Jack London Park Partners has been successfully running Jack London State Historic Park since 2012 when they formed during a budgetary crisis that was threatening to close state parks. The vision of Jack London Park Partners is for Jack London State Historic Park to be, “an innovative park that preserves the dream, enriches the experience and serves the entire community.” 

In June of this year, Jack London Park Partners was able to launch their new program, Jack’s Green Cycle Initiative. Changing climate and resulting weather events are putting strain on our landscapes and ecosystems. Strengthening the park’s resiliency from significant impacts such as fire, drought, disease and forest pathogens are among their most pressing priorities. Managing defensible space around the park’s historic structures and backcountry trails, in addition to clearing understory to maintain vital emergency access/exit roads are other fire mitigation efforts they are engaged in to keep the park and community safe. All these activities generate organic debris. 

Prior to developing the composting initiative, JLPP would pay to have the woody debris chipped and hauled away, pay for compost and mulch as well as pay to have it delivered to the park. Ending this expensive cycle is the crux of the Jack’s Green Cycle Initiative. This is a pioneering, integrated system in keeping true with Jack London’s own creative and inspired land management innovations. JLPP is now able to turn waste (chipped woody material from fire mitigation and other restoration and maintenance projects, water fern and duckweed clogging the historic lake and horse manure fouling hiking trails) into valuable, rich compost and mulch for use in the park. “Not only are we able to save significant resources we would pay in equipment rental, hauling fees and purchase of compost and mulch, but we will also save critical funding that will be used for the important work of running the park. We partnered with State Parks to design and implement the perfect composting site, and material is already being generated and processed thanks to help and support from the California State Parks Foundation Earth Day Grants and the help of JLPP supporters who kicked off fundraising to make Jack’s Green Cycle a reality,” says Matt Leffert, Executive Director of Jack London Park Partners. 

With the threat of climate change becoming increasingly more apparent, we are proud to be able to fund projects that promote climate resilience. You can learn more about Jack London Park Partners and their stewardship projects at their website, www.jacklondonpark.com.