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    Celebrate 30 Years of California Conservation

    Editorial TeamBy No Comments13 Mins Read
    Celebrate 30 Years of California Conservation

    1904

    First Audubon Chapter founded in California | Founded in 1904 as “California Audubon” after renowned field biologist Joseph Grinnell’s first Pasadena bird list was published, the organization became the first local Audubon chapter in California. In 1909, members held their first outdoor meeting in the Arroyo Seco, identifying 22 bird species, and the group adopted the name Pasadena Audubon Society to distinguish itself from other Audubon chapters.
    1939

    Building Audubon’s California Presence | In 1939, the Los Angeles Audubon Society created and began operating the San Gabriel River Wildlife Sanctuary in Whittier Narrows. By 1942, the National Audubon Society had established a small nature center there known as the Audubon Center of Southern California. Established as part of a major membership effort that also helped launch several new California chapters, the Audubon Center of Southern California later became the Whittier Narrows Nature Center, now operated by the County of Los Angeles, and served as a precursor to what is now the Audubon Center at Debs Park.


    1957 

    Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary | The center & sanctuary was established in 1957, securing a vital Bay habitat that would become a lasting place for bird conservation, stewardship, and community connection. 

    1968

    Audubon’s Western Regional Office (based in Sacramento) | The office was established in 1968, laying the foundation for a stronger and more sustained presence in California policy and conservation work.

    1970

    • 1970—The California Brown Pelican was federally listed as endangered in 1970 as DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) driven reproductive failure pushed the species into steep decline.
    • 1971—California adds state protection: California state-listed the Brown Pelican as endangered in 1971, reinforcing urgent efforts to protect the species from pesticide-driven decline.
    • 2009—Recovery after the DDT era: Brown Pelicans were removed from both the state and federal endangered species list in 2009 after a substantial recovery following the DDT ban in 1972.
    • 2025—Community science study advances Brown Pelican conservation: A scientific paper published in Marine Ornithology (2025) showed how volunteer surveys coordinated by Audubon California and Bird Alliance of Oregon helped reveal important patterns in Brown Pelican productivity, movement, and distribution across the West Coast. Drawing on counts conducted from 2016 to 2019, the study demonstrated the value of community science in informing conservation for this climate-vulnerable seabird.

    California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) | The act was established in 1970 as a statewide process for reviewing environmental impacts, considering alternatives, and reducing avoidable harm before projects move forward. For Audubon California, CEQA has long been an important law for protecting birds, wildlife, and communities from harmful development, and one that Audubon California, alongside California chapters, continues to work to uphold.


    California Endangered Species Act (CESA) | The protections were originally enacted in 1970 and updated in 1984, creating a strong state framework for protecting species at risk of extinction. CESA is an essential safeguard for birds and wildlife, helping protect species such as the Tricolored Blackbird, California Least Tern, and Least Bell’s Vireo. 

    1973

    Starr Ranch came under National Audubon stewardship in 1973, protecting an extraordinary Southern California landscape that would become central to research, restoration, and education.

    • 1997—Starr Ranch began upland invasive species control and restoration work, launching long-term efforts to improve habitat quality and ecological resilience.
    • 2000—Starr Ranch Field Ecology Programs, connecting people to science outdoors: Starr Ranch launched its Field Ecology Programs in 2000, creating hands-on opportunities for students and educators to learn through nature and science.
    • 2011 — Starr Ranch cougar research, deepening ecological understanding: A research partnership with UC Davis began at Starr Ranch in 2011, expanding understanding of mountain lions and broader ecological relationships across the landscape.

    1975

    Bobelaine Sanctuary | Established in 1975 through a donation from Bob and Elaine Crandall, the sanctuary helps protect rare Central Valley riparian habitat along the Feather River. Today, it is considered a “State Ecological Reserve” and an Important Bird Area.


    1976

    The California Coastal Act | The act created one of California’s most important conservation frameworks, to protect public access and helping safeguard coastal habitats and wildlife. Support for that vision reaches back even earlier: local coastal chapters, including Santa Barbara Audubon, were encouraging members to engage in 1972 around Proposition 20, the ballot initiative that helped lay the groundwork for the California Coastal Act. Audubon California has long supported and defended the Coastal Act’s promise, and in 2026, we are supporting the legislative resolution honoring its 50th anniversary.

    The Williams Sisters Ranch Sanctuary | Through the sisters’ donation, the sanctuary was established in 1976. The addition of this sanctuary protected working landscape to Audubon’s California sanctuary system. The 1,200-acre historic cattle ranch is located along Skyline Drive in Woodside, California. 


