The seasons come and go, rainfalls by the bucket, cars speed past, families grow and expand, communities thrive, the Coast Redwood Trees, Sequoia Sempervirens, of the Santa Cruz Mountains watch it go by. These timeless plants, which have been chopped down, burned out, struck by lightning, blown over and preserved by people, thrive on. Always surrounded by change.
Many state parks take advantage of the beauty of the trees and protect the true old-growth ones that were saved from becoming log cabins, decks, or houses. The trails of people meander beneath the redwood trees, protecting the runner from the heat and rain that affects the rest of the area. San Lorenzo Valley Schools are backed up to these trees and on any given day you can hear the students in the trees running, playing disc golf, hiking, or just exploring the immense land and ecosystems that these trees provide.

From the skunk to the salamander these animals call this place home and each home is as unique to that animal as the tree is. Over the thousands of years these trees have adapted to the impossibly changes that occur, and they live on through connectedness. Providing for the weak, sick or small.

The roads become clogged with overflow of rain and the children play in the puddles splashing around in knee high water. The air is intoxicated with the smell of fresh rain, water on asphalt, mud, and wet trees. Winter turns to spring and summer, the mud dries up, kids play outside even more climbing trees, and more cars begin to impact the mountain winding roads. The redwoods are the silent watchers of all.