Eco News

They Did It!

Laurel Curve will soon see traffic of another variety. Land Trust photo.

With a $1 million fundraising goal 85 percent met, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County has moved to fulfill a key condition of Caltrans' plan to construct a wildlife crossing under Highway 17.

Protecting Goats and Lions

Chickens, pigs and baby goats in the Santa Cruz Mountains need to be protected from mountain lions and other predators.

Mountain lions get shot for following their instinct to predate. Protecting our small animals can help save the pumas.

Why Does The Puma Cross The Road?

The "McDougal mountain lion," named for property Land Trust seeks to purchase for a wildlife crossing, on Aug. 9. Pathways for Wildlife photo.

The instinct to roam is key to the mountain lion's evolutionary success. Conservationists hope a wildlife crossing under Highway 17 will make the journey less deadly for the pumas of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Wildlife Crossings: Good for Deer, Too

Wildlife cam image of a black-tailed deer crossing safely under a highway courtesy Road Ecology Center.

The number of deer killed on California highways has doubled in the last year. Looks like mountain lions aren't the only animals that stand to benefit from wildlife bridges and underpasses.

Google Trekker Captures California State Parks

Many of the California state parks Google has photographed with its Street View Trekker, including Point Lobos State Reserve, are in or around Big Sur.

The latest Google team isn’t in Silicon Valley. You’re more likely to spot them wearing hiking boots and backpacks equipped with soccer ball-shaped technological contraptions.

The Battle of Martins Beach

The gate to Martins Beach is still locked, despite last week's court order to open it. Image from "Martin's 5: Battle for the Beach,' by The Inertia. (See video below.)

Gov. Brown signs bill calling for Vinod Khosla to negotiate pubic access to Martins Beach or face eminent domain in the wake of last week's Surfrider v. Khosla decision.

Castle Rock Visitor Center Gets Green Light

Reed Holderman of Sempervirens Fund displays an artist's rendering of the new Castle Rock entryway. Mike Kahn photo.

The Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Sempervirens Fund's proposal for a new LEED-certified visitors center for Castle Rock State Park.

Castle Rock Visitor Center: A Welcome Development

The plan to spruce up Castle Rock State Park and attract more visitors, proposed by Sempervirens Fund, reflects new ideas about access.

Santa Cruz B-Ball Star Joins Sempervirens Board

Austin Swift, Santa Cruz High graduate-turned-Google recruiter, is joining the board of Sempervirens Fund.

Santa Cruz native and Google recruiter Aaron Swift joins the board of the state's oldest conservation organization.

Yosemite, The First California State Park

President Roosevelt and John Muir at Glacier Point in 1903. Their impromptu three-day camping trip led to the federal government taking back Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove from the state of California. National Park Service Historic Photo.

On the 150th anniversary of California State Parks, a look back at Yosemite—the place it all began and the one that got away.

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