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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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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

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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Redwoods and Climate Part 4

In the final part of the redwoods and climate series by Julia Busiek, we explore research about how climate change is already affecting redwoods across their range, and how it informs our new plan to save redwoods, and the plants and wildlife that rely on them, before its too late.

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Redwoods and Climate In Our Hands by Jane Kim, Ink Dwell

Redwoods and Climate Part 3

In the third part of a new series by Julia Busiek about the impacts of climate on redwoods, we explore how human-caused conditions that led to the CZU fire have been building since the beginning of European colonization, and what, if anything, can be done to prevent it from happening again.

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Family circles of coast redwood trees, their bark gray from the 2020 CZU fire but covered in the bright green fuzz of new growth, stand tall against a bright blue sky in Big Basin State Park in 2022

Big Basin Returns

In July 2022, Big Basin re-opened its gates, and as we see our way past the two-year anniversary of the CZU fire, people are visiting once more. We talked to staff and interns about their experiences and spoke with our director of conservation about our work at the park and at a newly acquired nearby property that may well have a role in the park’s future.

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Land Director Laura McLendon surveys Big Basin State Park with Rangers after the CZU Fire.

Reimagining Big Basin

In August 2021, a year after the CZU fire, California State Parks launched a visioning process for Reimagining Big Basin. A year later, they have a vision for the park’s future. Learn more, connect, and stay involved.

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Preserve the Gateway to Big Basin

Join Sempervirens Fund to preserve the Gateway to Big Basin. Together, we have the opportunity to permanently protect 153 acres of redwood forests and preserve a scenic approach into Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Donate by January 31 and your gift will be matched dollar for dollar up to $200,000.

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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: Redwood Forests at Big Basin Entrance Slated for Conservation

On January 11, 2022, Sempervirens Fund announced that they have an agreement to purchase 153-acres of redwood forests in Boulder Creek, Calif., which will become a new scenic entrance to Big Basin Redwoods State Park along California Highway 236. Sempervirens Fund has launched a campaign to raise $2.86 million by January 31 to permanently protect the property.

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