor through the Tehachapi range. And last year, when the Conservancy purchased the 15,000-acre Tollhouse Ranch, the deal secured the final link in a 270,000-acre ecological corridor that joins the vast ecosystems to the east, west, north and south. © Ian Shive

San Andreas Linkage

Frank and Joan Randall Preserve

Just one hundred miles north of downtown Los Angeles, this vast stretch of land is a critical link in a wildlife corridor that spans not just California but the entire west coast of North America from Mexico to Alaska. The Randall Preserve is a critical lifeline for hundreds of species, including some of our state’s most iconic like the black bear, mountain lion, bobcat and endangered California condor. In the face of climate change, this region will be more important than ever.

Our Lands McCloud Dye Creek Elkhorn Tehachapi
Fishing guide and Yurok tribal member, Pergish Carlson, stands atop a tree trunk and looks at the forests around the Klamath River in northern California.
Forest Carbon Offset Program Fishing guide and Yurok tribal member, Pergish Carlson, stands atop a tree trunk and looks at the forests around the Klamath River in northern California. © Kevin Arnold
Nature is Our Solution (1:33) Ewan McGregor voices TNC's video anthem, filmed in critical ecosystems across California. Experience nature’s role in addressing threats like wildfire and poor air quality and see TNC’s science in action.

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