working lands Archives

The Roots Program Celebrates its First Birthday

One year ago, we announced that California’s Wildlife Conservation Board had awarded Point Blue $26 million over four years to advance wildlife-beneficial conservation practices on farms, ranches, and other working landscapes across the state. Since then, we’ve launched the Roots Program to carry this work forward at Point Blue. We’ve been hard at work building

One Year In! Twelve Months of Restoration Impact Across California

One year ago, we announced the exciting news that the California Wildlife Conservation Board had awarded Point Blue two substantial block grants totaling $50 million to restore ecosystems on California’s working lands and Sierra meadows over four years. So, what’s happened over the past 12 months? A lot!

Groundbreaking Awards Will Accelerate Restoration Across California

We are thrilled to share the news that the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) has awarded Point Blue two major restoration-oriented block grants. In total, the two grants represent $50 million over four years for science-based restoration with particular focus on community engagement, research, and equity building across California.

Partnering with Microbes to Predict Changes in Soil Carbon

In efforts to address climate change and identify ways to reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses like CO2 in the atmosphere, one key place to include is below our feet: the soil. Soil organic carbon is a central component of soil health. A 2020 study showed that soil carbon represents 25% of the potential of natural climate solutions.

Major USDA Grant to Support Climate-Smart Agriculture

In September, the USDA announced a huge new pot of funding, sending $2.8 billion to 70 climate-smart agriculture projects. Each project aims, in its own way, to support the production of climate-smart commodities, which are defined as those that are produced using practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or sequester carbon. We’re excited to share

Science News: Guiding Renewable Energy, Celebrating Climate Legislation, and much more

Biden Signs Landmark Climate Bill On August 16th, 2022 President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. Although it’s not perfect, it is the biggest, most important piece of federal climate legislation to date. It encompasses clear and actionable policy to drive the needed investment to decarbonize our economy emissions. Importantly, the bill clearly prioritizes

Science News: Major advance in whale protection and much more…

Encouraging News for Whales We’re thrilled to report a major advance in our collaboration to protect whales. For over a decade, reducing deadly collisions between cargo ships and whales has been a priority for the Point Blue Oceans team. In 2017, we published a seminal paper showing that the actual number of whale deaths from

Planning for Change: New Tools to Support Bird Habitat in the Central Valley

How can water managers in California’s Central Valley make sure enough water is allocated to birds as the region faces changing climate patterns while still helping the state reach its ambitious 30×30 conservation goals? New planning tools are here to help.

Point Blue Expands Work in Fire Ecology

We’re pleased to announce Point Blue’s first ever Fire Stewardship Ecologist position which has been filled (and co-created to a large extent) by former Sonoma-Marin Partner Biologist Taj Hittenberger. This is an exciting step for both Taj and Point Blue in the direction of further incorporating fire into our conservation efforts.

Science News: Birds in the Valley, Restoration in the City

Teaming up for Drought Response As Californians work to address the increasing threat of severe drought as part of climate change, Point Blue is playing a critical role in making sure that waterbirds have a voice at the table. Over the last three months, and continuing into this winter, Point Blue, in partnership with The

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