First Cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Northern Elephant Seals Confirmed in California
Story from: Communications and Marketing Division
 Researchers wearing personal protective gear overlook the seal colony at Año Nuevo Reserve on Feb. 24. They are collecting observational data to continue a long-term dataset, including information about individually flipper-tagged northern elephant seals and their symptoms. Photo from Frans Lanting for Beltran Lab, UC Santa Cruz.
Seven weaned elephant seal pups at Año Nuevo State Park (SP) tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA's) National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) confirmed the virus the evening of Feb. 24. The outbreak marks the first cases of HPAI H5N1 in marine mammals in California and the first detection in northern elephant seals.
Scientists at UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis increased disease surveillance of this population in recent years due to concerns about avian influenza’s spread throughout North and South America. The disease decimated populations of a related species, southern elephant seals, in Argentina in 2023.
On Feb. 19 and 20, scientists with UC Santa Cruz’s northern seal research program noticed seals at Año Nuevo Reserve with abnormal respiratory and neurological signs, including weakness and tremors. They collected samples from sick and dead elephant seals and took them to UC Davis for testing at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System. Initial screening revealed the samples were positive for avian influenza, which the USDA’s NVSL now confirms is HPAI H5N1.
Año Nuevo SP, just north of Santa Cruz, is home to an elephant seal colony with approximately 5,000 seals during the winter breeding season. About 1,350 seals were present on the beach when the outbreak began. State Parks has temporarily closed public access to seal viewing areas and cancelled its popular guided elephant seal tours for the remainder of the season while officials investigate the wildlife health threat. Full refunds are available through ReserveCalifornia or by calling 800-444-4445. The rest of the park remains open to the public, with key areas closed and monitored closely for elephant seal activity.
People and pets should keep distance
While risk of infection to the general public is low, HPAI can spread between animals and people. Do not touch live or dead seals or allow pets to approach them. This helps protect people and pets and also gives sick animals space.
If you encounter a sick, injured or dead marine mammal in California, Oregon or Washington, call the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Fisheries West Coast Region Stranding Hotline: 866-767-6114. Do not attempt to move sick wild animals, as this can spread disease and cause stress or harm to the animal.
State Parks thanks the public for its understanding and is grateful for its partnership with UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis; the California departments of Fish and Wildlife, Food and Agriculture, and Public Health; California Marine Mammal Stranding Network; USDA; and NOAA Fisheries to investigate this outbreak. More information can be found in our joint press release.
 A researcher collects a nasal swab sample from a symptomatic elephant seal weaned pup for avian influenza testing. Photo from Frans Lanting for Beltran Lab, UC Santa Cruz.
Cannabis Watershed Protection Program Completes Five-Year Impact Report
Story and photos from: Derek Schultz, Cannabis Watershed Protection Program
 The front cover of the Cannabis Watershed Protection Program Five Year Impact Report.
The California State Parks Cannabis Watershed Protection Program (CWPP), established in 2019 in accordance with the passage of Proposition 64, has completed its first comprehensive program report. This report captures insights and measurable impacts from 2020 through 2025, highlighting progress in law enforcement and public safety, natural resource remediation and restoration, infrastructure improvements and public access, cultural resource protection, and watershed-centered education.
Created to address environmental damage caused by illegal cannabis grow sites in and near state parks, the CWPP has grown over the past five years into a coordinated multidisciplinary team that has removed 84,000 illegal cannabis plants, cleaned watersheds of hazardous waste and illegal pesticides, and restored impacted habitats and waterways in some of California's most sensitive landscapes. Additionally, the CWPP has strengthened partnerships with local, state and federal agencies, contributing support to large-scale enforcement operations that reduce environmental harm and increase safety for park visitors and nearby communities.
The five-year impact report details the program's accomplishments by spotlighting its different program areas through multiple projects within districts and promoting statewide coordination efforts to protect, restore and connect Californians to their watersheds.
As the CWPP looks ahead, the program will continue to grow and refine its interdisciplinary model for preventing environmental damage; restoring and adaptively managing ecosystems; and enhancing public safety, access and enrichment.
The CWPP five-year impact report is available here.
 CWPP staff at the Mott Training Center. This multifaceted team brings a holistic approach to the complex work of protecting parks from illegal cannabis cultivation and restoring ecological processes in degraded watersheds.
