Los Padres ForestWatch

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Los Padres ForestWatch

ForestWatch protects wildlife and wilderness in Los Padres National Forest, Carrizo Plain, and other public lands throughout California’s central coast region.

08/22/2026

Join us under the night sky for a nearly total lunar eclipse! 🌕 On Thursday, August 27, more than 96% of the Moon will pass through Earth’s shadow, transforming it into a deep red-orange.

Join Los Padres ForestWatch and sky guide Michelle Sevilla in Santa Barbara as we watch the eclipse unfold, hear stories of the night sky, and spend an evening connecting with the stars above. ✨

🌙 Meet at 8 PM; we’ll stay until about 10 PM
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Kid-friendly
🔭 No equipment needed
🧥 Bring warm layers and binoculars if you have them
🥾 Some walking on uneven terrain

This free community event is open to all, but space is limited.

🌕 RSVP to save you spot: https://ow.ly/UBeU50ZCwHp

08/21/2026

More roads ≠ more access.
More roads ≠ better fire management.

🚨 Now's the time to speak up: https://ow.ly/EAeN50ZC7NT

The Trump administration is moving to eliminate the Roadless Rule, putting 635,000 acres of Los Padres National Forest at risk, including some of the Central Coast’s most treasured landscapes.

They claim the rollback is needed for wildfire management, but the rule already allows wildfire suppression, fuel reduction, and vegetation management projects.

What it will do is open intact backcountry forests to the commercial logging industry.

08/18/2026

57 years ago today, the Ventana Wilderness was officially protected as part of our nation’s wilderness system, safeguarding nearly 100,000 acres of some of the wildest country along California’s coast.

Over the decades, those protections have grown. Today, the Ventana Wilderness encompasses roughly 240,000 acres of rugged Santa Lucia Mountains, deep canyons, remote watersheds, and ancient coast redwood forests. It is one of only a few coastal wilderness areas in the country and protects some of the southernmost old-growth redwoods on Earth.

It’s also a place where two California icons meet: endangered California condors have been documented nesting in cavities within the wilderness’s massive redwoods.

As we mark this anniversary, much of the Ventana backcountry is currently closed due to the Timber Fire. We’re holding this remarkable landscape, the communities of Big Sur, and the firefighters working in difficult terrain close in mind.

The Ventana we know today is the result of generations of people recognizing that some places deserve to remain wild. Fifty-seven years later, those protections continue to safeguard habitat, clean water, ecological processes, and a landscape unlike anywhere else.

Here’s to the Ventana Wilderness, and to keeping wild places wild for generations to come.

📷: Ventana Wilderness, Bryant Baker

08/17/2026

We’re proud to be a Community Partner for Ventura Land Trust’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival this Saturday, August 22!

This year’s festival is taking over downtown Ventura with inspiring films, a Chestnut Street festival, kids’ activities, drinks, a silent auction, and plenty of ways to connect with the people and organizations working to protect the places we love.

We’re looking forward to being there and hope to see you too!

08/13/2026

We’re 22! 🎉 For more than two decades, ForestWatch has worked to protect the forests, rivers, wildlife habitat, and wild places across California's Central Coast.

To celebrate our birthday, we’re highlighting 22 extraordinary places—from the rugged Big Sur coast and the remote backcountry of Los Padres National Forest to the wide-open landscapes of Carrizo Plain National Monument.

Some are iconic. Some are remote. Some may be places you’ve never heard of. But every one of them is part of what makes this region extraordinary.

Twenty-two places. Twenty-two years. Here’s to the next 22! 🥳

🌿 Explore all 22 wild places: https://ow.ly/RApS50Zz360

08/12/2026

Tickets are on sale now for The Wilderness Table! 🍽️ Join us for an unforgettable evening as we gather at Cash Mountain Ranch to celebrate local flavors, good company, and the wild landscapes we all love.

Your evening includes:
🍹 Farm-to-glass welcome cocktails from Rock 12 Distillery
🍽️ Farm-to-table cuisine prepared by Chef William
🍷 Expertly paired wines from a local vintner
🏡 An exclusive tour of CASH Ranch, including the stories and history of Johnny Cash’s former home
🌿 Conversation and connection with others who care deeply about protecting Los Padres National Forest and our public lands

Come for the food, stay for the stories, and walk the line with us in support of the wild places worth protecting.

🎟️ Join us at the Table: forestwatch.org/wildernesstable

08/10/2026

Help us welcome Michelle Sevilla, ForestWatch’s new Director of Organizing & Partnerships, who will lead community engagement, public education, grassroots organizing, and regional partnership-building across the Central Coast! 👋

Raised in Santa Barbara and a graduate of UC Santa Barbara, Michelle holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a concentration in the intersection of grassroots movements and public policy. She brings a decade of experience in museum-based environmental outreach and education, more than seven years working in the California State Legislature, and a long history of volunteer leadership advancing environmental justice.

Most recently, Michelle served as Director of Communications for Assemblymember Steve Bennett and previously worked as Network Manager for the Central Coast Climate Justice Network.

Outside of work, you’ll find her attending concerts and live performances, exploring museums, or making her way through an ever-growing stack of books.

We’re thrilled to have Michelle on the ForestWatch team!

08/07/2026

Thousand Oaks, you're up! Let’s talk about what’s happening in our National Forests. 📣 Join us at Dos Vientos Community Center on August 26 for a community town hall on proposed changes to the Roadless Rule—and what they could mean for Los Padres National Forest, Angeles National Forest, and the public lands we love.

For 25 years, these protections have helped safeguard more than 635,000 acres in and around Los Padres from roadbuilding and large-scale logging.

Now, those protections could be rolled back.

This is a chance to learn what’s at stake, ask questions, and stand with others who care about protecting our forests.

👉🏽 RSVP: https://ow.ly/C45n50ZvRpX

08/06/2026

Congratulations to Linda Krop, Chief Counsel of the Environmental Defense Center, on being named Congressman Salud Carbajal’s 2026 Central Coast Woman of the Year! 👏🌿

Linda has spent decades fighting to protect the Central Coast’s coastline, open spaces, wildlife habitat, and natural resources. Her legal advocacy and unwavering commitment to conservation have made a lasting impact across our region.

We were thrilled to attend yesterday’s ceremony honoring Linda and to celebrate a longtime environmental champion whose work has helped protect so many of the places we all care about.

08/04/2026

Few animals embody mystery and perception quite like the owl. 🦉 In traditional Chumash teachings, the owl represents summer—a season associated with clear sight, insight, and mental and spiritual clarity. It is a fitting symbol for one of the night’s most elusive and finely adapted predators.

These birds of prey navigate darkness without echolocation, relying instead on forward-facing eyes, remarkably precise hearing, and specialized feathers that allow them to fly almost silently.

Ten owl species can be found in Los Padres National Forest, from the tiny northern pygmy owl to the powerful great horned owl. This International Owl Awareness Day, take a closer look at the remarkable owls of Los Padres and the habitats they depend on.

🦉 Learn more: forestwatch.org/owls

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Santa Barbara, CA

Telephone

+18056174610

Website

https://forestwatch.org/

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