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A group of five vertical panoramas shows a healthy old-growth redwood tree pre-fire on April 28, 2017 and as a charred standing snag post-fire from February 18, 2021 as the forest floor and surrounding redwoods recover with green growth through June 3, 2023, by Ian Bornarth

Awakening of the Silent Forest

December 6, 2023

See the resurgence of forest life after the 2020 CZU Fire through photographer Ian Bornarth’s lens. Over three years, Bornarth visited Santa Cruz mountain redwood forests every few weeks to capture their recovery and has captivated us with documentation of their resilience and signs of new beginnings.

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Portrait image of Sempervirens Fund's Director of Government Relations Rachel Dann standing in front of a coast redwood tree.

Rachel Dann joins Sempervirens Fund as Director of Government Relations

November 19, 2023

Contact: Matt Shaffer, 415-609-2750, mshaffer@sempervirens.org Santa Cruz, Calif. (Dec. 19, 2023) – Sempervirens Fund, California’s first and oldest land trust, has hired Rachel Dann, a key aide to many notable…

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Marbled murrelet fledgling beak with a small white “egg tooth” spike at the tip, by Alex Rinkert

Close Encounter: Monitoring Marbled Murrelets

November 8, 2023

An endangered elusive, young seabird was found on the ground in one of its harshest habitats–the Santa Cruz mountains–where they and the redwoods they rely on are both at the end of their range. Read the story of this rare encounter and how monitoring marbled murrelets in the redwoods can support these dwindling species where they bear the brunt of climate change impacts and how you can help.

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Amah Mutun Land Trust Native Stewardship Corps members Marcella and Esak wear bright yellow hard hats as they sift soil during cultural landscape research amidst bright green post-fire regrowth several feet high from the ground contrasting starkly with the back drop of blackened tree trunks from the CZU Fire rising above at San Vicente Redwoods, photo by Ian Bornarth

Indigenous Stewardship at San Vicente Redwoods: Past, Present, and Future

October 12, 2023

After the CZU Fire an opportunity arose to study post-fire effects, survey a baseline of reemerging plants, and help Amah Mutsun Tribal Band members look for eco-archaeological clues to how the Awaswas-speaking peoples lived on and cared for this land. Dive into their research at San Vicente Redwoods as they look into Indigenous Stewardship of the past and help plan for the future.

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NEWS: San Vicente Redwoods Progress Report on Wildfire Resilience Restoration Three Years After CZU Wildfire, Amid Continued Risk

September 13, 2023

Since early 2022, San Vicente Redwoods partners have treated more than 820 acres, opened 7.3 miles of public access trails, improved community safety, and secured $3 million in funding to continue necessary work in living laboratory of forest restoration. Learn more.

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A bright green shrub rises from the lower left near an intersection of trails and seemingly habitats, with deep green redwood forest behind and a lush, green native oak bordering the meadow on the right, at Castle Rock Hollow, by Orenda Randuch

NEWS: Castle Rock Hollow Purchase to Complete Protected Natural Boundary of Castle Rock State Park

September 12, 2023

Sempervirens Fund announced its purchase of Castle Rock Hollow, permanently preserving the 51-acre property, which shares a boundary with Sempervirens Fund’s former Castle Rock West property that was recently added to Castle Rock State Park.

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Fuel for Fire: Framing Forest Resilience Three Years After the CZU Fire

August 18, 2023

Three years after the CZU Fire, the resilient land is recovering and fire-adapted species are restoring green to the landscape. But these lush signs of nature’s rebirth after fire can quickly become fuel for the next fire. How can we restore these ecosystems from a damaging past for an uncertain future? Take a look through a trained lens to witness the intersection of natural resilience and cutting-edge stewardship techniques.

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View of Castle Rock State Park from Ridge Trail on way to Goat Rock

NEWS: California State Parks Purchases Six Properties from Sempervirens Fund, Permanently Expanding Castle Rock State Park

August 15, 2023

NEWS: California State Parks Purchases Six Properties from Sempervirens Fund, Permanently Expanding Castle Rock State Park

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A black and white photo from Sempervirens Fund’s historic archive shows three men—in early 20th century suits consisting of dark colored trousers, white collared long-sleeved shirts with ties, dress shoes, and a few accessories like suspenders, vests, and hats reminiscent of fashion just after the turn of the century—sit casually atop a rock outcropping rising above the surrounding brush and forest like a spire as the view of forested mountainsides fade off into the distance behind them.

Castle Rock State Park Legacy

July 25, 2023

Sempervirens Fund supporters like you have helped to create, expand, and keep Castle Rock State Park open over the decades. And we’re not done yet. Delve back in time to see how you’ve helped reimagine Castle Rock State Park as we look to what’s next.

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Seven members of Disabled Hikers donning face masks and hiking gear, which for some members include mobility devices like wheel chairs and canes, and a fluffy caramel colored dog on leash are lined up for a group photo in the sun with a lush redwood canopy behind them, by Orenda Randuch

Conservation, Eco-Ableism, and Reclaiming Limitations

June 7, 2023

For far too long, our world has been shaped by ideologies that both imagine, mark, and limit certain bodies for inclusion and exclusion from public space and the greater natural world. Eco-ableism is a core component of the creation of public lands. The outdoors won’t truly be a safe and inclusive space if we do not also address ableism and long-held assumptions about disability.

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Lupine blossoms, deep royal blue on the bottom and white on top, amidst spring green grasses, fill the frame, by Orenda Randuch

Beyond the Bloom: Superblooms in the Santa Cruz Mountains

May 31, 2023

Our resident biologist and natural resource manager Beatrix Jiménez-Helsley takes us on a photo essay into the rarer side of the superbloom and why its waning in some habitats and just getting started in others—a phenomenon that just may be the saving grace for redwoods and the species that rely on them as our climate continues to change.

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Aerial photography of the Saddle Mountain conservation area at the east entrance to Big Basin Redwoods State Park. This view looks west along California Highway 236 into Big Basin. The canopy is dominated by the crowns of redwoods, most of which were burned by the 2020 CZU wildfire. Photo by Jordan Plotsky.

NEWS: Sterrenzee Ridgetop Acquired to Expand Footprint of Big Basin Redwoods State Park Area Conservation

May 17, 2023

News: Sterrenzee Ridgetop Acquired to Expand Footprint of Big Basin Redwoods State Park Area Conservation

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Call (650) 949-1453 x207 or email redwoods@sempervirens.org

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