    1983

    Supreme Court Win for Mono Lake | Mono Lake’s ecosystem, essential to bird life, nearly collapsed in the 1980s. The City of Los Angeles began diverting four of Mono Lake’s five main creeks in 1941, and over the course of 40 years, the lake dropped 45 feet, increasing in salinity to the point where its brine shrimp almost couldn’t survive. The National Audubon Society, along with the Mono Lake Committee, brought suit, and in 1983 the California Supreme Court ruled it was the state’s duty to safeguard the environment for all, even if that meant a shuffling of once-inviolable water rights. This was an unprecedented decision, a landmark for the environmental movement, and Mono’s level was stabilized. 


    1987

    A Last Resort for California Condors | As California Condors hovered on the brink, Audubon advocated for the controversial decision to bring the last wild birds into captivity—a critical step toward recovery and reintroduction. 

    California Condor #20 is the oldest living condor in the wild and one of the last surviving birds born in the wild before the remaining population was brought into captivity to begin the breeding program. Captured in 1985, #20 later sired more than 30 chicks that were released back into the wild, and he was released in 2015. 

    • 1988—California Condor captive breeding begins to turn the tide:
      The first condor chick hatched in captivity in 1988, marking a pivotal milestone in rebuilding a species once perilously close to extinction.
    • 2007—AB 821: Audubon California, with legislative and conservation partners, helped lead the push for AB 821, which passed in 2007. The law eliminated the use of lead ammunition in the range of the California Condor—an important step in addressing one of the species’ most persistent threats.
    • 2013—AB 711: Audubon California joined a broad coalition that successfully passed Assembly Bill 711 (AB 711), requiring the use of nonlead ammunition for hunting in California by 2019. The bill was co-sponsored by Audubon California, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Humane Society of the United States.
    • 2019—California became the first state to ban lead ammunition in all types of hunting: The statewide nonlead requirement of Audubon-sponsored Assembly Bill 711 took full effect in 2019, prohibiting a major source of lead poisoning for California Condors, eagles, and other scavenging birds.
       

    1989

    Wattis Sanctuary | Located in Colusa, California (Sacramento Valley), the sanctuary was established in 1989, expanding Audubon’s network of protected lands in California.

    1992

    Marbled Murrelet Protections | The Audubon network played an important role in advancing protections for the Marbled Murrelet over several decades. 

    In 1988, the National Audubon Society petitioned for federal protection of the species, helping launch the process that led to its 1992 listing as threatened under the Endangered Species Act due to the loss of old-growth nesting habitat in Washington, Oregon, and California. Redwood Region Audubon Society also petitioned for state protection under CESA, helping secure state endangered status for the species.

    1993 

    Western Snowy Plover Support Along the Pacific Coast | Audubon helped ensure crucial safeguards for the Western Snowy Plover. 

    1996

    Audubon California was established, creating a statewide organization dedicated to bird conservation, habitat protection, and environmental policy across California.

    1997

    Kern River Preserve | The preserve was established in 1997, protecting a vital riparian landscape in the southern San Joaquin Valley for migratory birds and resident wildlife.


    2003

    • 2003—Debs Park, an urban center for birds and people: The Audubon Center at Debs Park opened in 2003, creating an urban hub for nature education, habitat restoration, and community leadership in Los Angeles.
    • 2003—A landmark in green building: In 2003, the Audubon Center at Debs Park became the first LEED Platinum-certified building in the country at the time of its construction—making sustainability part of the center’s mission from the start.
    • 2023—L.A. River restoration supports Least Bell’s Vireo: Audubon California’s Debs Park team and partners advanced native habitat restoration along the Los Angeles River, helping support the return of the endangered Least Bell’s Vireo near Rio de Los Angeles State Park. That success was highlighted as part of a hopeful comeback story in the LA Times in 2024.
    • 2025—Los Nogales Nursery Opened to the Public: While the nursery started in partnership with the Theodore Payne Foundation several years ago, the nursery opened its gates to the public for native plant sales for the first time in 2025, supporting habitat restoration and nurturing community involvement! 

    2006

     Bay Area HQ | Audubon California established its Bay Area Office in 2006, expanding regional capacity for restoration, policy, and partnership work in the San Francisco Bay.

    2007

    Bobcat Ranch | The ranch was established in 2007, protecting a working landscape that supports birds, biodiversity, and conservation on private lands.

    2008

    Audubon California Helps Launch a Collaborative Path Forward at Owens Lake | The lake is located at the base of California’s Inyo Mountains, covering nearly 100 square miles.  


