It's Kids to Parks Day, a national day of outdoor play! This is the universe giving you that nudge you were waiting for. Go for that hike, pack up a picnic, take that bike ride. Find your inner kid again. Discover and explore in the great outdoors!
Visit the Outdoors Calendar link in our bio
We keep telling the plants it's just for fun, but everyone is taking it pretty seriously...
California sagebrush keeps reminding us to say how nice it smells. Narrowleaf milkweed is going on about how important it is to the monarch butterflies, and yes, western vervain, we'll let them know you have pretty purple flowers that attract humming birds. The drama!
Vote for your favorite. It means a lot to them.
We like to think outside is free. It isn’t.
The trails we ride, the lakes we swim in, the mountains that take our breath away: they need our investment as much as our admiration.
The Help Wanted Community Ride Series is coming to Wānaka, Santa Monica and Annecy. Three rides, three regions, three organisations doing the hard work to protect the places we love.
Rolling alongside @waiwanaka , @protectourwinters and @samofund . Join a ride at the link in bio.
Just 2 MORE WEEKS to get advance discounted tickets for @topangabanjofiddlefestival on May 17th at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, CA! 🪕🎻
Americana singer-songwriter @outlaw_af will be emceeing the music contests on the main stage this year!
The contests are open to all non-professional folk musicians/singers/dancers of all ages, skill levels, acoustic instrument types, & styles.
Rules & registration at topangabanjofiddle.org.
🎟️ Don’t wait to get tickets! Grab your advance online ticket today & save $$.
Additional discounts for Contestants, Students, & Seniors, plus kids under 9 get in FREE!
🗓️ May 17th, 2026
📍 King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, CA
🎟️ Tickets at link in bio or at topangabanjofiddle.org
#topangabanjofiddlefestival #folkfestival #bluegrass #oldtime #americanamusic
When passionate youth dig in, hope takes root! 🌱💪
The Safe Passage PUMA Youth Corps rolled up their sleeves at our Native Seed Farm, planting Purple Needle Grass and helping restore the Santa Monica Mountains for generations to come. Their teamwork is growing more than plants—it’s growing a brighter future.
Did you know? Seed shortages are a major hurdle for restoration projects nationwide. Our Seed Farm is closing that gap, providing native seeds for projects here and wherever they’re needed most.
Want to be part of the change? Discover how you can support local restoration and make a difference: SAMOFund.org
@safepassageyouth #restoration #nativeplants #santamonicamountains #samofund
Want free plants? 🌱 Any one of these beautiful plants could be yours for the low low price of FREE! Just volunteer with our native plant nursery and you will take home one of the plants that we’re growing just for you. 💖
Find volunteer opportunities in the Outdoors Calendar (link in bio 👆 )
Note: Plant types change season to season and month to month, but we’ll always have something for our volunteers to bring back home.
#freeplants #samofund
Calling all nature enthusiasts!
Are you ready to join one of the largest international efforts to observe wildlife in your neighborhood? Be part of the 11th annual City Nature Challenge! This event, initially created by the teams at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, invites anyone and everyone to make observations about their local wildlife using the free platform iNaturalist to help us document the unique wildlife we have in our neighborhoods and parks.
🌻From wildflowers to 🐾animal tracks, 🦅bird calls to 🍄🟫fungal structures, all forms of wildlife that can be photographed or recorded are appropriate for this event. Make observations beginning this Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26 to contribute to this global citizen/community science opportunity to highlight your local flora and fauna.
📆Ready to get involved? Join us at our free upcoming public programs! From in-person hikes to virtual informational sessions about how iNaturalist data helps NPS biologists, check our Outdoors Calendar link in bio to sign-up.
See you all out on the trails 🌳
#CityNatureChallenge #iNaturalist @nhmla @calacademy
Our volunteers have wisdom to drop. 🎤 Any hit home?
Kathy - Get out of your cocoon :)
Dani - Watch the edges of trails for rattlesnakes!!!
Aleida - Keep an open mind, you’ll learn something.
Alexandre - Drink water, stay cool, nurture life, “co-oporate” with nature
Alexandria - Go outside! Get your hands dirty!!
Stan - It is all about making a difference. Modest effort equals significant results!
Connie - Get your hands dirty, feel the soil, listen to all the great info, see the plants grow. Best fun & friends ever! 🌱
Jan - Hands-on is the best way to get dirty in the soil- contributing to the local Santa Monicas
Samuel - Plant Natives!
Katrina - Come out and work with the native plants, connect with the land, join a wonderful community of volunteer & feel joyfully restored.
Karen - Get dirty w/ wonderful people and planting tips.
Mariel - Keep learning. Keep volunteering. Stay curious.
Les - Be ready for good company, and to learn a lot! bring a notebook!
Delphina - Seeds of restoration start with you. Plant it forward.
Cavin - Go out, volunteer, and see change!!
#santamonicamountains #volunteerism #samofund
Whether you come for the trails, the history, the wildlife, or the views, national parks connect us all. 🏞️
We’re proud to support Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and the work that keeps these places inspiring for generations to come. SAMO Fund is #AllForParks
@nationalparkfoundation
SAMO Field Institute Presents: Drawn to the Wild on May 2nd at Peter Strauss Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains! Join us for a mini art and ecology festival that is bringing together biologists, artists, and community members to explore our natural world through both science and creative practice. Designed for all skill levels, this experience invites you to slow down, observe, and transform what you experience into something tangible.
Featuring biologists from the National Park Service and Pasadena City College to SAMO Fund’s very own seed team, learn about the ecology of these mountains and let’s make art together outside!
We will have watercolors and linocut, we’ll make clay imprints of real wildlife tracks, we’ll learn how to nature journal in the field and we’ll explore the insanely magical world of insects. Live plein air artists will be painting the scene live in the landscape and everyone is invited to let their creativity bloom.
Bring any art supplies you’d like to work with or clothes you’d want to print on or just bring yourself, supplies will be provided!
RSVP in the link tree. Hope to see you there 🪶
Mountain lion and bobcat art by @heidi_beeswax
Wildlife images courtesy of @santamonicamountainsnps
Keep those applications coming! 🤩📚🎶
Our spring college tour is nearing it's end, and these are just some of the wonderful campuses we've been able to speak at! 🏫✨️
Visiting campuses, talking to lively students, and sharing the SAMO Youth Crew Member opportunities is definitely one of our favorite spring activities.
Don’t see your school? Not to worry! 🙂↔️
📍Our program recruits from Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. If you’re from these areas but going to school elsewhere, you’re welcome to apply.
Living and going to school in these counties? Apply today!
Review our pinned flyer for more information about the SAMO Youth Crew Member position.
🌟 Apply by Sunday, April 12. Share with anyone who may be interested!
In partnership with:
@santamonicamountainsnps@nationalparkfoundation@samofund@npsyouth
#samoyouth2026 #applytoday #outdoorinternship #parkjobs #springcollegetour
