In this video, the Land Trust's Conservation Director, Bryan Largay, provides a summary of our plans for the property we recently acquired at Beach Ranch. We have identified 120 acres and over three miles of shoreline along the Pajaro River and Watsonville Sloughs where the Land Trust and its partners are embarking on a project to increase wetland habitat and reduce flood hazard risk.

In December, a new batch of fresh-faced heifers (first year females) arrived for the 2024-20255 winter/spring grass season at Rocks Ranch. When done responsibly, grazing can be beneficial to native grasses and other vegetation and can improve habitat conditions for several rare threatened and endangered wildlife species such as the burrowing owl, California tiger salamander, California red-legged frog, and American badger. It is also an effective way to manage fuel loads to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

Wildlife Corridors to Protect Animals and People—a video short created by Matthew Scott and Steve Mandel—provides a visual overview of the work we are doing to protect vital lands and enhance wildlife connectivity while improving people's safety.

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County is thrilled by the amazing support our local community (and beyond!) has shown for the Highway 17 wildlife crossing! The first year of data is in and we’re excited to share who has been using the tunnel, what we’ve learned and give you a peek at what’s next!