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A person stands on a sun-dappled trail looking up at the redwood trees towering above, by Canopy Dynamics

Introduction to Forest Bathing

Forest bathing, or “Shinrin-yoku” as it’s called in Japan where the practice was founded, is a way of immersing your senses in nature that has proven benefits for our physical and mental well being. Time in nature can boost our immune systems and creativity, settle our minds, and lower our stress levels. But how do you forest bathe? While an actual bath in the forest is not required, here’s an introduction to get started improving your connection with nature and your health.

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A sandy single-track trail disappears into low flowering plants with the tops of pines peeking up in the distance, by Orenda Randuch

Santa Cruz Sandhills

Among redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains you can find a habitat so rare it doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world: the Santa Cruz sandhills. Species uniquely adapted to its soil cling to their disappearing habitat long interwoven with redwoods. And you could be their best hope for survival. Explore the ancient rarities of sandhills and redwoods through the lens of photographer Orenda Randuch and learn more about the species and how you can help.

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Silhouetted forest descends to glittering sea out to mountains against a hazy sky tinted by sunset, by Orenda Randuch

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. Stay tuned for the next step to ask state leadership to rebuild State Parks and protect priority lands in the Santa Cruz mountains.

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The profile of a girl looking up with an out of focus redwood forest behind her, by Orenda Randuch

Living with Trees: A Historian’s Perspective for the Future

Like history, science is record keeping. By looking at trees through both human perspectives of science and culture, across time and the globe, Dr. Daniel Lewis, author, historian, and curator at one of the world’s most renowned research libraries, looks for how we might save trees to save ourselves.

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burned nearly bare mountains in the Gazos watershed after the CZU Fire by Ian Bornarth

Save Climate Funding in State Budget

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.

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burned nearly bare mountains in the Gazos watershed after the CZU Fire by Ian Bornarth

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.

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foggy mountains behind mature trees, by Mike Kahn

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.

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Epiphytes, including different species of lichen and moss, grow in different shapes and shades of green on an old growth redwood called Methuselah in the Santa Cruz mountains, by Orenda Randuch

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.

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Mushrooms of different sizes, shapes, and colors found at San Vicente Redwoods lie on a white sheet for mycologist Maya Elson to identify, by Orenda Randuch

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 the fight against climate change.

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