Key Facts

• California Governor Gavin Newsom signed new legislation to establish the bigberry manzanita and giant garter snake as state symbols.
• The bigberry manzanita is an evergreen shrub native to California and is well-suited to wildfire-prone areas due to its resilient nature.
• The giant garter snake is native to California’s Central Valley and has faced a significant population decline, being listed as threatened.
• The legislation aims to promote awareness of California's biodiversity and conservation needs.
• California now has 42 official state symbols, including the recently designated Dungeness crab, banana slug, and black abalone.
• The new state symbols are intended to be used in educational and conservation efforts to teach about native species and their ecological importance.