February 2025 | eNewsletter

Dear Friends,

Lately, I’ve been reminding myself of what YES has always known to be true: nature and community, together and separately, are the balm we need.

I have a few tried and true methods to work these remedies into my days–like walking laps around Nicholl Park, workouts with a community, and time in nature with my family. 

A stroll around the park, and checking in with my breath and body, isn’t changing the world in an instant, but it is changing my mood. My outlook. My ability to lead myself and those around me with clarity and purpose.

For an event that combines nature and community, come out and join us this Saturday for our return to the Fund-Racer. After a four year hiatus, YES community members and supporters will be back at Brazen Racing’s Victory Race running toward their fundraising goals. Read on to see how our fund-racers are doing and where you might be able to jump in and get them to the finish line!

Maybe you’re looking for more nature than community right now, quiet time alone to reflect. We get that, and we’ve highlighted the perfect park for you. And if it’s a pick-me-up you’re after, look no further than our latest Winter Camp recap and park advocacy efforts. 

Whether it’s time outside that lifts you up or time with the ones you love, or a combination of the two, I hope you’re finding the time for it now. 

In community,

Eric Aaholm, Executive Director

This Saturday March 1st, dozens of YES community members will be gathered at the Victory Race starting line, ready to go the distance for YES programs. And you can help them cross the finish line!

Three of our cohorts and many staff and board members are fund-racing toward our collective goal of $10,000. Consider making a donation to one of their pages or to our overall campaign.

Adult Leadership Pathway

61% raised of $1,000 goal

YET Fund-Racers

72% raised of $850 goal

YES's Coastal Conservation Corps (C3)

87% raised of $1,800 goal

To join us on Saturday, you can register for the race here!

Winter Camp

Despite being our second year of Winter Camp in the Sierra Nevadas, the experiences were all new!

The weekend-long power outage, caused by three feet of fresh snow!, that greeted Winter Campers in Soda Springs was quickly forgotten during the long days outside. Thirty youth campers created their own tracks on a snowshoe hike up to Donner Summit, leaning on one another (in between pushing each other into the snow) to make it to the top. The exhaustion was nowhere to be found that night, though, as youth from the YET and C3 cohorts tested everyone’s knowledge of nutrition and watersheds in a Jeopardy-style face-off before a well-earned sleep. 

And anyone who didn’t get their snow-fix the day before had hours of sledding, snowshoeing, fort-building, and snowball fights to cap off the weekend before piling back onto the bus.

Parks Now!

YES was honored to be invited to send a representative to the annual meeting of the Parks Now coalition. Director of Finance and Operations Melissa Guajardo headed down to San Diego to meet with other organizations fighting for outdoor access across the state. Their discussions will shape the coalition’s policy platform for the year and inform recommendations to California’s officials to prioritize accessibility and stable funding for the year ahead. 

You can learn more about Parks Now here.

"It was inspiring to be with others working hard to ensure equitable access to open spaces for everyone in California. I loved hearing how much YES and our community members have contributed to past policy wins and I look forward to all we’ll accomplish together in the next year.” - Melissa Guajardo, Director of Finance and Operations

Calling all young adults!

Use your voice to influence policy and resources right here in Richmond! Take this quick survey about cannabis usage and mental health to help the TREES program shape their advocacy work.

We love the coastal redwood forests as much as anyone, and Family Campers can attest! But what about when you want that grandeur, filtered darkness, and calm, cool environment without the 90+ minute drive?

Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park!

After just a 20-minute drive to Oakland, you can hike alongside banana slugs through towering coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) on the park’s nearly 40 miles of trails. Short hikes, long hikes, camping, bike trails, and picnic sites are all well-maintained by our friends at East Bay Regional Park District and ready to welcome you and your family to Reinhardt Redwood RP.

There are plenty of park entrances accessible by both car and public transportation and an impressive web of tree-shaded and fern-lined trails to connect them. Plus, a calendar full of drop-in activities and guided hikes. It’s hard to end up on a trail that isn’t breathtaking and peaceful, but ask a Richmond Ranger if you’re looking for recommendations!

The Rise of the American Conservation Movement; Power, Privilege, and Environmental Protection by Dorceta E. Taylor