We're happy to welcome the Yosemite Conservancy to National Parks Traveler as one of the organizations that help make what we do possible.

Without the support of organizations such as the Conservancy and hundreds of supporters, it would be impossible for Traveler to continue to provide daily editorial coverage of national parks and protected areas. And without the Conservancy, Yosemite National Park would have a struggle tackling a wide range of issues, from visitor services to wildlife research.

Last year the Conservancy provided $14 million for education, preservation, research, and other projects at Yosemite. 

Conservancy-funded grants in 2020 went to more than 35 beneficial projects in the park. Among wildlife-focused grants, a study completed last summer revealed peregrine falcons are nesting in places never before recorded. That research helps wildlife managers refine strategies to protect the falcons’ breeding areas.

Another grant focused on reestablishing populations of vulnerable amphibians, allowing researchers to release more than 100 Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs in high country lakes, and to study previously released California red-legged frogs in Yosemite Valley using microchip readers. 

Restoration projects that Conservancy donors supported in 2020 included repairs on popular trails in Yosemite Valley, including the Mirror Lake, Yosemite Falls and Four Mile trails, as well as California Conservation Corps crews’ work to improve backcountry trails. Work also got underway to revitalize wetlands in eastern Yosemite Valley by planting native vegetation and installing a boardwalk to enable people to cross the area without harming habitat. 

You can learn a bit about the Conservancy and what services it provides the park and Yosemite visitors by visiting this page on the Traveler.