20 Sep
Have you ever asked the question, “What can I do to save CA State Parks?” I get asked this question all the time. And in late 2011, there are several fast responses: Write a form letter to Jerry Brown, asking him to approve AB42. This will let non-profits step in to help parks. Volunteer! Click […]
16 Sep
70 of 278 California State Parks are closing by 2012. That means 25% of our existing state parks will be inaccessible to the public. Historic parks, coastal access, fragile ecosystems, archaeological assets, and irreplaceable resources are at risk. I’ve talked about the emotional, social and philosophical reasons for preserving parks. For those of you who […]
16 Sep
Last weekend’s talk has gotten positive and negative response. On September 16, Jim Liles of Lazy J Rodeo, a Facebook page with 5000+ fans posted on Facebook, criticizing our most recent talk on CA parks as a public legacy. If you haven’t seen the talk, check it out here. My response to Jim is added […]
13 Sep
This illustration inspired by the Creative Commons photography of brian-m Support the Parks Alliance of Sonoma County when you purchase a premium print of “Annadel”, the first edition in Folk4Parks’ new CA State Park Poster collector series. This poster series is inspired by the Art Nouveau ads of the early 20th century, a time in […]
11 Sep
New! Download the MP3 podcast here This talk was given on September 10, 2011 at a small community gathering in Alameda, CA. Edited video: Full text of the talk: My name is Christopher Grant Ward, I operate Folk4Parks.org, a non-profit advocacy focused on supporting parks and preserved spaces across California and around the world. Tonight […]
8 Sep
5 things you can do in 5 minutes to save CA State Parks 1) Write a form letter to Jerry Brown, asking him to approve AB42. 2) Get the word out. Share this message on Facebook. 3) Keep it front of everyone’s faces. Retweet this message. 4) Share your experience. Send Folk4Parks your photos and […]
5 Sep
A short message for Labor Day. Dave Marquart, Interpretive Specialist for Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve explains how important public support and involvement is to the success of State Parks.
29 Aug
In a May 2011 press release, California Department of Parks and Recreation cited “relative statewide significance” as one of 11 criteria to decide which parks should be closed. But what is significance? What makes a park significant relative to others? Why is such a subjective criteria being used to determine the future of parks that […]
22 Aug
I wanted to start off this series of documentary shorts with a very simple question that no one seems to be able to answer: “What does it mean to ‘close’ a state park?” Is this feasibile? What does that even mean? After talking with alot of experts, it seems none of the parks can be […]
21 Aug
I borrowed this text from aroundthecapitol.com. I used some color to help make these small changes more obvious for Californians. ________________________________ AB42 Italicized text includes proposed additions to law or the previous version of the bill. Struck text includes proposed deletions to law or the previous version of the bill. (pdf version) AMENDED IN SENATE […]
We literally brought the parks issue to Jerry Brown’s door. Read Christopher’s speech from the rally here. On Tuesday Nov 1, 2011, citizens led by California State Parks Foundation marched from Leland Stanford Mansion SHP (one of the state parks currently planned for closure) to the State Capitol for a short rally to protest the […]
Part 3 of the video documentary. Hear from CA park rangers, experts and non-profit organizations describe the value of CA State Parks and what these places mean to them. Some great and enlightening thoughts on the subject from very committed individuals at Mono Lake Committee, Stewards of The Coast And Redwoods, Friends of Pio Pico, […]
Have you ever asked the question, “What can I do to save CA State Parks?” I get asked this question all the time. And in late 2011, there are several fast responses: Write a form letter to Jerry Brown, asking him to approve AB42. This will let non-profits step in to help parks. Volunteer! Click […]
70 of 278 California State Parks are closing by 2012. That means 25% of our existing state parks will be inaccessible to the public. Historic parks, coastal access, fragile ecosystems, archaeological assets, and irreplaceable resources are at risk. I’ve talked about the emotional, social and philosophical reasons for preserving parks. For those of you who […]
This illustration inspired by the Creative Commons photography of brian-m Support the Parks Alliance of Sonoma County when you purchase a premium print of “Annadel”, the first edition in Folk4Parks’ new CA State Park Poster collector series. This poster series is inspired by the Art Nouveau ads of the early 20th century, a time in […]