Sempervirens Fund works to protect and permanently preserve redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests, wildlife habitat, watersheds, and other important natural and scenic features of California’s Santa Cruz mountains, and to encourage public appreciation and enjoyment of this environment.
External link for Sempervirens Fund
P.O. Box 1417
Los Altos, California 94023, US
🌲Who are we and what do we do? With more than a century of history behind us, there’s lots to learn about Sempervirens Fund, but our mission is simple: we preserve redwoods and their broader ecosystem through land stewardship. 📸 Swipe through to learn what that means, and how you help to preserve tens of thousands of acres of natural California habitat!
Taller than the Statue of Liberty, Niagara Falls, or Big Ben, an ancient coast redwood - sometimes reaching heights of more than 300 feet - is a majestic sight you won't soon forget. 📸 Canopy Dynamics #redwoods #calforniaredwoods #redwoodforest #oldgrowthredwood
With the increasing urgency to help redwoods recover from past human impacts and prepare for accelerating climate changes ahead, we collaborated with Bay Nature Magazine and author Audrea Lim to look at that shift in our redwood revolution and explore the outcomes. https://lnkd.in/gF8YibWF More than a decade ago, Sempervirens Fund was confronted with a choice. Do we actively manage the forests we protect to improve their health, or do we continue to protect the redwoods as we have for more than a century and allow for nature to heal on its own timeline? Active management to restore the forest would include the need to cut down trees for the benefit of the forest. Helping redwoods recover from past human impacts and prepare for accelerating climate changes ahead was becoming increasingly urgent. This collaboration with Sempervirens Fund, Bay Nature Magazine, and author Audrea Lim explores the history of our approach to forest restoration and how our practices have evolved. https://lnkd.in/gF8YibWF #redwoods #californiaredwoods #restorationforestry #forestrestoration #conservation Photo IDs: 1. Redwoods in fog with the headline, "Why Cut Redwoods?" 2. Forester marks trees to be cut down. 3. Tree with a blue mark on it, showing it is a candidate to be cut. 4. The thick, post-fire understory of San Vicente Redwoods’ Deadman Gulch slows restoration efforts in 2024. 5. Screenshot of article cover in Bay Nature Magazine.
Some people can live in the Santa Cruz Mountains their whole lives and never see a puma. Experts at staying hidden and shy of human contact, pumas (Puma concolor) are Santa Cruz Mountains’ native mountain lions and bobcats, also known as panthers, cougars, or catamounts. Important apex predators, pumas help to maintain a healthy ecosystem. 95% of their diet is deer, so they help keep the deer population down which in turn regulates the numbers and types of plants that deer feed on, keeping nature in balance. Because pumas need a wide range for hunting and breeding, it’s critical to have large intact habitats with connected wildlife corridors. Roads and new development that fragment habitat are the biggest threats to pumas. Fortunately, San Vicente Redwoods is adjacent to more than 10,000 acres of protected lands including Swanton Ranch and Coast Dairies, making it a rich contiguous wildlife habitat—an important component of our vision for flourishing redwood forests in the Santa Cruz mountains. #puma #mountainlion #santacruz #redwoods #wildlife #naturelovers #wildlifephotography
Save the date and join us to celebrate 125 years of protecting redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains! Join Sempervirens Fund among the redwoods at the historic Roaring Camp. Our first-ever Redwoods Festival will celebrate the redwoods with supporters like you and feature live music, train rides, hiking tours, food trucks, and other family fun! Sunday, May 18, 2025, 1- 4 PM Roaring Camp, Felton, CA #redwoods #santacruz #santacruzmountains #santacruzevents
Listen to Thomas Rex Beverly's "In Redwoods: Inside the Tree" to experience appreciating redwoods in an awe-inspiring new way!
