Crystal Cove Conservancy will welcome California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, for a special Cove Talk focused on the future of conservation, climate resilience, and public stewardship across California.
Hosted by Conservancy President and CEO Kate Wheeler, the program will feature a public conversation and audience Q&A with Secretary Crowfoot, bringing state environmental leadership into dialogue with the coastal community of Crystal Cove.
Set along one of California’s most treasured shorelines, the evening will explore the state’s environmental priorities at a pivotal moment shaped by climate change, wildfire, drought, and growing demands on public lands.
The conversation will examine how natural landscapes — from coastlines and wetlands to forests and open space — play a vital role in climate adaptation, biodiversity protection, and community resilience.
Discussion will also reflect on the balance between conservation and recreation, and the importance of ensuring outdoor spaces remain accessible and welcoming to all Californians.
Central to the dialogue is the role of partnership — including the Conservancy’s work alongside California State Parks — in advancing long-term stewardship of the state’s most significant natural and cultural resources.
“The challenges facing California’s natural landscapes require collaboration, innovation, and shared stewardship,” said Wheeler. “We are honored to host California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot for a conversation about how we collectively protect and sustain places like Crystal Cove State Park for future generations.”
The evening will conclude with a sunset reception overlooking the ocean, where guests can continue the conversation over light bites and beverages while experiencing the park’s coastal beauty firsthand.
Secretary Crowfoot has served as California’s Natural Resources Secretary since 2019, advising Governor Gavin Newsom and overseeing an agency of more than 25,000 employees across 26 departments, commissions, and conservancies.
His leadership spans climate action, wildfire resilience, water policy, biodiversity conservation, and the state’s commitment to conserve 30 percent of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030.
“Crystal Cove is a gem of our State Parks system and proof of what’s possible when partners come together to protect and restore our coast. I’m looking forward to discussing this legacy and the Conservancy’s transformational work at Crystal Cove. I’ll also share our vision for expanding outdoor access across California and look forward to hearing from local residents about their priorities and ideas,” said Crowfoot in a press statement.
Registration is required. Cost is $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers. Capacity is limited. Event is from 5 to 7 p.m. at Crystal Cove State Park Historic District, located on the ocean-side of Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Coast. Parking is at Los Trancos Parking Lot across Coast Highway from Crystal Cove. $15 day-use fee per vehicle; free with State Parks annual pass.
Visit https://crystalcove.org/event to register or for more information.
About Wade Crowfoot
Wade Crowfoot serves as California’s Natural Resources Secretary, leading efforts to conserve California’s environment and natural resources. He has served as Secretary since 2019 and advises Governor Newsom as a member of his cabinet.
Secretary Crowfoot oversees an agency of over 25,000 employees spread across 26 departments, commissions, and conservancies. His agency is charged with stewarding California’s forests and natural lands, rivers and water supplies, and coast and ocean. It also protects natural places, wildlife and biodiversity, and helps oversee the state’s world-leading clean energy transition.
Secretary Crowfoot is leading efforts to achieve Governor Newsom’s ambitious environmental vision, including a commitment to conserve 30 percent of California’s land and coastal waters by 2030. He oversees billions of dollars of public investment to protect people and natural places from climate change impacts, and has led efforts to navigate California’s record-breaking droughts, floods, and wildfires. Secretary Crowfoot has also initiated a new era of partnerships with California Native American Tribes and is shifting how the agency operates to better support all California residents and communities.
Secretary Crowfoot has been on the frontlines of environmental leadership throughout his career. He served in Governor Jerry Brown’s Administration as deputy cabinet secretary and senior advisor to the Governor, driving climate action. He led the non-profit Water Foundation to build water resilience across the American West. He spearheaded efforts to establish and defend California’s landmark climate change policies as West Coast regional director for the Environmental Defense Fund.
As an environmental advisor to then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, he helped establish many first-in-the-nation urban environmental policies. Secretary Crowfoot received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics.
Crowfoot grew up in Michigan, spending summers at a YMCA camp and in the woods around his family’s remote cabin in Northern Ontario. He moved to California in the mid-1990s and discovered backcountry camping with friends. His first time in the redwoods at Big Basin State Park is still one of his defining California moments.
He loves to camp with his wife and daughter and learn new things in the outdoors, currently including fly fishing and soon backcountry skiing. He says his best days as Natural Resources Secretary are spent outdoors with local groups that are conserving land and connecting people to nature.
