South Bay family donates $6 million to help restore Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz

SANTA CRUZ — Recovery efforts for Big Basin Redwoods State Park following the CZU Lightning Complex fires took a significant step forward this weekend after receiving a $6 million donation for the park’s new Redwood Ecology Interpretive Center.

The donation, announced Monday, was given to the Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks by the Reyneri family of Los Altos and advances years-long efforts to rebuild California’s oldest state park.

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“The fire has definitely changed the park, but we’re hoping that this new building will be a place for future generations to make their memories at Big Basin,” said Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks Bonny Hawley.

The gift is the largest single donation ever made to the Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and was given to the organization in memory of Cesare Reyneri, by his wife of nearly 70 years, Barbara Reyneri.

Cesare Reyneri died just shy of his 95th birthday in 2024. He immigrated to the United States from Italy in 1951 to practice internal medicine. After meeting Barbara Reyneri while interning at a New Jersey hospital, the two moved around the country before eventually settling in Los Altos. The Reyneri family described him as a man of many hobbies, as well as an environmentalist who spent many weekends at Big Basin and was known to ride his bike from his home in Los Altos to the park.

On the morning of Aug. 16, 2020, a dry lightning storm over the Santa Cruz Mountains sparked what would become Santa Cruz County’s largest ever recorded wildfire. In the first two days, the wind blew fire and smoke from the CZU Lightning Complex mostly southbound toward the Pacific Ocean. However, on Aug. 18, 2020, the winds flipped, blowing embers toward Big Basin. The fire burned down 100 structures, 85 miles of trails, 20 homes inhabited by State Parks staff and a new nature museum that was only months from opening, totaling about 97% of the park.

“I was up there like a month later, and everything was sepia. It was either brown or gray,” Hawley said. “There was just no green anywhere. There was no birdsong. It was very, very disconcerting to be up there.”

However, the redwoods quickly started to resprout, Hawley said, and new growth in the forest’s understory layer from the newfound sunlight has allowed the forest to slowly fill back out, inspiring the theme of resilience that prevails in the park’s rebuilding process. Since then, State Parks officials have commenced a years-long Reimagining Big Basin process with the goal to create inclusive and welcoming facilities with an emphasis on forest resilience.

After the Reyneri family learned of the extent of the fire damage at Big Basin, Barbara Reyneri said they knew it was an opportunity to honor Cesare Reyneri’s memory while restoring the park to help other families enjoy the Big Basin forest as much as they did.

“We have met the park’s interpretive staff and are so impressed by their dedication and talents,” 98-year-old Barbara Reyneri said in a media release. “The spirit of the park shines through them and helps people understand and appreciate the majesty of their surroundings.”

When the Reyneris visited Big Basin for the first time since the fires on Saturday, Hawley said, they were inspired by the regrowth they saw from the forest.

The new Redwood Ecology Interpretive Center will sit in the park’s main day-use area and will be the first point of contact for visitors arriving by car and shuttle from the Saddle Mountain area, according to a media release from Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks. The center is intended to educate visitors about the park’s ecology, resources and available experiences.

Barbara Reyneri said she was particularly happy to hear that youth programs will take place in the center, as a way to inspire future generations to steward the place her family loves so much.

Through the Reimagining Big Basin project, California State Parks has developed a Facilities Management Plan, released in July, which outlines the strategy for design and construction of new facilities at Big Basin, marking the first phase of reconstruction. It includes plans for new day-use facilities and amenities, climate change adaptation, including fire and flood resilience, and to protect the old growth areas.

Construction for the 2,400 square feet Redwood Ecology Interpretive Center is expected to begin within two to five years, with the center envisioned to feature outdoor exhibits under a covered pavilion near the entrance to the Old Growth Loop with State Parks staff and docents available to assist visitors.

The $6 million donation is the first major private donation for rebuilding the park has seen. As a public agency, California State Parks does not accept donations. However, four nonprofits — Mountain Parks Foundation, Sempervivens Fund, Save the Redwoods Fund and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks — have been collecting donations for different pieces of the park’s rebuilding process.

Big Basin is about a quarter of the way restored, Hawley said, with crews working daily on clearing and rebuilding trails, burning undergrowth and even experimenting with different kinds of trail reestablishment, turning the process into “a living laboratory.”

Though the park is in the midst of fire recovery, over 20 miles of trails and fire roads are open to the public for day-use.

“Recovery and rebuilding at Big Basin is a massive undertaking,” said Chris Spohrer, Santa Cruz State Parks district superintendent. “The Reyneri family’s incredible generosity will replace critical infrastructure while creating a new, meaningful experience for park visitors. We also hope their impactful gift will inspire others to support the Reimagining Big Basin effort.”