This Friends group has been working for over 40 years to gain permanent protection for sensitive lands within the scenic area of the Columbia River Gorge in Northern Oregon. With help from the SFF, they have continued their efforts to remove some of the top 10 most invasive weeds in the gorge while planting a variety of native grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, and tress.
Read MoreWishtoyo works to preserve the Native American Chumash culture of Southern California and reconnect people to the Earth in the way of the ancestors. The Schwemm Foundation has funded two years of a project that trains students, many from underrepresented populations, in methods of ecosystem sampling techniques and advocacy within the Santa Clara watershed. The collected data are used for monitoring and conservation purposes, and for this project SFF provided funds to purchase needed sampling and monitoring equipment for water quality and ecosystem monitoring.
Read MoreElkhorn Slough is a significant wetland ecosystem on the coast of Central California. The historic water flow of the Salinas River and multiple tributaries has been greatly altered by agriculture and development. Significant preservation efforts have resulted in either full protection of wetland habitats or cooperative management agriculture and conservation. The SFF partnered with the Elkhorn Slough Foundation to help restore a portion of the slough by removing non-native eucalyptus trees which take up important freshwater resources. The site is also utilized for a vibrant student program that comprises college students as mentors and teachers for elementary students, many of whom are from agricultural working families.
Read MoreFunding from the Schwemm Family Foundation supported Friends’ River Volunteer Stewardship Program (RVSP) in protecting and restoring the Chicago-Calumet River system through hands-on community engagement. The grant helped expand restoration workdays, instream planting events, and public paddles across the 156-mile watershed, while supplying materials for canoe-based cleanup and habitat activities led by 71 volunteer guides. In 2025, Chicago River Day welcomed a record 2,800 volunteers at 92 locations, with participants removing litter, mulching trails, pulling invasive species, and collecting an estimated 15 tons of trash. Volunteers also installed 1,572 native plants along riverbanks to improve habitat and resilience. By introducing thousands of new stewards to the river and deepening place-based conservation efforts, RVSP continues to build a more biodiverse, climate-resilient river system for the Chicago region.
Read MoreFunding from the Schwemm Family Foundation supported habitat restoration at Sunshine Preserve through the removal of highly flammable, non-native trees such as eucalyptus and paperbark, which inhibit native plant growth and provide limited habitat value in Southern California. Professional crews removed seven invasive trees, and much of the material was repurposed onsite for trail lining, seating, and wildlife habitat. Friends of Sunshine Preserve also led monthly volunteer restoration events, engaging 10–40 community members at a time in removing invasive plants and planting native species. Grant funds provided essential tools and supplies that expanded volunteer capacity and strengthened ongoing stewardship efforts, helping restore a more resilient, diverse habitat that supports local wildlife.
Read MoreThe San Diego River Park Foundation's mission is to conserve the natural and cultural legacy of the San Diego River through the creation and stewardship of parks, trails, education centers, and open spaces along its 52-mile pathway. Funding from the Schwemm Family Foundation was used to complete restoration of the Lillian Hill Preserve by supporting staff time for volunteer event coordination along with the acquisition of materials necessary to remove remaining debris. Schwemm Family Foundation funding also enabled the organization to comprehensively catalogue, and plan for the future removal of, additional hazardous materials.
Read MoreThe Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center works to defend water, wildlife and wild places across the Northern Yosemite region. Funds provided by the Schwemm Family Foundation were used to restore the highly degraded Quail Meadow habitat by erecting a fence to exclude cattle from entering the meadow and removing a huge number of invasive weeds that were outcompeting native plants.
Read MoreThe Foundation’s funding helped Upwell Turtles provide critical information about the distribution, abundance, and migratory movements of leatherbacks. The goal is to identify areas of leatherback concentration and document the timing of leatherback arrival and departure off the US West Coast, in support of leatherback entanglement risk assessments due to west coast fisheries.
Read MoreFriends of the Chicago River's grantee project aims to enhance the ecological health of the Little Calumet River and North Shore Channel through native plant installations during their Paddle and Plants events, addressing the lack of native vegetation in these areas. This initiative supports local ecosystems, mitigates flooding impacts, and promotes community engagement in environmental stewardship, with funding from the Schwemm Family Foundation facilitating plant purchases and essential supplies.
Read MoreFocused on enhancing resilient ecosystems along the central coast of California, the Wild Farmlands Foundation is dedicated to the regeneration of the landscape, while at the same time, supporting the area’s current and next generation of farmers and ranchers.
Read MoreThe Rare Plants Inventory - RPI - is a database of information regarding all rare and endangered plants in California. To assist planners, consultants and resource managers, the SFF funded an effort to include all existing threat data for each species in the RPI. The app to use the RPI is free and available to everyone, allowing all users to have access to common information regarding current threats to native plant species and populations. CNPS Inventory of Rare Plants | California Native Plant Society.
Read MoreTo assist Project Coyote in their work protecting wild carnivores, the SFF helped fund the production of two short films.
Read MoreThe Minthorn Springs Preserve is a wetland in urban Milwaukie, Oregon home to birds, mammals, snakes, salamanders, butterflies and dragonflies. The Schwemm Family Foundation partnered with the Wetlands Conservancy to help fund the Conservancy’s work to reduce non-native species and improve the natural spaces in the 6.52 acre wetlands for use by the public as well as a habitat for the native flora and fauna thriving there.
Read MoreEndangered California condors continue to face threats in the wild. A factor identified as especially harmful is the amount of trash and plastic that adults may bring to the nest. As curious, scavenging birds, condors are attracted to microtrash such as broken glass, bottle caps, and can tabs, which may be mistaken for nutrient-rich bone fragments and can be deadly if ingested. In association with the Santa Barbara Zoo and other condor recovery program participants, SFF provided funds to purchase nest monitoring supplies such as cameras and binoculars to support the Nest Guarding Program. This program seeks to identify and mitigate nesting behaviors and threats that limit successful condor breeding.
Read MoreLagunitas Creek, northwest of San Francisco, was historically an important salmon spawning location but the habitat has been degraded in particular by many impediments to fish passage upstream. SFF supported the restoration of Roy’s Pools by removing large concrete barriers, grading the site for improved flow, and planting native vegetation.
Read MoreThe Farallones Islands are located off the coast of San Francisco, and the Greater Farallones Association focuses on conservation of the islands as well as the coast of California in the Bay Area region. SFF supported an ongoing citizen science program called Beach Watch that trains volunteers to collect data on beach impacts throughout the year. SFF supported the Beach Watch effort by providing funds for volunteer trainings on marine mammal, bird, and invertebrate identification and documentation.
Read MoreThe 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.
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