The Catalyst: The Newsletter for Interpretation in California State Parks

The North Beach Entrance at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve/State Beach (SNR/SB) has a new set of picnic tabletop panels thanks to a recent project between the San Diego Coast District (SDCD) and the Southern Service Center. The original panels were installed in January 2021 as part of accessibility improvements that included a new picnic area. The three bilingual panels were designed to be read from either side of the picnic table. Park staff has noticed that litter is not a problem in this area and that these “table runners” have definitely helped.  Last year, we noticed the panels were beginning to fade. SDCD had funds to replace the panels and SSC coordinated printing with a vendor using a powder coating process directly onto aluminum, rather than the high-pressure laminate process used on the original panels. SDCD installed the new panels a few days before January 2025.                   

Dockwalker Trainings Dockwalkers provide one-on-one outreach in local harbors to share best clean boating practices and help boaters appropriately discard of used oil and waste products. In 2025, the California Division of Boating and Waterways’ Boating Clean and Green Program is offering both virtual and in-person Dockwalker trainings. During the virtual trainings the instructor will be live and participants will be able to ask questions. A reminder to current Dockwalkers if you were trained 3 years ago it is time to get recertified. Please register for an upcoming training. Dockside Podcast Dockside is the podcast that helps you save and enjoy the waters you love by sharing clean and safe boating practices. This podcast is brought to you by the California State Parks and the California Coastal Commission. The most recent episode  features a conversation with Weston Boyles, the Founder and Executive Director of Rios to Rivers and Danielle Rey Frank, the Director of Development an...

Under the leadership of the Interpretation and Education Chief, Heather Holm, and in partnership with the California State Parks Foundation, the California State Parks Interpretation and Education Team will develop a 5-year strategic plan over the course of 2025. This plan takes a holistic landscape approach to the planning process creating a roadmap for interpreters statewide. Division, the field, and any aspect of state parks that touches interpretation will be considered in this plan. Surveys, a series of meetings, and interviews will be implemented to gather input from all interpretation and education employees. According to Holm, “The Interpretation and Education Strategic Plan will shape the statewide direction for the next five years. Feedback gathered from all interpreters will help inform policy updates and changes, identify training needs, and set priorities.” Once completed and approved, the 5-year plan document will be available to all in the department and to our park part...

  Watershed Wednesday Webinar: Protecting Wildlife We invite you to join us for our next Statewide Webinar on Wednesday, 2/26 from 1-2pm on Zoom.   What is the connection between cannabis, trash cans, and protecting wildlife? February’s webinar will explore this topic with a panel of California State Parks experts from three different program areas. You’ll hear from a Supervising Park Ranger, an Environmental Scientist, and a Park Interpreter about their dedication to protecting wildlife in our parks. Come find out about statewide efforts to improve human-wildlife interactions and leave inspired to create unique wildlife protection experiences in your own parks. Webinars are FREE and open to all State Park staff, volunteers, and partners. Please forward to your volunteers and partners who may be interested. Training credit is available in FOCUS following the webinar. Zoom recordings of all statewide webinars are available within a week following the live broadcast.  ...

Back in the thick of Covid, interpreters brought our parks to the quarantined masses through the 360° platform RoundMe. Unfortunately, RoundMe shut down in 2023 and all uploaded tours went kaput. But if your park still has those images on a shared drive, or a 360° camera resting in a file cabinet, you have options. Crystal Cove SP recently published a 360° tour through the platform ThingLink. The Northern Buttes District has been creating tours through a real estate platform called Kuula. High-quality, interactive 360° tours provide a vivid, in-depth look at our park sites. Interpreters can add photos, videos, external links, item descriptions and more. These 360° tours are an accessibility tool, ensuring that those unable to visit in-person can still experience the beauty and significance of our parks remotely. The tours also provide an excellent resource for blended access field trip visits. Unintentionally, this medium has also served as a critical tool in the aftermath of the arson...

The Hearst San Simeon State Park elephant seal docent program has demonstrated exceptional impact in 2024, engaging over 127,500 visitors through 8,328 volunteer hours across various interpretive activities. Led by California State Parks Interpretive Staff, docents have received outstanding visitor feedback, with visitors praising their knowledge, friendliness, and ability to create memorable learning experiences. Looking into 2025, the program aims to strategically expand and enhance its volunteer engagement. Key objectives include diversifying the volunteer base, improving training opportunities, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. With 77 current docents and plans for spring recruitment and training, the program is poised to continue its significant contribution to environmental stewardship and public education.   — Monica Rutherford, State Park Interpreter II, San Luis Obispo Coast District

  For interpreters in classifications eligible for uniform reimbursements, there are two key updates to what you may have understood from years past. Footwear is, in fact, reimbursable . The current Uniform Manual indicates that Dress/Work shoes and Boots may be required but are not reimbursable; however, this is severely outdated. The annual uniform replacement allowance has been increased from $450 to $650 . You can verify both of these updates for yourself by viewing the current  BU01 Tentative Agreement (see page 876) . This is a large file and may take a while to load.

