About Us

Californians leading the way

Californians share a strong commitment to protecting biodiversity, strengthening climate resilience, expanding nature-based solutions, and enhancing access for all to nature's benefits. California residents understand that our unique natural heritage, from our towering redwood trees to our soaring condors, cannot be replaced once they are gone. These large-scale, linked challenges impact our health, well-being, and economic integrity and require collaboration, capacity building, and knowledge sharing amongst an alliance of partners.

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Six people standing behind a conference table at COP16 event in Colombia, with flags of Colombia and the United Nations. A blue backdrop displays "COP16" and "Colombia" along with a colorful flower illustration.
A bear with a bear cub climbing a tree in a forest.

Mission

The California Global Biodiversity Alliance (CalGBA) is a California-based network of state agency representatives, elected officials, NGOs, academics and community and environmental justice groups advocating for strong participation in and implementation of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) at all levels. The Alliance builds coalitions and promotes collaboration amongst local, state, national, tribal and global biodiversity leaders in California, the United States, and around the world in order to overcome critical biodiversity and climate change challenges for people and planet.

Collaboration and connection for biodiversity at the local, national, and global levels fosters a future where people and the planet flourish.

Vision

Objectives

  1. Increase mainstreaming and integration of biodiversity objectives in policies and planning at all levels of decision making and governance, including through direct awareness-raising with elected officials.

  2. Engage CalGBA members and partners with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

  3. Build super coalitions composed of state representatives, NGOs, academic institutions, municipalities, tribal governments and community organizations to connect with the KMGBF, thus raising ambition for local, state and federal action.

  4. Generate understanding and acceptance of the linkages between biodiversity loss,  climate change and impacts on human health.

  5. Supplement the inconsistency of federal leadership by building power at all levels through organizing, education, and collaboration inclusive of the fight against extractive industries as this pertains to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

CalGBA’s History

CalGBA (formerly the California Global Biodiversity Working Group) launched in 2020 when a coalition of over 30 organizations and environmental leaders successfully advocated for the State of California to become a UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) observer. 

After California gained observer status, CalGBA grew its membership, hosted workshops to engage and educate Californians around participation in the CBD, provided input to the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) on their CBD contributions, and partnered with the state and organizations to organize a strong presence at the CBD COP15 in Montreal, Canada in 2022. An extended delegation of over 50 Californians including local and state government, elected officials, community led nonprofits, and NGOs attended COP15, which resulted in agreements to raise state and local ambition for integrating biodiversity into policies and planning. 

In 2024, after launching our StoryMap that links biodiversity projects across the state with the 23 Targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework, CalGBA attended the CBD’s 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, taking a lead role in coordinating over 100 delegates from California to collaborate on engagement while at COP16. CalGBA also extended our network well beyond California to engage other states, subnational governments and nationwide and global organizations. This expanded work continues today as CalGBA prepares for COP17 in Armenia in 2026.

Steering Committee

  • The word 'PAJE' in large, colorful letters with a green, blue, and light blue color scheme.

    Rosalind Helfand, PAJE Consulting (CalGBA Co-Founder)


    Rosalind, based in Los Angeles, is an independent expert on local to global environmental and social policy, strategy, and advocacy, and collaborates with civil society, NGOs, governments and coalitions to create and implement innovative, connected policies and programs.

  • Logo of California Environmental Voters featuring a green square with a black checkmark and the organization's name in blue text.

    Mike Young, California Environmental Voters (CalGBA Co-Founder)


    Mike is the Executive Director of EnviroVoters with nearly 20 years of experience in electoral campaigns and grassroots organizing. He builds strategic relationships to identify and support environmental leaders while holding legislators accountable to community concerns.

  • Point Blue Conservation Science logo with stylized blue, white, and green bird emblem and text.

    Liz Chamberlin, PhD, Point Blue Conservation Science


    Liz is Point Blue’s Director of Innovation and co-leader of The Roots Program, a statewide initiative supported by the California Wildlife Conservation Board promoting community-centered wildlife habitat restoration on California’s working landscapes.

  • Logo of the California Global Biodiversity Alliance (CaGBA) featuring a stylized black tree or plant symbol and green text reading "CaGBA CALIFORNIA GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY ALLIANCE".

    Tracy Farrell, PhD


    Tracy is the North America Regional Director for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CEO of IUCN-US. She brings extensive experience in developing, leading, and overseeing global initiatives in conservation and sustainable development.

  • Logo of CalGBA, the California Global Biodiversity Alliance, featuring a black stylized tree symbol on a green background and the organization name in dark green text.

    Sarojini Lall


    Sarojini is a public affairs professional who has worked in nonprofits, state government and on city commissions, with a particular focus on building sustainable, resilient communities. Sarojini has a Master’s Degree in cultural theory from Goldsmiths College, University of London, and is passionate about wildlife conservation.

  • Illustration of mountains, trees, and a winding road with the text 'Canyon Back Alliance' at the bottom.

    Wendy-Sue Rosen, Canyon Back Alliance


    Wendy is a long-time California Environmental Voters board member, Canyon Back Alliance co-founder, and land use and environmental policy consultant, focusing on biodiversity and natural resource protection, public right of access to recreational trails, the preservation of open space, and fire risk reduction within wildland and wildland urban interface areas.

  • Graphic design with abstract green patterns on the left and text on the right reading 'Resource Renewal Institute' in green letters.

    Scott Webb, Resource Renewal Institute


    Scott is RRI’s Director of Advocacy and Engagement with a diverse background in environmental advocacy. He has led successful campaigns for ocean and watershed protection, organized electoral efforts in Arizona, worked internationally on clean water access, and empowered youth through environmental education.

  • Logo of CalGBA California Global Biodiversity Alliance featuring a stylized tree with branches and circles within a dark green square, and the organization's name in dark green text.

    Sam Young


    Sam is an Environmental Consultant with 15 years of experience in natural resource management in public, private, and NGO sectors. He is a Certified Consulting Botanist, and has been passionate about putting  “think globally, act locally” into action since his time as an Environment, Energy, and Economics Fellow with the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy in Geneva, Switzerland. When he is not working for the environment, he is enjoying it through SCUBA diving, hiking, and camping.

Members

7 Seas Collective
Ban SUP (Single Use Plastic)
California Academy of Sciences
California Environmental Voters
California Invasive Plant Council
Canyon Back Alliance
Center for Biological Diversity
Center For Large Landscape Conservation
Channel Islands Restoration
Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife
City of Sausalito
College of Marin
Friends of Griffith Park
Gabrielino-Shoshone Nation of Southern California
Glendale Environmental Coalition
Global Youth Biodiversity Network USA
ICLEI USA
LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN)
Los Angeles Climate Reality Project
Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance
National Caucus of Environmental Legislators
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
OneUpAction
PAJE Consulting
PermaCity Foundation
Point Blue Conservation Science
Resource Renewal Institute
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
San Francisco Environment Department
Second Nature Ecology and Design
Studio-MLA
UCLA Sustainability
University of California San Diego/Trunks & Leaves
Vermont Biodiversity Alliance

Organizations:

Simona Capisani
Tracey Farrell
Joshua Holst
Madison Jennings
Nathan Rank
Nobby Riedy
Andy Shrader
Susan E. Townsend

Individuals: