2021 Annual Report | Page 9

OUR MISSION

RESTORE | EDUCATE | PROTECT

TOGETHER WITH OUR STATE PARK PARTNERS , our mission is to restore the park , educate our future environmental leaders , and protect Crystal Cove and places like it for generations to come .
HEAD TO CRYSTALCOVE . ORG / ARINTERACTIVES TO SEE MORE
DRONE VIDEO
DAN GEE AND DICK GEE ON THE RESTORATION PROJECT
OC REGISTER ARTICLE
‘ One day ’ is closer and more assured than it ’ s ever been .
FOR MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS , the cottages on the North Beach at Crystal Cove have stood empty , deteriorating in the harsh coastal elements behind a chain link fence — but not for long .
Cottage # 12 , which has always leaned just a bit toward the Pacific , has been set on a new foundation and now stands tall with refurbished siding and windows . Its neighbors , Cottages # 3 and # 3 ½ , are bedecked with a shared porch . The arched gable on neighboring Cottage # 4 overhangs the restored , mismatched porch railing , ready for sunset viewing .
In 2022 , we will complete the restoration of the first three cottages , opening five new overnight rental units this year and continuing to work our way up the beach for the next four years until one day , all 17 of these cottages will open as 22 affordable units , available to the public .
We are elated that California State Parks , as part of a broad statewide effort to address climate change , wildfire , and equitable access , will be providing a significant infusion of funding to help complete the North Beach restoration , doubling our overnight capacity and creating a sustainable revenue stream that supports The Conservancy ’ s work in STEM education and conservation . The cottages are the heart of Crystal Cove State Park , but they are more than overnight accommodations . They sustain the park for its inhabitants , its visitors , and the students who learn here .
We are grateful every day to be in partnership with California State Parks — never more so than today . We ’ re grateful they saw in the North Beach project a way to make a real difference in the lives of Californians . It ’ s been your belief in our mission and your early and significant investments in this seemingly impossible project that put us in a position to attract that kind of investment .
The path to completion of the North Beach restoration — a path that was wild and overgrown when you joined us — is navigable and laid out ahead of us with a clear line of sight to where we ’ re aiming to be .
| 8 |