What We Do
Sequoia Riverlands Trust protects more than 41,800 acres of land around the Kaweah, Tule, Kern, and Kings Rivers, as well as in the Carrizo Plain. Since our founding in 2000, we have created and continue to manage seven nature preserves, help farmers and ranchers conserve agricultural land in the Central Valley, and pioneer programs to educate students across Tulare County.
SRT’s mission -- to conserve the lands and waters of California's heartland -- is achieved by working with diverse partners in these ways:
We Protect Nature.
SRT owns and manages seven nature preserves and numerous other grant- and mitigation-funded conservation properties that collectively protect over 10,400 acres of remnant landscapes, woodland communities and wildlife habitat.
We Protect Farmland.
SRT holds 75 conservation easements on approximately 26,000 acres of land, most of them on working farms and ranches, as well as 10 deed restrictions on 4100 acres in and around the Carrizo Plain. As an accredited land trust, we follow the nationally recognized Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices, which set rigorous requirements for land transactions, holding and monitoring easements, and managing endowment funds to support long-term stewardship.
We Manage Land.
SRT implements a variety of management techniques on its preserves and as land manager for 19,218 acres in the Carrizo Plain and San Joaquin Valley.
We directly contribute to groundwater recharge through an innovative, ongoing recharge project established in partnership with Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District at Kaweah Oaks Preserve.
SRT has extensive experience with rotational grazing, which mimics historic grazing patterns and greatly improves overall habitat for both plants and animals.
Through soil enhancement activities, such as incorporating compost into rangeland pastures, we have greatly improved forage productivity and soil overall health.
We Restore Habitat.
SRT is a restoration leader with extensive experience recreating habitat, both on our own fee title preserves and on other properties.
SRT’s Dry Creek Preserve was the first successful ecologically-based mine reclamation project in Tulare County.
Our Native Plant nursery propagates thousands of native plants that are used in numerous restoration projects on our properties.
SRT also conducts invasive vegetation control programs, allowing native plants to thrive by eliminating competition from non-native species.
We have extensive experience installing, establishing and maintaining native plant restoration sites on other sites as well, including but not limited to riparian corridors and oak woodlands.
We Educate.
SRT works with teachers, school districts, and families to promote hands-on environmental and outdoor education in the community. We work to provide field trips, internships, career-building opportunities, partnerships, and more for students across Tulare County. We also work with individuals and community-based organizations to foster a sense of stewardship for the land and local environment, especially in the next generations.
We Collaborate.
SRT focuses on developing strong collaborative relationships with landowners, communities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, with the goal of strengthening California's heartland and the natural and agricultural legacy of the southern Sierra Nevada and San Joaquin Valley.
If you are interested in partnering with us, please email info@sequoiariverlands.org or call 559-738-0211.
Want to visit one of the preserves? Check out the ENGAGE page for more details.