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California Preservation Foundation

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Dedicated to protecting California's diverse cultural heritage and historic places.

10/20/2026

My Path to Preservation: Kelly Wong, San Francisco Principal Planner
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 | 12 PM - 1 PM | Online - FREE

Join our My Path to Preservation series, a free lunchtime webinar program sharing insights about the variety of pathways and opportunities available for anyone interested in a career in preservation.

Our next program features Kelly Wong, Principal Planner with the City & County of San Francisco Planning Department where she currently manages the Code Enforcement Team and collaborates with other City agencies, property owners, and project consultants to bring properties back into compliance with Planning Code. She also serves as the building materials technical expert on the Preservation Team.

Learn more and register at: https://californiapreservation.org/events/mpp-kelly-wong/

This program is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Groundwork Preservation, LLC.

10/19/2026

Tickets ON SALE NOW for the 30th Annual Historical Cemetery Tour

Sunnyside and Municipal Cemeteries, Long Beach | October 31, 2026 | 9AM-3PM

The Historical Society of Long Beach holds the Annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Long Beach Municipal Cemetery and Sunnyside Cemetery on the last Saturday of October. The all-ages event features graveside performances by community theater actors portraying the life of the person lying at rest.

Actors perform in period-appropriate costumes. Each year’s program features a number of stories – some are individuals who helped shape the city’s political past, others are ordinary people whose tales remind us that rich or poor, famed or nearly forgotten, everyone has a story to tell. Attractions include Japanese American History, a dia de Los Mu***os installation, talks by historians, authors signing local history books, and displays of Long Beach history.

The tour is self-guided. First-person performances last 10 minutes and are repeated every 20 minutes from 9 AM to 2:40 PM. Arrive before noon for the full experience.

The event attracts 1500 participants and engages the support of volunteers, the City of Long Beach Parks, Recreation, and Marine, community, and regional leaders. Sponsors help keep ticket prices affordable.

The Historical Cemetery Tour is the signature event of the Historical Society of Long Beach.

Learn more at: https://hslb.org/historical-cemetery-tour/?v=0b3b97fa6688

10/17/2026

Welcome To Riverside Doors Open
Saturday, October 24, 2026 | 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

The City of Riverside in partnership with the Riverside Downtown Partnership and the Mission Inn Museum and Foundation are hosting the City’s eighth annual Doors Open event.

Doors Open events began over 30 years ago in France and has since spread across Europe, North America, and Australia. These events provide free access to captivating historic sites that are often closed to the public. By opening the doors to these architectural gems, event organizers hope to increase awareness of historic architecture and the community’s collective heritage in California’s only Doors Open event.

Doors Open Riverside was awarded the 2019 Governor’s Historic Preservation Award, the only official preservation award presented by the State of California and given in recognition of “exceptional achievements in the field of historic preservation.” The award recognizes the collaborative endeavor by the Doors Open Riverside partners, the generosity of the building participants, and the diligent efforts by the Mission Inn Museum docents.

Learn more at: https://riversideca.gov/doorsopen/

10/16/2026

Public Participation Matters! A Beginner’s Guide to Local Government Meetings
Thursday, Oct 29, 2026 | 12 PM - 1 PM | ONLINE - FREE

This introductory program is designed for beginners and explores how local public participation works, where to find meetings and agendas, and the many ways community members can engage — whether speaking at a meeting, submitting written comments, or simply observing to learn the process.

The session will also discuss why public participation matters, particularly as communities navigate increasing housing pressures, preservation concerns, and changing local priorities. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how public meetings function and practical strategies for participating in a way that feels approachable and effective.

Join us and speaker Amber Long, M.A., Owner & Principal Architectural Historian, Long Historic Preservation Services as we discuss how to participate effectively in local government conversations that shape our neighborhoods, historic resources, housing, and community character.

Register at: https://californiapreservation.org/events/public-participation-beginners-guide-local-govt/

10/15/2026

HistoriCorps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides volunteers of all skill levels with a hands-on experience preserving historic structures on public lands across America, to ensure America’s cultural and historical resources exist for generations to come.

Volunteers work with HistoriCorps field staff to learn preservation skills and put those skills to work saving historic places that have fallen into disrepair.

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities in California:

Keys Ranch — Joshua Tree National Park
October 18-23, October 25-30, and November 1-6

Pond Farm Pottery Barn — Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods
October 18-23

Mendocino Woodlands State Park Camp Two Cabins —
Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association
November 1-6, November 8-13, and November 15-20

Learn more at: https://historicorps.org/2026-volunteer-opportunities/

10/14/2026

Tomorrow! Join CPF with architectural historian Christine Madrid French for this virtual version of her richly illustrated Doors Open lecture on more than 150 years of Napa Valley w**ery design.

