Santa Monica Mountains Fund

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Santa Monica Mountains Fund

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We protect California's mountains, wildlife & plants by sponsoring scientific research & providing opportunities to get involved and connect with nature.

10/28/2026

Join our team! SAMO Fund is seeking an experienced, part time Human Resources Consultant to provide ongoing HR guidance and support to our leadership team. We are looking for someone who can help us strengthen our internal HR practices, maintain compliance with California employment laws, and develop practical systems that support our employees and managers.

The ideal candidate understands the challenges of a growing nonprofit organization and can provide both strategic guidance and hands on assistance with day to day HR matters.

For more details and how to apply, visit samofund.org/job-opportunities/

10/19/2026

Get Wild(life!) Look closely beneath the chaparral canopy.
The health of our entire mountain range rests on the smallest shoulders: native digger bees nestled in dried soil, western fence lizards keeping insect populations in balance, and quail threading paths through dense brush. An ecosystem thrives only when its foundation is protected.
Keeping our wild backyard intact starts with local care. We’re grateful for our community who give their time, talent and treasure to help us care for the Santa Monica Mountains landscapes and waters.

What is the quietest wild neighbor you have spotted on a morning walk? Share your sightings! Tag us!

📸 Justin Ford

10/12/2026

The Santa Monica Mountains are the ancestral and unceded homelands of the Chumash, Tongva (Gabrielino) or Kizh, and Fernandeño Tataviam peoples. These Indigenous communities have cared for this land since time immemorial, maintaining deep cultural, spiritual, and ecological relationships with the mountains, waters, and wildlife.

We recognize that the impacts of colonization, forced removal, displacement, and other harms continue to affect these communities today. We honor their enduring presence and ongoing contributions to the region.

At SAMO Fund, we commit to learning from and supporting Indigenous voices, working towards environmental and cultural preservation, and fostering relationships that respect Indigenous sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge.

On this Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we invite all who live on and visit these lands to acknowledge their original caretakers and support Indigenous-led initiatives that will help sustain this landscape for future generations.

Pictured: Steven Garcia at the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center in Newbury Park

📸NPS

10/07/2026

SAMO Fund Field Institute invites you to join us online or in person this Thursday evening for a special opportunity to connect with Norman Wray, Esq., a conservation leader who helped write Ecuador’s groundbreaking Rights of Nature provisions.

The Rights of Nature were inspired by the Indigenous Quechua principle of Sumak Kawsay, or Buen Vivir in Spanish, which promotes righteous coexistence with the natural world. They give nature legal standing as an entity with its own intrinsic rights.

Mr. Wray will join us virtually for a conversation about the Rights of Nature, facilitated by author and environmental advocate Melina Sempill Watts. The audience will then have a chance to ask questions.

Then, the conversation will turn home.
For those joining us in person, the second part of the evening will feature the first community discussion exploring the possibility of a new Rights of Nature initiative in the Santa Monica Mountains. The discussion will be led by our Executive Director, Deanna Armbruster.

This is more than a lecture. It’s an invitation to lend your voice to a conversation that could grow into a movement.

If you can join us in person, be part of this potentially historic first gathering. And if you can’t, you’re still invited to join the conversation online and learn about this powerful approach to protecting local biodiversity.

🌎 In person or online
📍 SAMO Fund HQ, Westlake Village
🕠 Doors open at 5:45 PM for in-person guests
💬 Program + Q&A: 6–7:30 PM
🌱 Post-discussion community conversation (in-person only): 7:30 PM

Once words become law, they can become a powerful force for remaking reality. What might we begin together?

RSVP in bio.

Photos by Tom Fisk and Emilio Proaño via Pexels.

09/30/2026

Join SAMO Fund Field Institute and partners this Saturday for an art + ecology evening celebrating the opening of There Once Were Millions: A Monarch Exhibit, featuring artwork by Elizabeth Weber.🦋

🐚 5-6:30pm: Refreshments and drop-in shell workshop with Low Hanging Fruit.

🎥6:45pm: Screening of short film, Creating the West Marin Monarch Sanctuary + a panel discussion with filmmaker Ole Schell and local plant and butterfly experts.

🌱7:30pm: Giveaway announced!

🎟️ Free and open to all

RSVP + sign up to volunteer via links in bio🔗

This experiential reception is being made possible by Studios 3026, West Marin Monarch Sanctuary, Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, and Ventura County Resource Conservation District.

09/30/2026

Still thinking about all the fun we had celebrating Malibu Creek State Park’s 50th Anniversary: Stories Under the Stars! 🌃

Huge kudos to our amazing volunteers who made it all happen, from setup to breakdown! 🙌

Big thanks to 805 B**r for keeping our Beverage Garden flowing with delicious brews! 🍻

We’re grateful for all the talented artists in our gallery, and a special thanks to Niki Okimura for the creative workshop! 🎨

Malibu Creek State Park—we’re very thankful for our partnership! Here’s to many more enjoyable and educational events in the Santa Monica Mountains. ⛰️

Stay tuned for even more event photos, and keep tagging us in yours!

09/24/2026

Looking to make an impact this Saturday? Volunteer with Santa Monica Mountains Fund and National Park Service for !

Volunteers who work the entire event will:
🥪 Receive a light lunch
🌱Get to take home some native plants
🎟️Earn a FREE one-day public lands pass

Thank you to the National Environmental Education Foundation National Environmental Education Foundation for sponsoring this opportunity to explore National Parks, forests, rangelands, & more!🥾

Reserve your spot today at the Outdoors Calendar link in our bio🔗

See you there!

Photos: NPS/Miroslava Munguia Ramos, Lei De Vara, Jazmin Ramsey

09/22/2026

Let’s give a round of a-paws🐾 to our newest B.A.R.K. Rangers!

Last Saturday, pet-rents and pals learned what it means to be B.A.R.K. Rangers & how to stay safe out on Santa Monica Mountains trails⛰️

After hiking the booth course, inductees celebrated with pup-cups, prizes, Polaroid photos, and treats, of course!🦴

We are so proud of all of the new B.A.R.K. Rangers, including the G-Crew🐦, Pacho, Charlie, Weston, Ladybug, Milo, Solo, Bear, Cholo, Snoopy, Mundi and Lumina, Luna, and Bella! Give your Ranger a shoutout if we missed their name⬇️

Address

Thousand Oaks, CA

Website

http://www.samofund.org/

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