Posts Tagged ‘Wildlife’
Bats of the Redwoods
Love them or hate them, bats are an important part of our ecosystem. They help control insect populations and even pollinate some flowers. And like all of us at Sempervirens Fund, they find solace in and spend a lot of time among the redwoods. Read on to learn what one researcher discovered about bats of the redwoods.
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San Vicente Creek: Restoring a Stronghold
Mill Creek had been blocked since early in the last century by a 12-foot-tall, 25-foot-wide dam a quarter mile upstream from its confluence with the main aquatic thoroughfare, San Vicente Creek. In September 2021, that dam was removed, giving Mill Creek another half mile of free flow. The story of removing Mill Creek’s dam is a story about the pieces that fit together to bring life and vitality to an ecosystem.
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NEWS: Mill Creek Dam Removed in Santa Cruz Mountains
Sempervirens Fund announced that they have removed a dam on Mill Creek in the San Vicente watershed.
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Mill Creek Dam and the San Vicente Watershed
An old dam has denied endangered Coho salmon their critical spawning ground and redwood forests their nutrients for over a century in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This is the story of bringing down a dam to restore the southernmost habitat for Coho and coast redwoods.
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A Marbled Murrelet Fledges from Big Basin
In July 2021, deep in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, a researcher happened upon a marbled murrelet nest. What happened next had never been caught on film before.
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The Life and Times of Pumas
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.
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Redwoods, Pumas, and People
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.
Read MoreRestoring San Vicente Creek to Save Endangered Salmon
Restoring San Vicente Creek Saving Endangered Salmon Sempervirens Fund is helping save critically endangered coho salmon and threatened steelhead through the restoration of San Vicente Creek in San Vicente Redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains near the small coastal town of Davenport. Read on to learn about these critical regional efforts. Donate Now Caring for…
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Rain Sorcery: A Wyrd Hike with Newts
By Ryan Masters, Sempervirens Fund (Originally published Nov. 26, 2014 in Hilltromper) The eyes of a California Newt are black slits set into saffron orbs. Gaze into them and you will know why the trio of weird sisters in Macbeth treasured them for their cauldron. They are gnomish and implacable. They hold secrets only found…
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Ornithology Mystery Solved at Big Basin
Marbled murrelets sport mottled brown feathers during breeding season, which falls between mid-April and late September.(Photo credit: Oregon State University) For decades, the marbled murrelet vexed biologists and birders. Scientists hypothesized that the seabird nested on cliffsides (like other members of the auk family), on islands, or in burrows. Some theorized that marbled murrelets lived…
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