Sempervirens Fund

Have you ever seen a California Nutmeg (Torreya californica)? These trees grow in the shaded understory of the redwood forest and are sometimes mistaken for their much taller neighbors (Sequoia sempervirens) because of the similar look of their needles. Here are some ways to tell them apart:

1️⃣ California Nutmeg needles are stiff and can prick your fingers. Redwood needles are thinner & softer.
2️⃣ Crush California Nutmeg needles and you’ll get a pungent odor. Crushed Redwood needles smell milder - warm and earthy.
3️⃣ California Nutmeg bark is grayish in color and firm. Redwood bark has a softer, spongy texture and red hues caused by its high level of tannins.

California nutmeg trees are scattered throughout the coast redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains, contributing to the rich diversity of its ecosystem.

10 seconds of stillness from the redwoods. You’re welcome. 🙂

🐝Bzzzzzz … Happy World Bee Day! Bees are vital to our ecosystem. While many animals spread pollen, the most common pollinators are insects—especially bees. Bee populations have been declining globally over recent decades due to habitat loss, intensive farming practices, changes in weather, and the excessive use of pesticides. One way to protect bees is to protect their natural habitat, which includes the redwood forests that are home to the many flowers bees love to snack on.

Some of the bee species in the Santa Cruz area:
🐝 Andrenidae (sometimes called mining bees or sand bees, they are small enough to fit inside tiny flowers)
🐝 Apidae (very common—small and hairy)
🐝 Colletidae (has a distinct tringular face)
🐝 Halictidae (enjoys landing on humans and drinking their sweat 😱)
🐝 Melittidae (rare; feeds exclusively on clarkia flowers in the California chaparral).

Fun fact: Bees can fly up to 20 MPH. That buzz you hear? It could be a bee’s wings flapping up to 230 times per second.

📸 Photo Credits
Opening bee video: Orenda Randuch
2nd slide, 3rd slide: Orenda Randuch
Bee on yellow flower: Russell Ferretti-Hoyle
Bee on pink flower: Orenda Randuch
Bee on red flower: Ian Bornarth

🎉 In 1900, a group of citizen activists banded together to form Sempervirens Club—now Sempervirens Fund —and committed to protecting and restoring coast redwoods so they would remain “sempervirens”, or “always green”. Today, May 18, is our 126th birthday!🎂

The movement to save the Santa Cruz Mountains’ redwoods from logging gained momentum at the turn of the century when community members were horrified by the destruction they saw in their backyard and joined forces.
The first order of business for The Sempervirens Club (as it was then called) was to establish and permanently protect six square miles of old-growth redwoods, creating Big Basin Redwoods State Park, the oldest park in the California State Park system.

We wouldn’t be where we are today without our community - without you. Thank you for recognizing the importance of redwoods for generations to come—as a California icon, as climate change superheroes, and as trees that inspire awe and wonder.🌲 🌲 🌲