Why California's Top Natural Resources Official Loves the Effie Yeaw Nature Center

By Debbie Arrington

Secretary Wade Crowfoot visiting Mountain Lion Foundation booth at an Effie Yeaw Nature Center event.

When Wade Crowfoot's family moved to Sacramento from the Bay Area seven years ago, his daughter Calla was 5 years old. Looking for places to explore, they discovered the Effie Yeaw Nature Center.

"Our family has come to love Effie Yeaw," Crowfoot says. "It's a place we can go to in all seasons and see natural areas along the river. It's a really accessible place to experience nature."

Today, Crowfoot serves as California's Natural Resources Secretary, overseeing the state's efforts to conserve our environment and precious resources. Since 2019, he's served as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom's cabinet and leads California's efforts to address climate change.

That effort includes a commitment to conserve 30% of California's land and coastal waters by 2030 while also coping with drought, wildfire, floods, and urban sprawl.

One of the best examples of how this can be done, Crowfoot says, can be found at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center.

"To me, it's really special," he says. "There aren't a lot of places in greater Sacramento to experience the river and watershed like it used to be. It's important, more than ever, to have places like the Effie Yeaw Nature Center that connect young people to nature and educate all of us about what we need to protect and restore."

For Crowfoot, places like the Effie Yeaw Nature Center demonstrate how conservation and climate resilience go hand in hand.

"The Effie Yeaw Nature Center helps us understand the connection between nature and climate change," he explains. "Restoring nature is one of the most important things we can do to fight climate change."

The Nature Center allows visitors to "build your own experience," he notes. "We enjoy seeing the Native American structures; my daughter really loves that," he adds. "There are so many animals on site; we've seen lots of birds, small mammals, and deer."

For Crowfoot, places like the Effie Yeaw Nature Center do more than protect natural spaces. They help people understand why those places matter and inspire them to become stewards of the environment.

Preserving places like the Effie Yeaw Nature Center isn't only valuable now, but vital for the future.

"All conservation is local," Crowfoot explains. "Our state goal is to preserve or restore 30% of our lands. It happens in places like the Effie Yeaw Nature Center."

For Crowfoot, the Nature Center's greatest contribution may be the next generation of environmental stewards.

"It's educating and recruiting today's children while creating the stewards of tomorrow."

As California works to address some of its biggest environmental challenges, Crowfoot sees hope in places like the Effie Yeaw Nature Center—where families can connect with nature, learn about the land and its wildlife, and discover how local actions can make a lasting difference.