Yosemite Conservancy

Park enhancements -every year, the Conservancy provides grants to Yosemite national park based on the highest priority needs of the park. These grants provide essential funding for trail repair, habitat restoration, cultural and historic preservation, wildlife management, scientific research, visitor services, and more. To date the Conservancy has provided $162 million in grants for more than 850 completed projects to preserve Yosemite and enrich the visitor experience for all. Through the generous donations of individuals, corporations and foundations, the Conservancy provided over $17 million in cash and non-cash support, including (continue on schedule o)the value of 376 volunteers donating approximately 20,000 hours, to Yosemite in 2023.

Retail and publishing-this program comprises sales conducted at visitor center bookstores, information centers and wilderness centers, through an online store, and to wholesale vendors. In addition to selling maps, guides, native american handcrafts, apparel and other items related to Yosemite and the sierra Nevada, the Conservancy publishes and sells books that educate people and inspire them to connect with and care for national parks and public lands.

Park programs-the Conservancy supports the preservation and education related roles of the national park service mission through a diverse portfolio of public educational programs. The Conservancy's outdoor adventures enhance the Yosemite experience for park visitors through dozens of interpretive and educational day hikes, backpacking trips and other programs in geology, botany, natural and cultural history, photography, and the arts. The Conservancy also conducts educational field programs on a custom basis and by contract with travel providers. (continue on schedule o)in addition, the Conservancy supports art programs, and the parson's memorial lodge summer series. The Conservancy also helps inspire and train the next generation of stewards by supporting internships, junior ranger activities, and other youth programs in the park, and helps sustain yosemite-focused leadership programming and educational outreach with university of California, merced.the Conservancy's wilderness operations program assists the national park service in ensuring that Yosemite backcountry visitors are educated about and prepared for wilderness travel. Conservancy wilderness staff manage the wilderness reservation system, issue permits, sponsor the bear-proof food canister rental program, operate the ostrander ski hut, sell interpretive and orientation materials, and provide visitors with the opportunity for an enjoyable and respectful wilderness experience.the Conservancy's volunteer program recruits, trains and manages volunteers who support Yosemite through numerous week-long natural resource restoration projects and through a month-long "visitor information assistant" program that improves the experience of hundreds of thousands of park visitors annually.