Restore and Regenerate California

In a time when California’s landscapes are facing unprecedented climate stress, the Restore and Regenerate California project helped lay the groundwork for a more resilient and inclusive future — where those who live and work on the land are at the heart of nature-based solutions.

Launched in response to Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-82-20, which committed the state to integrating natural and working lands into its climate strategy, this project served as a vital bridge between policy and practice, between Sacramento and the soil.

 

Embedding Knowledge Where it Was Needed Most

From 2021 to 2024, this initiative placed two strategic roles at the center of California’s climate efforts:

1. A Farmer Liaison:
   Embedded with our partners at Fibershed, this liaison championed the voices of small-scale and underserved land stewards — including farmers, ranchers, and forest managers — ensuring that their practices and perspectives shaped state programs and policy.
2. A Climate Coordinator:
   Housed within the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA),  our coordinator supported cross-agency alignment, technical design, and science-grounded communication to advance the State’s nature-based climate goals.

Together, these roles helped shape tools, conversations, and frameworks that continue to guide California’s evolving land stewardship and climate programs.

Lasting Contributions

Restore and Regenerate California helped advance:

• Regional climate-smart agriculture strategies
• Public-private partnerships rooted in ecological restoration
• Policy pathways that connect small and informal land stewards to state and philanthropic support
• Equity-centered implementation across California’s diverse landscapes

These relationships planted the seeds for deeper collaboration — helping catalyze new programs like BRAN, the Marigold Fund, and the Mycelium Bridge Fund, each extending this vision of embedded, community-centered climate solutions.

Partners & Support

• California Natural Resources Agency
• Fibershed
• Funded by 11th Hour Project and the Marciano Family Foundation