    “For many years, Mike Prather (Eastern Sierra Bird Alliance) was a lone voice for Owens Lake. By the time we met in 2006, he showed up with huge three-ring binders full of articles, photos, data, and testimony from years of public advocacy. He really accosted me with those binders—and I mean that affectionately. It was clear how much urgency, persistence, and personal commitment he had brought to protecting Owens Lake. In response, Audubon California immediately committed staff time and resources to Owens Lake, and Mike’s determination was a big part of why that work moved forward.”
    —Andrea Jones
    • 1985—Bird observations help renew conservation attention. Eastern Sierra Audubon leader Mike Prather documented shorebirds using Owens Lake during the 1985 Christmas Bird Count, helping renew attention to the lake’s importance for birds.
    • 1998—Air-quality agreement between the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District and the City of Los Angeles launched major dust-control action at Owens Lake, beginning a new chapter that would later create habitat used by large numbers of birds.
    • 2001—Owens Lake is recognized as an Important Bird Area. As habitat conditions changed, Owens Lake was designated an Important Bird Area, recognizing its growing value for shorebirds and other waterbirds.
    • 2008—After years of protracted negotiations, Andrea Jones and Audubon California issued an invitation to anyone with a stake in Owens Lake: conservation groups, such as the Native Plant Society and the Sierra Club; state and federal agencies; county and Los Angeles officials, and everyone accepted. These discussions focused on shared habitat goals for the entire lake and showed that it was possible to protect significant bird habitat while also reducing water use.
    • 2013—Long-term habitat planning gains momentum: Audubon California and Eastern Sierra Audubon helped advance a long-term vision for Owens Lake that emphasized bird habitat alongside dust control and water management.
    • 2018 — Owens Lake joined the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, an exclusive group of 104 areas from the southern tip of South America to Alaska certified for their outstanding numbers of birds. 

    The Tejon Ranch Conservation and Land Use Agreement | Audubon California helped secure a landmark conservation agreement at Tejon Ranch, and joined conservation partners in the Tejon Ranch Conservation Agreement, helping protect up to 240,000 acres of grasslands, oak woodlands, streams, and desert habitats. These stunning landscapes support birds such as the Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Western Burrowing Owl, Swainson’s Hawk, state-threatened Tricolored Blackbird, and Loggerhead Shrike, and are also home to the federally endangered San Joaquin kit fox. 


    The conservation easements were purchased by the independent Tejon Ranch Conservancy, which was created as part of the 2008 agreement, through a grant provided by the State Wildlife Conservation Board. (Audubon California plays a special role on behalf of the conservation groups that signed the 2008 agreement by holding third-party enforcement rights should the easements ever be violated).

    2012

    North Coast Marine Protected Areas | Audubon California and Mendocino Coast Audubon helped lead efforts to establish the North Coast Marine Protected Areas, a network of more than 100 protected ocean areas and special closure zones approved from the Oregon border to Point Arena. The protections, which remain in place today, helped safeguard seabirds, shorebirds, and important coastal bird habitat along California’s North Coast. 

    Aramburu Island Shoreline Protection | After the 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill, Audubon California identified Aramburu Island in Richardson Bay as critical refuge habitat for birds escaping contaminated waters. That urgency helped spark the Aramburu Island shoreline protection and ecological enhancement project, completed in 2012 to stabilize the island’s eroding eastern shoreline, improve aquatic, wetland, and upland habitat, and strengthen resilience to sea level rise. Since then, thousands of native plants have been installed and volunteers have contributed thousands of hours to ongoing restoration and stewardship.

    San Joaquin River Restoration | Audubon California launched the “I’m for the River” campaign with coalition partners to build public support for San Joaquin River Restoration Program (approved by Congress in 2009), working with San Joaquin Audubon, Stanislaus Audubon, Fresno Audubon, and Yosemite Audubon to encourage grassroots advocacy across the Valley. Through local outreach and coalition work, Audubon helped rally support for restoring habitat, clean water, and public access along one of California’s most altered river systems.


    2014

    The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) | Audubon supported SGMA, a landmark law that created a new framework for balancing groundwater use with the long-term health of farms, wetlands, and wildlife habitat; requiring sustainable groundwater management by 2040. Local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) are now required to develop Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GPSs) to chart a course to 20-year sustainability in overdrafted basins.

    BirdReturns Pilot | The initial BirdReturns program pilot launched in 2014 during severe drought, providing habitat where birds need it most. BirdReturns is a collaborative program of the Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership, which is comprised of Audubon California, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and Point Blue Conservation Science, working together to create habitat for resident and migratory birds across the Pacific Flyway. The initial pilot for the collaborative BirdReturns project was managed by TNC in 2014. 

    Richardson Bay Youth Leaders | Initially launched in 2014, the program helps young people build environmental knowledge, leadership skills, and a deeper connection to local conservation.

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