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The Santa Cruz Mountains are a rich and dynamic place with diverse habitats and landscapes rising from the shores to the ridges. In this guide you can explore three key plant communities – Santa Cruz Sandhills, Chaparral, and Redwood Forest – and the special flowers, plants, and trees to look for as fire-scarred landscapes reset and rebound. Photo by James Maughn.
Land trust accreditation recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Sempervirens Fund is pleased to announce it is applying for renewal of accreditation. A public comment period is now open.
Pumas thrive when they can range from mountain top to mountain top. Unfortunately, in the Santa Cruz Mountains, their range is interrupted frequently, making it difficult for the species to survive. In fact, only 40 pumas are known to be active in the region. We have a lot of work to do to protect and expand their habitat, but how do pumas develop and grow? Read about the life cycle of pumas and their families over time.
Fire heals nature, but when we experience catastrophic wildfires in our communities, we are inclined to fear fire’s destruction. This is understandable. We are accustomed to thinking of fire only in terms of loss, and when our lives, property, and possessions are at risk, fire can be a threat to take very seriously.
Pumas (Puma concolor) are the native mountain lions and bobcats, also known as panthers, cougars, or catamounts. The extensive ranges pumas need for territory, hunting and breeding is one reason why it’s so important to have large intact habitats with connected wildlife corridors. Roads and new development that fragment habitat are the biggest threats to pumas.
Exploring the diverse ecosystems and marvels of coast redwood forests can be a rich, rewarding, and life-changing experience. But not everyone feels welcome in nature or comfortable visiting our region’s parks. We believe everyone deserves safe, welcoming, and inclusive access to the coast redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Learn what benefits stewardship brings to redwood forests. Stewardship has been a popular word for some time, and, although Sempervirens Fund staff have gotten pretty familiar with it, we want to make sure you know what we mean when we say “stewardship.”. After all, it is because of you that we are able to steward redwood forestlands, an activity that is at the core of our mission. Stewardship can comprise a whole host of activities associated with caring for the land.
On day one, in one of his first actions as President, Joe Biden rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement. We hope this marks the beginning, and not the end, of the Biden Administration’s efforts to make the investments necessary to reduce America’s greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the resilience of our natural and human communities.
Former Board President Fred Keeley Retires After 10 Years of Service Los Altos, Calif. (January 5, 2021) — Sempervirens Fund welcomes Michael Watkins and Peter Staple to its board…
NEWS: Sempervirens Fund and Save the Redwoods League have raised $543,000 to date for California State Parks and the massive recovery effort at Big Basin Redwoods State Park. The first disbursement of $200,000 will primarily support staffing and equipment costs for removing damaged and fallen trees that pose a hazard to other trees, personnel and future visitors.
In August 2020, a widespread lightning storm ignited fires in the Santa Cruz mountains. The fires, centered in the historic Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and while we wait to return to Big Basin, people around the world are sharing their memories of their visits to this magnificent park.
The future of redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains is in your hands. Wildfires in 2020 have burned over more than 86,000 acres of land, and redwoods recovery efforts have begun. Your #GivingTuesday gift today will be triple-matched and will have an immediate impact restoring redwood forests in the region. Our work in 2021 will reach far beyond Big Basin. Your triple-matched gift today will not only restore damaged forests, but it will also add fuel breaks and make forests more resilient to climate change. This will help the forests on our properties withstand the next disaster, which is sure to come. This work will help wildlife like the marbled murrelet, Coho salmon, and mountain lions thrive in a healthy forest home. And as always, we will continue to buy and protect more forest landscapes.
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