Sustainable Conservation

08/28/2026

To wrap up our Watershed Studies blog series, Sustainable Conservation’s Water for the Future Program Director Aysha Massell authored a piece that describes what the studies can tell us about improving ecosystem functions in the five featured watersheds.

Read now to learn more!

https://buff.ly/MhVuSbC

The I-FIRM strategy models habitat improvements through reservoir reoperations and additional natural infrastructure that includes river restoration, flow-through basins, and shorebird habitat. This blog walks through each of these components and outcomes as they relate to ecosystem impacts in the W...

08/27/2026

We kicked off Sustainable Conservation’s Fall 2026 Voices from the Field webinar series yesterday with climate scientist . He, along with Sustainable Conservation Associate Science Communications Manager Shayan Kaveh, explain the science and climate context behind this year’s El Niño.

Watch the recording on our YouTube!

https://buff.ly/zh6Cyjq

Scientists are forecasting that this year's El Niño could be among ...

08/27/2026

Read Sustainable Conservation GrizzlyCorps Fellow Hayley Willner's reflections on her yearlong term with the Accelerating Restoration team. Her work focused on funding mechanisms for habitat restoration and what else could be done to create a stable, adequate funding system in California.

Sustainable Conservation would like to thank Hayley for her outstanding contributions and wishes her the best of luck as she starts her master’s in Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School this fall!

https://buff.ly/BQzmD1S

Sustainable Conservation’s Accelerating Restoration team was interested to hear perspectives from experts, project proponents, and funders throughout California on funding mechanisms for habitat restoration and what else could be done to create a stable, adequate funding system.

08/27/2026

"Iron Horse Vineyards, Sardella Ranch, and Spottswoode Estate exemplify how thoughtful stewardship of working lands can strengthen the landscapes and communities around them," said Sustainable Conservation CEO Josette Lewis. "We hope their leadership inspires California’s growers and land managers of all kinds to keep raising the bar on conservation."

Read our blog to learn more about the three outstanding finalists for this year's California Leopold Conservation Award!

https://buff.ly/AQrxUPy

Three finalists have been selected for the 2026 California Leopold Conservation Award. The award honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.

08/26/2026

Register now for the first installment of 2026-27 Recharge Readiness Webinar Series, co-hosted by the California Department of Water Resources, Sustainable Conservation, and the Flood-MAR Network. "Site Selection and Recharge Potential" will kick off the series tomorrow at 11am!

While California water managers gear up for a “Super El Niño” and a potentially active water year, partners across the State have brought a variety of new advances to topics that Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) practitioners will find familiar. This recharge readiness webinar series will share i...

08/26/2026

Now is your last chance to register for today's 1pm webinar, "El Niño, Explained with Dr. Daniel Swain." Sustainable Conservation's Shayan Kaveh and Climate Scientist Daniel Swain will explain the science and climate context behind this year’s El Niño, and will explore broader climate variability, long-term warming patterns, and what this all could mean for California as communities prepare for future climate extremes.

Registration is free and open to all!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/voices-from-the-field-el-nino-explained-with-dr-daniel-swain-registration-1997725348294?aff=oddtdtcreator&

08/25/2026

Join Sustainable Conservation TOMORROW for a conversation with climate scientist Daniel Swain, PhD about this year's developing El Niño event.

Scientists are forecasting that this year's El Niño could be among the strongest on record. What exactly is El Niño, why is this year’s climate event drawing so much attention, and what could a particularly strong El Niño year mean for California weather, water, and agriculture? Attend the webinar at 1pm tomorrow for answers to these questions, and more!

Registration is free and open to all.

https://buff.ly/kdyAr2p

08/25/2026

Sustainable Conservation CEO Josette Lewis was recently featured in a Public Policy Institute of California panel around crop production that can help growers meet Sustainable Groundwater Management Act water regulations while staying economically viable.

"Sustainble Conservation CEO Josette Lewis said growers will need a broad menu of options because each farm faces different economic and physical circumstances."

https://buff.ly/vNJywQZ

PPIC panelists warned that low-water crops may help growers adapt to SGMA, but they won’t erase the financial pressures reshaping San Joaquin Valley agriculture.

08/24/2026

While Californians gear up for a potentially record-breaking El Niño year, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) could play an outsized role in reducing flood risk this winter and contributing to future drought resilience. The 2026-27 Recharge Readiness webinar series will share information about recently completed guidance, projects, and case studies to help growers, project planners, and local agencies prepare recharge projects for the wet season ahead.

Register now for the first webinar, "Site Selection and Recharge Potential" happening at 11am this Thursday, August 27th!

While California water managers gear up for a “Super El Niño” and a potentially active water year, partners across the State have brought a variety of new advances to topics that Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) practitioners will find familiar. This recharge readiness webinar series will share i...

08/24/2026

The finalists for the 2026 California Leopold Conservation Award have been announced! Read Sand County Foundation's press release to learn more about this year's crop of outstanding land stewards: Iron Horse Vineyards (Sonoma County), Sardella Ranch (Tuolumne County), and Spottswoode Estate Winery (Napa County).

https://buff.ly/3nkDtki

MADISON, Wis. — Three finalists have been selected for the 2026 California Leopold Conservation Award. The award honors farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners who go...