Save the Redwoods League is strengthening a 91-year partnership with two of its founding organizations—the Wildlife Conservation Society and the National Geographic Society — by contributing to an unprecedented redwoods study that is expected to capture attention worldwide. In September and October 2009, more than 100 million people are projected to learn about threats to redwoods from these three partner organizations. The October issue of National Geographic magazine and National Geographic Channel’s EXPLORER: Climbing Redwood Giants tell the story of the pioneering study called “The Redwood Transect.”

GET INVOLVED

• Read our exclusive stories about The Redwood Transect and people involved in National Geographic’s redwood coverage. Play a special bingo game and more. Visit SaveTheRedwoods.org/redwoodtransect.
• Share your thoughts about the TV show and magazine articles, redwood memories and hopes for redwood conservation in our new forum.
• Plan your next visit to featured redwood parks and read new park profiles using our new interactive maps.
• Get the October 2009 issue of National Geographic magazine at newsstands starting September 15.
• Watch National Geographic Channel’s EXPLORER: Climbing Redwood Giants, at 10 p.m. Pacific and Eastern time, Tuesday, September 29, 2009. We are hosting free screenings of this show on September 17 in San Francisco and on September 21 in Washington, DC. Call us at (888) 836-0005 to see if seats are available.
• Join our new Facebook Fan Page to help us spread the word about The Redwood Transect and to keep up with all the latest League happenings! Tell a friend!
• Starting September 29, check out education.savetheredwoods.org, our new Online Transect Kit for Educators.
• Coinciding with National Geographic's coverage is the establishment of the Institute for Redwood Ecology at Humboldt State University. The Institute’s mission is to promote the study of redwoods and other tall trees and to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and scientific research on their biology and the forests they create. The League’s Research Grants Program has supported studies by the Institute’s leader, Professor Stephen Sillett, who is featured in the October 2009 National Geographic magazine and National Geographic Channel’s EXPLORER: Climbing Redwood Giants. Sillett also holds the first endowed chair in the world to support the study of a single tree species, the Kenneth L. Fisher Chair in Redwood Forest Ecology at Humboldt State.
• Buy the first-ever high-definition, seamless composite photograph of an entire redwood tree, featured in the October 2009 National Geographic magazine as a 5-panel tear-out gatefold. 

Ken Burns Film Highlights Redwood Parks

Redwoods enthusiasts are in for a special treat starting September 27, 2009, when PBS airs the new documentary by Ken Burns, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. This 12-hour, 6-part series covers a wide spectrum of our National Parks system, including our beloved coast redwood and giant sequoia parks in California. Of special note is the reference to Stephen Mather (pictured), the first director of the National Park Service and one of Save the Redwoods League’s founders. The film, shot over six years in parks spanning the country, offers incredible scenery and information on the history of the parks and the land they protect. Check your local TV guide for air dates and times or visit PBS' TV schedules.

Favorite Redwood Hike: Bennett Juniper Tree, Stanislaus National Forest, Tuolumne County

In this recurring feature, our staff members and volunteers share their favorite places to experience redwoods. This time, however, we spotlight an ancient juniper under our protection.

Name and Title: Laura Gilmore, Land Program and Stewardship Associate (pictured)

Trailhead: Save the Redwoods League protects the 4,000-year-old Bennett Juniper Tree, which is within a few hundred yards of the parking area in the Stanislaus National Forest of Tuolumne County, in California’s Sierra Nevada. Consider topping off your gas tank before leaving civilization because the drive on Forest Service roads will take approximately 40 minutes. More information and directions: League’s Bennett Juniper page; or the Stanislaus National Forest.

Difficulty/Distance: The Bennett Juniper is easily accessible. When you arrive, you may encounter Ken Brunges, the Bennett Juniper’s caretaker, who can tell you about the history of the tree and where to hike in the area. If you are looking for a more intense hike after visiting the tree, a trailhead into the Emigrant Wilderness can also be reached from this area.

Why I like it: The Bennett Juniper is about 4,000 years old, and it’s part of the incredible beauty of California’s Sierra Nevada.

Best time to visit: The juniper is at 8,400 feet elevation, so the summer access season depends on snow melting off the roads. On the average, the road is open by mid-June and usually stays open through October. There are two significant creek crossings (Eagle and Long Valley) that might be beyond the capabilities of the average street car early in the summer. Normally by August, any vehicle can make it in by driving slowly and carefully. Check with the Forest Service Summit Ranger Station for current road conditions: (209) 965-3434.

Featured Photo

The coast redwood forest floor is lush with sword ferns and redwood sorrel in Redwood National Park. With members’ and partners’ support, Save the Redwoods League helped build the case for creating this park and has protected almost 400 acres in it. Photo: Jim Lowe, entrant in the League’s 2009 Walk Among Giants Online Photo Contest.

Featured Favorite Redwood Memory

"On a recent trip to the north coast, we entered the Redwood National Park. As we drove on, the unbelievably tall trees on each side of the highway were so impressive that all I could say was ‘WOW.’"

— Courtland, member since 2002

PS

• Check your mailboxes in late September and early October for your invitation to the November 12, 2009, Save the Redwoods League membership reception in San Francisco. To thank our members for their support, we will serve appetizers and beverages at the Marines’ Memorial Club and Hotel.
• Watch your e-mail on September 18 for the winners of Save the Redwoods League’s first Walk Among Giants Online Photo Contest.