NEW SOUND LIBRARY – In Redwoods: Inside the Tree, hear what a Redwood tree "feels". Some wildlife calls are loud enough to vibrate 1000 year old wood. So you can actually hear animal calls through the wood using contact mics. The natural resonance of the wood filters the animal call of often gives it an ethereal character. Hear ominous owl hoots filtered through ancient bark and regal ravens resonating centuries old wood. This library offers you a large collection of an awe inspiring phenomenon I didn't know existed. I hope you enjoy listening to wildlife soundscapes from the perspective of Redwood trees. The tree itself is the subject, not the animal call. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gmQ6FeaH #fieldrecording #redwoods Sempervirens Fund
“Having a restoration and working forest in tandem has taught us a lot about not only supporting the forest’s long-term health but also how to prepare for and respond to wildfire. We approach this work with urgency, humility, and a willingness to adapt based on results. The volume of active restoration work has increased since the [CZU Lightning Complex] fire, and that benefits forests and local communities, now and into the future. Rarely do we fully know what nature will do, so we pursue redwood resiliency in terms of health, habitat, and fighting climate change for millennia.” - Sara Barth, Executive Director of Sempervirens Fund More than a decade ago, Sempervirens Fund was confronted with a choice: do we actively manage the forests we protect to improve their health, or do we continue to protect the redwoods as we have for more than a century and allow for nature to heal on its own timeline? Active management to restore the forest would include the need to cut down trees for the benefit of the forest. Read about Sempervirens Fund’s history with and current approach to restoration forestry at San Vicente Redwoods, in "Why Cut Redwoods?", written in partnership with Bay Nature magazine. https://lnkd.in/gF8YibWF #redwoods #santacruz #restorationforestry
As we celebrate our 125th anniversary this year, we’re looking through our photo archives and finding some gems. Can you guess which decade some of these are from? In 1900—125 years ago—citizen activists joined in common cause to establish Sempervirens Fund as California’s first land trust. The core of our mission then remains the same today: protect redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Redwoods are one of the longest-living species on Earth. Coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) live thousands of years—supplying habitat, carbon storage, and awe. Although only 5% of redwoods’ oldest trees remain, we are working to ensure the future generations of old-growth redwoods take root. Reflecting on our legacy and looking forward to the future, we are forever thankful to our vast community of supporters for your commitment to protecting redwoods. 🌲 Our community, like the redwoods we protect, endures. Together we are Sempervirens. Together we are always green. 🌲 We hope you enjoy these photos from our collection - much more to come in the months ahead! #redwoods #californiaredwoods #conservation #santacruz Photo IDs: 1. Person descends a rocky incline with the assistance of a rope while another person climbs behind them, set against a backdrop of the Santa Cruz Mountains. 2. Two hikers with backpacks stand on a rocky outcrop overlooking a forested Santa Cruz Mountains. 3. Group of children listening and learning in the forest. 4. Group of people on horseback riding along a shaded forest path. 5. Group of individuals enjoying a picnic at a wooded campsite, with one person cooking on a portable stove and others sitting at a picnic table surrounded by trees. 6. Two individuals standing by a waterfall in a densely wooded area, with sunlight filtering through the foliage. 7. Two individuals at a campsite in a forest, one cooking and the other drinking from a mug. 8. Two people, one in a colorful robe and beanie, and another in a ranger uniform with a guitar, stand on a rocky creek bed surrounded by lush greenery. 9. Historical photograph of a large group gathered around the base of a giant tree, with a banner reading "Sempervirens Club" and an American flag displayed.
Why are we always identifying with slugs on Mondays? 🤔 Yes, they are one of the slower creatures on Earth, moving at a maximum speed of six and a half inches per minute. Yet, while they are steadfastly not hurrying, they are performing a crucial role in the forest. Known as the "clean-up crew" for the forest floor, these "detritovores" (creatures that east detritus) help to speed up decomposition, which enriches the soil and helps redwoods grow. Fun fact: Banana slugs were established as California's official state slug last year! . . . . . 📸 Orenda Randuch ID: Video of banana slug eating on the forest floor #californiaredwoods #redwoods #naturelovers