125 years of redwood conservation at Sempervirens Fund

Sara Barth, executive director of Sempervirens fund, joined Talk of the Bay just a few days shy of a monumental occasion for California’s first land trust — its 125th anniversary. The conservation group, focused on forest protection and restoration since 1900, commemorated the milestone with the first-ever Redwoods Festival at the historic Roaring Camp property in Felton.

The organization has played an enduring role in managing and protecting the majestic, ancient redwoods that continue to grow tall in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They have also spearheaded efforts to help the local environment recover from climate-change fueled disasters, such as the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in 2020 which decimated the region and California’s first state park—Big Basin Redwoods.

Barth, who has been with Sempervirens since 2016, arrived at K-Squid’s studios ready tell us all about what this landmark nonprofit has managed to achieve in its first 125 years, what it has in mind for the next 125, and just what in the heck a Sempervirens is.