 The Resources Hub: A Central Location of Resources for Interpreters Statewide This may sound like a familiar story to many Parks employees. When I first joined State Parks in July I had a lot of questions, and in my quest for information, I was pointed to, well, everywhere . There was the State Parks official webpage, the intranet, the network drive, seven different SharePoint sites, an old workbook on our library shelves, the Post-It stuck on the bottom of my chair, etc. There was no central place to find information, and even the designated area for information ( the Interpretation and Education Resources Hub ) was hard to navigate. Then Heather asked me to make it more functional. I set to accomplish this by: Building an intuitive navigation structure outside of files/folders. Uploading or linking to all the resources scattered throughout the Parks' databases. Organizing and grouping similar resources logically, whether by group or by type. Continuing to u...

California State Parks’ Division of Interpretation and Education is introducing the 2024 Interpretive Excellence Awards to recognize the tremendous variety and depth of staff accomplishments in support of the department mission to “provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California."  Nomination forms must be submitted by 1/8/25. For awards details, view the nomination form at this link: https://forms.gle/yuFsqbG6GfCwWtab9

  Welcome to Beyond the Blacktop , the podcast for anything off-highway vehicle related across California! For the past few years, the OHMVR Division has been floating around the idea of starting a podcast all about off-roading in California and now it has finally happened. Beyond the Blacktop will discuss news surrounding dirt bikes, ATVs, side-by-sides, 4x4s, and Off-Highway vehicle (OHV) trails in the state, as well as discuss larger issues that impact the OHV Community. Our goals for this podcast are two-fold. First, is to try to better connect with the OHV community and second, to continue to promote California’s diverse outdoor recreation opportunities. Come listen along and learn all about OHV recreation in California. —Kevin Schmidt, OHV Partnership and Special Events Outreach

  The Interpretation and Education Division is offering a series of statewide webinars for interpreters, volunteers, and partners. These are designed to provide training on a variety of topics to support all our interpretive endeavors. Webinars are FREE. Participants can receive training credit through FOCUS. Sessions will be recorded for those unable to join live. More information and Zoom links will be shared via email. For questions, contact  Elizabeth  Evans  or  Elizabeth Hammack

Reel In and Recycle, The California Fishing Line Program Whether on the coast or inland, if your interpretation takes place in one of the many parks where visitors enjoy fishing, please consider joining the list of locations where fishing line recycling containers have been installed. Keeping used fishing lines out of the waterways and landfills prevents our wildlife from suffering the dangers of entanglement. To date, over 3,000 pounds of fishing line have been recycled. The California Clean Boating Program (implemented by California State Parks and the California Coastal Commission) invites you to join the California Fishing Line Recycling Program. For more information, please visit HERE . Refer your staff to these Construction Guidelines to get started. If you have questions about the program, please contact Environmental Boating Program Manager, Vivian Matuk .

Exploring the Sea Level Rise Toolkit: A Resource for Coastal Interpreters We are excited to introduce the newly developed Sea Level Rise Toolkit, a comprehensive resource designed for Coastal Interpreters educating the public on sea level rise, climate change, and coastal erosion. This toolkit represents a significant step forward in our efforts to enhance public understanding and engagement with these environmental issues. You can find the Sea Level Rise Toolkit on SharePoint or TEAMS. It has been organized into five folders to assist you in navigating its contents effectively: Understanding the Science: Sea level rise research and related resources including the fundamentals of climate change. Making Connections: How to include sea level rise in interpretive programs, projects, and planning. Strategies and Policies: State Parks position on sea level rise and how to discuss sea level rise with park stakeholders. Media: Resources to use for social media, graphi...

  The Interpretation and Education Division is offering a series of statewide webinars for interpreters, volunteers, and partners. These are designed to provide training on a variety of topics to support all our interpretive endeavors. Topics range from interpretive techniques such as the recent Interpretive Power Hour on “Vitamin R- Relevance,” to quarterly “Watershed Wednesdays.” Stay tuned for the fall lineup, including a 9/25 webinar featuring guest speaker Courtney Harge of the OF/BY/FOR ALL Change Network . Webinars are FREE. Participants can receive training credit through FOCUS. Sessions will be recorded for those unable to join live. More information and Zoom links will be shared via email. For questions, contact  Elizabeth  Evans  or  Elizabeth Hammack

Unlock Your Park's Full Potential: Make It More Accessible Today! Have you ever wondered how you can transform your park into a haven of accessibility for everyone? Despite dedicated efforts to enhance equitable access, many barriers prevent people from thoroughly enjoying our parks. These barriers can be physical, cultural, social, economic, emotional, or cognitive, and they can affect visitors differently based on their abilities. To address these challenges, the Interpretation and Education Division has launched an innovative Accessibility Training Website . This empowering resource offers free training modules, webinars, articles, and complete texts designed to equip park professionals with the knowledge and tools they need to break down barriers and confidently empower visitors of all abilities to access parks easily. When you land on the homepage, you’ll be greeted with a wealth of information to kickstart your journey toward creating inclusive and accessible parks. The websi...