The Central Coast State Parks Association proudly funds the following program areas.

The Mary Kay Eltzroth Internship Fund provides support to students selected for an internship with the California State Parks of San Luis Obispo County and/or with the Central Coast State Parks Association. This internship provides career development opportunities and hands-on experiences in areas such as curation, interpretation, environmental education, recreation management, communications and community engagement. The internship fund will provide a stipend in appreciation of the intern’s time, talents, and effort. Learn more and contribute here.

The Mind Walks Lecture Series features a variety of subjects from experts covering topics aimed at stretching the mind of the avid lifelong learner. This series offers monthly educational opportunities devoted to recreational, natural, and cultural history topics as they relate to the Central Coast. The Mind Walks Program is underwritten by the Thomas E. and Mary Kathryn Eltzroth fund and supported by the Central Coast State Parks Association. Learn more about the series here.

The Western Monarch Trail is a multi-agency collaborative project focused on outreach and education for the western monarch butterfly. The Western Monarch Trail (WMT) is a series of sites that follows the migration route of the western monarch butterfly. These sites, whether on public or private lands, are crucial overwintering and nectaring locations for monarchs. Sites host a beautifully designed panel that provides consistent messaging developed by the experts in western monarch research and conservation efforts. The WMT was started by the Central Coast State Parks Association (CCSPA) but is now managed and supported by the Xerces Society. Visit the Western Monarch Trail web page here.

CCSPA provides funding towards the transportation costs incurred when school groups travel to our parks for field trips. These trips occur out of the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History, Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, and the Oceano Dunes Visitor Center at Pismo State Beach and reach thousands of students annually. The field trips are led by our highly trained State Park interpreters and volunteers and are free of charge. However, the cost to transport the students to our sites is often prohibitive for many schools. The grants provide a reimbursement for up to 50-100% of the transportation cost for schools serving lower income and underprivileged students. Learn more about the school group programs here.