Ocotillo Wells District Holds Public Workshops for Salton Sea State Recreation Area General Plan
Story from: Enrique Arroyo, Ocotillo Wells District
 Clockwise from top left: Ocotillo Wells District Superintendent Enrique Arroyo speaks with the community at Bombay Beach. Photo from Eric Kung, Ocotillo Wells District. Associate Park and Recreation Specialist Erik Taylor presents the slideshow at the Bombay Beach Community Center. Photo from Enrique Arroyo, Ocotillo Wells District. The Salton Sea State Recreation Area General Plan team (left to right): Interpreters Cassandra Van Dyne and Brandielle Gibson, Taylor, Kung, Park Aide Arriana Fowlkes, Senior Environmental Scientist Sara Lockett, Maintenance Chief III Alfredo Jacobo, Superintendent Arroyo. Photo from Enrique Arroyo, Ocotillo Wells District.
The Ocotillo Wells District team, coupled with staff from California State Parks headquarters and our consultant, Ascent, and their subconsultant, Alianza Coachella Valley, held three public workshops in February aimed at engaging our community’s input on the Salton Sea State Recreation Area General Plan. This is the first general plan in the park’s 70-year history, and it is much needed because of rehabilitation of existing structures, changes in the landscape, and the need for increased public spaces.
Our approach was to take our effort into the community to make it easier to connect with our neighbors. We held the workshop at the Bombay Beach Community Center on Feb. 18 and were encouraged by 40 attendees who supported the effort. On Feb. 19, we held the workshop at the North Shore Yacht Club, where over 30 attendees provided input. On Feb. 24, we held a virtual meeting where approximately 25 members of our community joined to provide input.
In the past two years, the Ocotillo Wells District took direction from the Salton Sea Vision Plan 2023, a document prepared by a local nonprofit. The improvements that the district implemented included reconstructing a nearly mile-long sidewalk connecting the visitor center with the jetty, rehabilitating the visitor center parking lot, increasing staff at the park, increasing outreach in the community, increasing programs at the park, obtaining Waterway Connections Initiative (WCI) funding for a new restroom at the jetty, and obtaining WCI funding for new and rehabilitated interpretive signage. All of these improvements were identified in the vision plan.
Through the general plan process, the district intends on identifying the larger types of improvements and investments necessary to carry the park into the future. A big thank you to our team for going above and beyond as we reconnect with our community in a meaningful way.
Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park's Trail Gets an Upgrade Thanks to Volunteers
Story and photos from: Angeles District
 Volunteers clearing Mattingly Trail at Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park.
Angeles District and the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council recently completed a project on Mattingly Trail, inside Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park, marking the first official outing focused on improving this scenic route. A total of 21 dedicated volunteers contributed 126 hours of labor, restoring and enhancing approximately 800 feet of trail.
Volunteers gathered at 8 a.m. at the Lilac Lane Trailhead before hiking about 0.2 miles with tools in hand to reach the targeted worksite. The primary goal of the project was to realign a section of the Mattingly Trail out of a steep gully, improving both safety and sustainability for hikers.
Under the guidance of Angeles District trails staff, volunteers were divided into teams to tackle different aspects of the project. One group used picks to remove several dozen chamise and black sage stumps along the newly flagged route. The cleared brush was then carefully dragged to designated areas to help block off the old trail alignment, encouraging hikers to follow the improved path.
Another crew took on the challenging task of clearing poison oak from the gully, creating a safer workspace for the installation of a future trail bridge. Crews cut both the outslope and backslope to ensure proper drainage and long-term durability. Meanwhile, an additional crew built a sturdy rock retaining wall to support the trail where it crosses the gully.
Thanks to cooperative soil conditions, the team made excellent progress throughout the day. By 2 p.m., volunteers had completed 792 feet of trail work before hiking about 0.3 miles back to their vehicles.
A special acknowledgment goes to the UCLA Excursion Club, whose 10 volunteers significantly boosted the day’s accomplishments, the continued support from the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council, both demonstrating the power of community collaboration.
Want to join the next volunteer opportunity? Find out here.
White-lined Sphinx Moth: A Pollinators Dream at Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
Story from: Callista Turner, Great Basin District
 Left: California poppies in bloom at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. Top right: A white-lined sphinx moth feeding on a lacy phacelia. Bottom right: A variety of wildflowers in bloom. Photos from Susan Burke, Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve volunteer.
At the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve (SNR), visitors flock on good years to see carpets of vibrant orange poppies swaying in the wind. Often overlooked are the myriads of other wildflowers that are a celebration of biodiversity. During the spring, pollinators flock to the poppy reserve seeking sweet nectar, pollen and tasty petals. While hiking the trails, docent Susan Burke snapped a photo of one such pollinator, the white-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata).
