The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) has developed a program called Re-Oak California. This effort focuses on reintroducing oak trees to areas where they have been lost and specifically to areas where fire has destroyed oak habitats. Volunteers collect acorns which are then grown to seedling size then transported and planted at appropriate sites throughout the state. The SFF supported this project which in 2020 grew 2,500 seedlings and distributed nearly 1,700 of those for planting by volunteers.

Western pond turtles are native to much of the Pacific coast region but have become more rare as wetlands are lost to development and climate change. Willow-Witt Ranch has enhanced and protected a wetland that supports one of the highest elevation breeding populations of these turtles. The SFF funded a project to improve the conditions of the turtles’ habitat by constructing basking platforms, removing non-native plants, and creating a blind so that researchers could observe turtle behavior without disturbance.

The Schwemm Family Foundation was proud to support Urban Rivers’s project to create a floating ecosystem along the Chicago river. Urban Rivers piloted their concept of installing floating trees by first testing different species of native trees and protecting them from beavers. This pilot program was successful and organization looks ahead to expanding and planting more floating trees.

Waterboard Park is a designated heritage tree grove, located in Oregon City, Oregon. Currently, the trees in the park are under attack from invasive English ivy. With help from the Schwemm Family Foundation, the Oregon City Parks Foundation organized volunteers for several ‘ivy-pull’ days that removed ivy that surrounds the base of the trees, allowing new growth of native forest-floor plants and improved tree health. The removal of the ivy will also allow the construction of new trails in the future.

Wildlife Safari, in Winston, Oregon, provides visitors an interactive experience with native and exotic wildlife. The Schwemm Family Foundation supported a project called Raptor Ridge that created a new exhibit that allows more animals to be on display, in this case an American Badger. The exhibit is open to all visitors including those with disabilities, and the badger has a new home.

The California Native Plant Society – CNPS – has been protecting native plant species in California since 1965. Conservation efforts for plants and animals nearly always requires protecting and enhancing habitat, and increasing urbanization is a primary threat to plant habitats in California. In 2018 the Schwemm Foundation assisted CNPS in publishing a special edition of their publication Fremontia that focused on the importance of protecting open space areas near human population centers, sites often referred to as the urban-wildland interface.

Seven species of abalone, large mollusks also known as sea snails, occur in California and along the Pacific coast. White and black abalone are listed as endangered, while pink, pinto, and green abalone are species of conservation concern. Though adult abalone have large shells and are attached to the ocean floor, baby abalone (larvae) are free floating in ocean waters and at high risk from predation and other threats, and few survive to settle and mature.

Project Coyote works to promote co-existence between humans and wild predators. One of Project Coyote’s most successful programs, Ranching with Wildlife, aims to assist ranchers with employing non-lethal means of predator deterrence for livestock protection. A number of scientifically-based and cost-effective methods have proven successful, including the use of trained dogs to protect sheep.

The Truckee River watershed drains over 3,000 square miles, and includes pristine but also highly developed lands. Every fall season the Truckee River Watershed Council organizes Truckee River Day, where over 400 volunteers participate in projects that help protect the resources within the watershed.