Author Archives: Dana Viloria

Dana Viloria is Save the Redwoods League's former Writer/Storyteller and Editor. In addition to amplifying people’s stories in nature, she loves building community in the outdoors.

coast landscape

An Epic Road Trip from the Bay Area to the North Coast

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I’m always amazed each time I bear witness to California’s natural landscapes, and this time, on the 300 or so miles driving from San Francisco to the ancient forests of the North Coast, I’m smitten again.

Mia Monroe, Site Supervisor at Muir Woods National Monument, has long collaborated with the League to share redwoods with the forest's 1.5 million annual visitors. Photo by Paolo Vescia

A Woman’s Place Is in the Forest

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In Honor of Women’s History Month, here’s a roundup of stories that highlight just a few of the ways women have contributed to redwoods conservation, then and now.

Two people standing next to giant Sequoia tree looking very small

Go with the Snow in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

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When the snow falls, the ancient forests of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks ascend to another level of otherworldly. With the forest floor blanketed in fresh powder and the giant sequoia’s evergreen leaves frosted, the trees’ massive trunks glow a vibrant orange against a sea of white. Winter is the time to enjoy the giants while snowshoeing, skiing, and sledding.

Protecting Nature and Enriching Visits in Giant Sequoia National Monument

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Half of the 48,000 glorious acres of giant sequoia forests in California, including Giant Sequoia National Monument, are owned by the US Forest Service. Despite the groves’ significance, these magnificent places have limited recreational, educational, and interpretive infrastructure to support their hundreds of thousands of annual visitors.

Visitor hiking in redwood forest

Behind the Lens: Max Forster Protects the Redwoods and Finds Healing Through Photography

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Capturing the grandeur of our coast redwood and giant sequoia forests is no easy task. Many of the League’s most epic shots are courtesy of Max Forster, who, by our standards, is the ultimate redwoods enthusiast. Forster has been shooting nature photography for 10 years. His favorite subject: the coast redwood.

Redwood forest trail

Why Redwood Regional Park Has a New Name

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Since the 1940 opening of Redwood Regional Park, there have been efforts to commemorate Dr. Reinhardt’s association with this haven of coast redwoods, which once blanketed the Oakland Hills prior to the logging era.

It’s Go Time for Redwoods Rising

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In the far reaches of the North Coast of California, young redwoods await their moment to become ancient giants. Save the Redwoods League has been dedicated to protecting land in what is now Redwood National and State Parks since the early 1920s. We’ve protected and transferred to the parks more than 140 properties, encompassing more than 55,000 acres.

Waddell Beach. Photo by John Vonderlin, Flickr Creative Commons

4 Ways to Have a Beach Day Near the Redwoods This Long Weekend

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No Labor Day Weekend plans yet? We’ve got an idea: get out and Explore Redwoods. Now that summer’s coming to a close, a beach day might also be in order. Luckily, there are a few places not too far from the San Francisco Bay Area where you can do both. From the redwood forest to Pacific waters, here are four ways to fit in a beach day near the world’s tallest trees before summer’s over.

Two people looking up into the canopy of giant redwoods

10 Rules of the Redwood Forest

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We have amazing access to redwoods in some of the most beautiful parks on Earth. That’s worth protecting, and the best way to do it is to be mindful visitors. Here’s what you can do to be a good steward while exploring the redwood forest.

Everything You Need to Plan Your Next Trip to the Redwood Forest

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Just a few more weekends this summer to get out and enjoy California’s great redwood forests. And planning your adventure in the redwoods has never been easier, thanks to Explore Redwoods, our new and improved online portal that tells you everything you need to know to enjoy more than 100 parks.

A Native History of the East Bay Redwoods

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From forests to creeks to trails, every natural space has a past that predates our conventional history books. Few people today realize that the hills of the East Bay were once home to coast redwood forests of incredible stature. Living among them were the Ohlone people.

The Once and Future Forest: California's Iconic Redwoods limited edition book.

A Redwood’s-Eye View of Essays on Our Iconic Forests

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Oh, the stories of a redwood forest — millions of years’ worth. In honor of the Save the Redwoods League centennial in 2018, the organization published a book that tells some of these epic tales. The Once and Future Forest: California’s Iconic Redwoods is a robust collection of essays that illuminates everything from indigenous peoples’ connections with redwood forests to scientific research and natural history.

Song of Six Rivers by Zev Levinson

Two Reviews

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Read two book reviews from the League’s REDWOODS magazine: Song of Six Rivers, a poem by author Zev Levinson, and Stretch to the Sun by Carrie A. Pearson.

Students in the League’s Redwoods and Climate Change High School Program measure a redwood.

The New Climate Heroes: League Program Inspires Future Scientists

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Today’s youths are destined to be tomorrow’s climate champions. That’s why it’s so critical to empower them to learn about climate change from all angles — including from inside a redwood forest. Through the League’s Redwoods and Climate Change High School Program, students gain crucial environmental literacy.

Hikers experience the redwood forest in Roberts Regional Recreation Area.

Redwoods in the City: Explore The Many Ways to Play in an Oakland Forest Oasis

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In the hills of Oakland, California, a lush forest of young redwoods rises among the footprints of ancient giants that were logged in the mid-1800s to build area cities. The 82- acre Roberts Regional Recreation Area offers easy access to the 150-foot-tall redwoods just steps from the parking lot.

The Making of an Incredible Redwood Exhibit

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The Giants of Land and Sea exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences gives an interactive look at one of nature’s most perfect manifestations of ecological balance: In Northern California, an ancient redwood forest cloaks the rocky coastline, drawing life force from the Pacific Ocean to sustain an otherworldly place.