Nicknamed the hummingbird moth for the similarity in their flying and feeding habits, this moth can be found at all times of the day but is most commonly seen at dusk and dawn. These moths have excellent vision and sense of smell. They are attracted to strong-smelling flowers such as lacy phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia).
Gardeners and farmers are very familiar with this species. The caterpillars, known as hornworms, are voracious consumers of many plants, including my tomato plants. The larva is described as ardent and powerful eaters consuming plant vegetation. This does not do them justice. I have personally seen them devour an entire tomato plant over two days.
Fun fact: Well camouflaged during the day, the caterpillars glow under black light at night. Despite being unwanted in gardens, they are important pollinators, drinking the nectar of a wide range of flowers and ensuring future generations of flowers.
Clear the Way for a General Plan Update: State Park and Recreation Commission to Host Tour of Clear Lake State Park, Meet in Santa Rosa
Story from: Kevin Murphy, Communications and Marketing Division
 The public is invited to join the California State Park and Recreation Commission on a tour of Clear Lake State Park from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4. The tour is in preparation for a general plan update to be considered by the Commission next year. A guiding general development plan map was created for the park in 1966, but no other long-term plan for the park exists. A general plan will provide an opportunity to improve the visitor experience, identify priority resource management and infrastructure needs and allow members of the public to offer input on the management of the park. While a reservation is not required for the tour, members of the public are asked to RSVP.
The first Commission meeting of 2026 will follow on Thursday, March 5, at 9 a.m. in Santa Rosa. The Commission will hear several reports and updates from State Parks staff, including updates on the department’s Recreational Trails Plan and California Trails Survey, budget and real property acquisitions and leases, and hold an election for chairperson and vice chairperson.
Further information, including agendas for both the tour and meeting and how to join the meeting in person or virtually through Zoom or CAL-SPAN, is available at parks.ca.gov/PublicNotices. For more information about the Commission, visit its webpage. California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact 916-902-8651.
California State Railroad Museum and Foundation Offer Spirited Rides Aboard the Leprechaun Lounge Pub Train in March
Story and photo from: California State Railroad Museum
 Riders on the Leprechaun Lounge Pub Train are enjoying the luckiest train in town.
For the third consecutive year, the California State Railroad Museum and Foundation are offering spirited rides aboard the Leprechaun Lounge Pub Train on March 14-15. Adults over 21 can enjoy the luckiest ride in town aboard one of two first-class cars that will be transformed into a spirited Irish pub for the weekend ahead of St. Patrick's Day.
In search of the end of the rainbow, the Leprechaun Lounge Pub Train will ride the rails of the Sacramento Southern Railroad for three special train rides on Saturday (departing at 11:15 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m.) and two on Sunday (departing at 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m.). Pulled by a historic locomotive, the adult-only 45-minute train ride experience offers a fun and unique way to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day-related activities while appreciating scenic views of the Sacramento River.
Space is limited aboard the Leprechaun Lounge Pub Train and tickets cost $45 per person or $40 for members. Each ticket includes two drink tokens (alcoholic and non-alcoholic options are available), snacks and a limited-edition can cooler. To add to the fun, lucky guests might even a find a hidden leprechaun and receive a free ticket to a future Golden Hour Express cocktail train ride.
Leprechaun Lounge Pub Train tickets purchased online may be picked up in the ticket office of the Central Pacific Passenger Station on Front Street between I and J streets at the Old Sacramento Waterfront. If still available, same-day tickets are available at the ticket office as well.
Advance reservations for the Leprechaun Lounge Pub Train are available here. And, for more information about the California State Railroad Museum or Foundation, please visit www.californiarailroad.museum.
Parks California Celebrates Black History Month
Story from: Parks California
 Students on the train to visit Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park through the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority’s Route to Parks project. Photo from San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority.
During Black History Month, Parks California joined the nation in honoring and celebrating the leadership, creativity and advocacy of Black Californians who have helped shape our state parks and public lands. Their stories inspire us to build a more inclusive and welcoming parks system for everyone.
Through the Route to Parks grants program, Parks California partners with organizations like the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority to remove transportation barriers and expand access to culturally significant park experiences. San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority’s "History and Heritage Along the Tracks: Discovering California via Amtrak" project connects hundreds of students and families each year to Black History Month events — many for the first time.
Parks California also celebrates places like Candlestick Point State Recreation Area (SRA), California’s first urban state park. Thanks to community advocates and leaders like Carol Nelson, the first Black woman state park ranger, Candlestick Point SRA shows the power of community in creating parks where everyone belongs.
