For You

—Armando Quintero, Director, California State Parks

In our lives and careers, there are extraordinary moments—some that unfold in a single day, others across months or even an entire year. For all California State Parks employees, this past year has been unlike any other.

The disasters we faced—the destruction of Bidwell Mansion, the fires in Los Angeles, and the damage to Topanga and Will Rogers State Parks—were beyond anything we could have imagined. Witnessing the challenges confronting our federal land management partners further deepened our growing familiarity with the previously unimaginable.

This past year, you became a part of the stories of California’s parks.

So often, our work focuses on telling the stories of the past—sharing moments of discovery and understanding about extraordinary places, their histories, cultures, and science. Yet this past year, our individual and collective experiences have shaped us in profound ways, influencing how we connect in our roles as knowledge sharers, protectors, and public servants. Through this work, we help carry forward the stories of this state and its people—stories of belonging, resilience, and shared humanity.

I see you and your work everywhere I go—throughout California’s state parks, in communities across the state, and even online. I see your impact in the programs you’ve developed, in the experiences you deliver, and in the way you engage the public. Above all, I hear it in your voices. Your work is making a meaningful difference in how people understand history, connection, and belonging.

I think about you every day: the professional storytellers, story keepers, and story revealers that you are. The challenges you face, the efforts you sustain, and the successes you achieve are far more than I can count.

Elsewhere in this publication, Heather Holm describes the wide range of interpretive programs and delivery systems—print, virtual, recorded, in-person, new media, and more—and highlights many of your accomplishments from just this past year. When you read that, pause and understand that it is a reflection of all of you.

One recent experience stands out for me as an example of the caliber of your work. I recently joined State Parks staff at Santa Cruz Mission alongside members of the Amah Mutsun Tribe and the public. I was invited to walk through the mission with several tribal members while experiencing the new Virtual Adventurer tour. This audio-visual experience, developed by Interpretation and Cultural Resources staff, draws from journal entries and letters written by tribal members who lived at the mission 200 years ago. The narrative—recorded by present-day tribal members—allowed their voices to speak across two centuries. It stopped us in our tracks. In room after room, we were moved to tears as we were brought into the lived reality of those who came before us. Even now, as I write these words, my chest aches with grief and remembrance.

That is what you do.

You bring wonder, joy, and laughter. You create knowledge and connection. You invite visitors into the stories of their state, their parks, and their planet. You bridge time, spark curiosity, awaken memory, and invite discovery through the experiences you make possible.

The world is changing at lightning speed. Through your work, you and your colleagues continue to deepen understanding and expand our collective impact. Said simply: the words you speak matter. Giving voice to the stories of California State Parks.