How Napa Wineries Became Icons
Thursday, October 15th | 12 - 1 PM Pacific | Online - FREE

From stone cellars and gravity-flow production to grand estates and modernist landmarks, this program shows how architecture helped transform agricultural places into the enduring visual identity of one of the world’s premier w**e regions.

Christine Madrid French is an historian and advocate for the study and preservation of American architecture. She has worked as an historian for the National Park Service in Washington, D.C., the California Preservation Foundation, San Francisco Heritage, and directed the Modern + Recent Past Program at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in San Francisco. She is currently the executive director at Napa County Landmarks.

Learn more about Christine and register for this free program at: https://californiapreservation.org/events/napa-w**eries/

10/13/2026

Join the Port of Los Angeles Conference to explore the evolving story of the Port's waterfront - its historic landscapes, iconic structures, and the transformation of working harbor spaces into today's modern terminals and public environments.

This year's conference — Harbor Heritage: Landscapes & Landmarks Through Time — highlights the rich cultural, architectural, and natural heritage that has shaped the Port of Los Angeles across generations.

October 23 - 25, 2026 — San Pedro, California

See the schedule and register at: https://www.cglhs.org/event-6751274

Image created by John Martin, courtesy of the Port of Los Angeles

10/09/2026

Join our My Path to Preservation series, a free lunchtime webinar program sharing insights about the variety of pathways and opportunities available for anyone interested in a career in preservation.

Our next program features Kelly Wong, Principal Planner with the City & County of San Francisco Planning Department where she currently manages the Code Enforcement Team and collaborates with other City agencies, property owners, and project consultants to bring properties back into compliance with Planning Code.

She also serves as the building materials technical expert on the Preservation Team. Kelly Wong brings an incredible breadth of experience to this not-to-miss session!

Wednesday, Oct 21, 2026 | 12 PM - 1 PM | Online, Free!

Learn more and register at: https://californiapreservation.org/events/mpp-kelly-wong/

This program is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Groundwork Preservation, LLC.

10/08/2026

In September, Orange County lifeguards spotted an olive ridley sea turtle digging a nest and laying her eggs near Seal Beach. Three days later, visitors spotted an olive ridley sea turtle near the Huntington Beach Pier, though it’s unclear whether it was the same animal.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said both areas have been fenced and have clear signs for beachgoers. Along with local, state and federal partners, the agency will monitor both areas until the eggs hatch, which typically takes about 45-60 days.

Of the seven different species of sea turtles, the olive ridley is one of the smallest, according to NOAA. They generally weigh up to 100 pounds and grow up to 3 feet in length. The species is found in waters worldwide, but in the Pacific Ocean, the population typically frequents a long stretch of coastline between Mexico and Panama. Though the species occasionally extends up to Southern California when the water is warm, NOAA says it has never been spotted laying eggs on the state’s beaches.

The species may be evolving naturally, choosing to nest farther up the coast where there’s less competition for nesting space, but other factors could be at play. Their usual beach may no longer be hospitable, for example, because of development or changing water patterns.

Read more at SFGATE: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/sea-turtle-california-eggs-22444518.php

Photo of Huntington Beach Pier by lunamarina / Adobe Stock

10/04/2026

Coastal erosion has been eating away at the beach in San Clemente, known for nearly a century as a “Spanish village by the sea.” The rising sea and crashing waves have pushed the shoreline landward, splitting the city’s picturesque North Beach. Crumbling seaside bluffs have damaged oceanfront homes and forced the repeated closure of a passenger rail line considered the second busiest in the country.

It’s one of many California coastal communities grappling with the effects of sea level rise. Nearly a decade ago, scientists forecast that more than half of Southern California’s beaches could significantly erode by 2100, radically altering how people live and recreate along the state’s famed coast.

Over the past five years, the rail line that has operated along the coast for more than a century has faced repeated closures due to encroaching surf on one side and fragile bluffs on the other. The 7-mile (11-kilometer) segment is part of a 351-mile (565-kilometer) passenger rail corridor that links San Diego with Los Angeles County’s huge port complex and San Luis Obispo. It’s also used by freight and the military.

Transportation officials have shored up the tracks to ensure passenger safety by laying down rock. But as waves slam against the rocks, they sweep more sand offshore and speed up erosion that will eventually threaten the rail line again.

Read more at AP News: https://bit.ly/4rHtsfE

Photo by jonbilous / Adobe Stock

Address

101 The Embarcadero, Suite 120
San Francisco, CA
94105

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14154950349

Website

https://californiapreservation.org/

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