Read the full blog to learn how Parks California stays committed to helping reflect the full diversity and history of California in our public lands.
  
To view current job openings within California State Parks, please visit our jobs webpage at www.LiveTheParksLife.com.
State Parks Job Spotlights and Open Exams
 JOB SPOTLIGHTS
Aquatic Pest Control Specialist (Sacramento) — Apply by March 1: Apply now to join our team in Stockton, CA as an Aquatic Pest Control Specialist. In this role, you will lead Aquatic Pest Control Technicians in safely operating boats and equipment across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, while tackling aquatic weed treatment, maintenance, and chemical application. You will also manage data, reporting, and regulatory compliance to keep operations smooth and safe. Apply today! Click here to learn more.
Environmental Scientist (Fresno) — Apply by March 7: Apply now to join the San Joaquin River Conservancy in Fresno, CA and work directly with the Executive Officer to help shape the future of the Parkway. As an Environmental Scientist, you will support planning, environmental review, compliance, and property management while coordinating projects and partnerships that keep Conservancy programs moving forward. You will also assist with various analyses, board communications, and administrative and fiscal support across Conservancy programs. This is an exciting opportunity you do not want to miss! Click here to learn more.
Park Aides (Seasonal) (Locations Vary) — Apply by date vary: Join California State Parks as a seasonal Park Aide and help welcome visitors while keeping parks safe, clean, and operational. These rewarding roles will give you the opportunity to support public programs, provide information on park regulations, maintain facilities, and assist with the daily operations of the park. This hands-on opportunity is a great way to engage with the public while experiencing the beauty of California’s state parks. Click here to learn more.
EXAM SPOTLIGHTS
Historian Classification Series (April 30): Interested in preserving California’s rich and diverse history? The Historian classification series with California State Parks offers the opportunity to research, document, and protect the state's cultural and historical resources. Whether you're managing historical collections, or consulting on preservation projects, taking a Historian assessment is your first step toward a rewarding career helping tell the stories of California’s past for future generations. Click here for more information.
Aquatic Pest Control Specialist (March 31): Ready to take on an exciting challenge in aquatic pest control? Apply now to take the assessment and step into a role where you will have the unique opportunity to guide a team in field operations, conduct spray activities, and ensure water and public safety. You will also manage equipment, make key decisions based on real-time data, and train others while making a meaningful impact on the environment. Take the next step and become a vital part of protecting our waters! Click here for more information.
WORKSHOP SPOTLIGHT:
Discover exciting career opportunities with California State Parks at our upcoming virtual webinars! Learn everything you need to know about the application process, assessments, and state hiring, all while getting your questions answered by our expert recruiters. Don’t miss this chance to gain valuable insights and take the first step toward your dream job. Click here for dates and registration info.
If you have any questions regarding these opportunities, connect with us at Recruiting@parks.ca.gov. We’re happy to help!
Interested in more jobs and exams like this? Explore www.LiveTheParksLife.com to discover the possibilities.
Join the Parks Jobs mailing list here. We can send you updates on jobs and exams that interest you!
Announcing the New Oceano Dunes District Superintendent
Story from: Matthew Bellah, Central and Coastal Field Divisions
State Parks is excited to announce Jon O'Brien as the new superintendent for the Oceano Dunes District. Jon has been serving as the acting Oceano Dunes District superintendent for the last year. Jon is originally from North Carolina, where he grew up in the Appalachian Mountains spending significant time outdoors and on the Blue Ridge Parkway. He studied natural resource management at North Carolina State University before spending two years in the Peace Corps working with farmers on agroforestry projects in Paraguay. After the Peace Corps, he held several seasonal positions including building trails in Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park in Nevada, leading volunteer programs related to coastal habitat restoration at Point Reyes National Seashore, and working as a habitat restoration technician at an Audubon Society nature sanctuary in Southern California.
Jon received a master's degree in weed science from UC Davis, where he studied yellow star thistle and a biological control fungus. After graduate school, he worked as a habitat restoration project manager for Audubon in the Sacramento Valley. Before coming to State Parks, Jon was the environmental resources manager at an agricultural water district in Yolo County, where he managed the vegetation management and habitat enhancement programs.
Jon has been with State Parks for more than eight years serving as a senior environmental scientist for the Aquatic Invasive Species Program with the Division of Boating and Waterways, and as the environmental program manager of the environmental compliance program with the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division, where he spent significant time on Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area programs, especially related to the air quality program. He is excited and humbled for the opportunity to serve as the Oceano Dunes District superintendent.
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