2023 News: What You’ve Made Possible
photo by Orenda Randuch
2023 News
NEWS: Sempervirens Fund Acquires Properties for New Entrance to Big Basin Redwoods State Park; AB 2103 Advances in State Legislature
Saddle Mountain properties key for future Big Basin visitor services; AB 2103 (Pellerin) prioritizes land acquisition at Big Basin following CZU fire Boulder Creek, Calif. (April 26, 2024) — Today, Sempervirens Fund, California’s first land trust, announced the purchase of two properties adjacent to Big Basin Redwoods State Park, which are intended to support California…
California Climate Bond
With increasingly severe fires, floods, and sea level rise affecting the state each year, California should be rapidly investing to deploy climate mitigation measures and strengthen its resiliency as soon as possible. Ask your legislators to act on a climate bond in 2024.
Help Rebuild State Parks
Help California State Parks rebuild Big Basin, Butano, and Año Nuevo State Parks and protect the region's incredible biodiversity devastated by the 2020 CZU Fire. Ask state leadership to rebuild State Parks and protect priority lands in the Santa Cruz mountains.
America the Beautiful
The vision for protecting and restoring 30% of America’s land and waters by 2030 has a ways to go. Urge state leadership to prioritize conserving and restoring lands, waters, and wildlife.
NEWS: Sempervirens Fund welcomes three new members to its board of directors
Juan Benitez, Marimo Berk, and Brad Lewis join our board of directors to help lead the conservation efforts of California’s first and oldest land trust.
Lichens
You may know redwoods hold mini ecosystems on their branches, but did you know a lichen on just one of those branches is a micro ecosystem of its own? Climb into the hidden biodiversity of redwood forests with lichenologist and curator of The Lichenarium at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Dr. Rikke Reese Næsborg.
World Wildlife Day: Take the Poll
Celebrate World Wildlife Day by voting for your favorite creature—from banana slugs to Townsend big-eared bats—in the redwood forests you help us protect.
Fungi of the Forest: Meet the Mushrooms of San Vicente Redwoods
Mycologist and researcher Maya Elson teamed up with photographer Orenda Randuch for a fungi photo essay to help us meet the mushrooms hard at work at San Vicente Redwoods. Learn identification tips to recognize mushrooms above ground, and their critical work underground to help the forest recover from fire, drought, flood, and human impacts in...
Sempervirens Fund permanently protects 120 acres in Santa Cruz mountains’ Upper Zayante watershed
Late in 2023, Sempervirens Fund permanently protected 120 acres in Santa Cruz mountains’ Upper Zayante watershed. The Isabel Upani conservation easement, donated to Sempervirens Fund by private landowners, guarantees protection of the more than 67 acres of redwood forest.
Awakening of the Silent Forest
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.
Rachel Dann joins Sempervirens Fund as Director of Government Relations
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 politicians in the Monterey Bay Area, to serve as the organization’s first-ever director of government relations. Dann will develop and advance the organization’s conservation agenda….
Close Encounter: Monitoring Marbled Murrelets
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...
Indigenous Stewardship at San Vicente Redwoods: Past, Present, and Future
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...
Fall and Winter Hikes
As thermometers and leaves drop, crisp air and leaves beckon us outside to appreciate a different side of the Santa Cruz mountains’ wild beauty - colorful leaves, sparkling creeks, migrating birds, curious mushrooms, and of course banana slugs and elephant seals. If you're looking for trails and places to enjoy the change of seasons this...
NEWS: San Vicente Redwoods Progress Report on Wildfire Resilience Restoration Three Years After CZU Wildfire, Amid Continued Risk
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.
NEWS: Castle Rock Hollow Purchase to Complete Protected Natural Boundary of Castle Rock State Park
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.
Fuel for Fire: Framing Forest Resilience Three Years After the CZU Fire
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...
NEWS: California State Parks Purchases Six Properties from Sempervirens Fund, Permanently Expanding Castle Rock State Park
NEWS: California State Parks Purchases Six Properties from Sempervirens Fund, Permanently Expanding Castle Rock State Park
Castle Rock State Park Legacy
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.
More to Explore
- See the highlights of what supporters like you made possible last year in your Impact Report
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