In 2020, Governor Newsom committed California to an ambitious goal: conserve 30% of our lands and coastal waters by 2030. This “30x30” initiative isn’t just about setting aside more protected areas; it’s a comprehensive strategy to protect biodiversity, expand equitable access to nature, and build resilience to climate change across California’s diverse landscapes and waters. California has made meaningful progress towards the 30x30 goal. Currently, 24.4% of our lands and 16.2% of coastal waters meet the 30x30 conservation criteria, defined as areas that are durably protected and managed to sustain functional ecosystems and the diversity of life they support. But with less than five years remaining, we still need to conserve millions of additional acres to reach this critical goal. The Power In Nature Coalition No single organization can achieve 30x30 alone. That’s why Tuleyome is a proud member of the Power In Nature Coalition; a network made powerful by the collective work of over 250 community groups, conservation organizations, land trusts, and Indigenous organizations working together to conserve and protect the diverse landscapes of California. This statewide network coordinates advocacy, identifies priority conservation projects , and ensures that 30x30 implementation protects biodiversity, fosters meaningful relationships, and partners with state agencies and diverse communities. Power In Nature works on multiple fronts: defending conservation funding in state budgets, identifying potential 30x30 projects across California, and advocating for policies that support rather than undermine conservation progress. Power In Nature has multiple regional groups to elevate geographical priorities and empower local organizations to connect state-level policy to on-the-ground conservation work in their communities. Tuleyome’s Role in Advancing 30x30 At Tuleyome, our work protecting the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument directly contributes to California’s 30x30 goals. We’re actively engaged with Power In Nature’s Sacramento Valley regional group, as well as the Far North and Bay Area regional groups, helping coordinate conservation efforts across our region and connecting local priorities to statewide advocacy. Tuleyome has also participated in Power In Nature Advocacy Days, where we met with state elected officials to discuss policies and legislation that further or hinder the 30x30 conservation goals. How You Can Support 30x30 Whether you’re a landowner, community member, or fellow conservation advocate, there are many ways you can support 30x30 progress. There are multiple qualifying conservation lands that have not been added to the Conserved Areas Explorer and this is one of the many ways people can get involved to help track areas protected. If you’re interested in learning more about 30x30 activities in your region, check out the Power In Nature regional groups and sign up to attend monthly regional meetings or gain access to Power In Nature’s newsletter. Most importantly, through Power In Nature, you can make your voice heard by participating in local advocacy days or contacting your state legislators to encourage their support for full funding to conservation agencies and protection of environmental review processes. California’s commitment to conserve 30% of our lands and waters by 2030 is achievable, but only if we work together to make it a reality. If you have questions about how to get involved with 30x30 or Power In Nature, don’t hesitate to reach out! Bryan Pride Tuleyome Policy Director

You might already know that the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument (Monument) is a wonderland for birdwatchers. With a range of habitat types from aquatic, riparian, native grassland, oak woodlands, conifer forests to subalpine the range of species found in the Monument is staggering. If you prefer to break it down by county rather than habitat, western Colusa County boasts a birders paradise in Bear Valley and Lake County offers the shores of Clear Lake. Napa County showcases Quail Ridge Reserve and Lake Hennessey. Yolo County puts forth a plethora of hot spots including Putah Creek, Lake Solano, and the Cache Creek preserve which is home to Bald and Golden Eagles, Osprey and others! And, this is just a smattering of the treasure trove for bird nerds to enjoy in the nearly 345,000 publicly accessible acres of Monument. But, how do you know where and when to go to see what? Even if you’re an experienced birder, it can be overwhelming to know where and when to begin. I know people that travel to different states to check birds off of their “life list”. I also know people, some of them are those same people, that travel all over the globe to get a glimpse of a rare bird - or maybe it’s just rare to someone from Sacramento. Either way it’s enticing and rewarding to be part of a community with a common interest. There’s almost a secret code between birders. There’s definitely a code to name abbreviations and a spiffy way to keep count if you’re recording them. There’s also a way to estimate the number of birds in a flock but if you’re just wanting to sneak up on a feathered friend near or far, how do you know where to start? Try downloading the Cornell Lab eBird app. The app lets you input your own findings as well as investigate other people’s observations. You can base your search on your location or use a near or far location that you’d like to go explore. Or, you can browse by species and see exactly where to go to find them. The eBird app uses citizen science and operates similarly to the iNaturalist app, a favorite among biologists, naturalists and other interested folks. With the eBird app, you can contribute your sightings or even sound recordings to the community platform making it the largest birding community in the world. You can also create your own lists and have the app track them for you. The app not only makes birding more inclusive and interesting for individual birders but it is beneficial for the network of scientists as well. The combined data from the app helps conservationists understand how numbers of birds shift as well as aiding in developing genetic species distribution models that show where and when birds are in the region. This information helps develop and establish better conservation strategies for individual species and collective populations of birds. The app is easy, fun and rewarding for novice and veteran birders, conservationists, scientists and ultimately the birds themselves.