You cannot spend time in a redwood forest without coming across lichen. Only a few lichen species will catch your eye on the bark of a redwood but up in the canopy and on the forest floor an abundance of these organisms will surround you. A few years ago we conducted canopy research at Muir Woods looking at lichen diversity at the tops of the trees.
This week we bring you the coffin tree (Taiwania cryptomeriodes) or Taiwan cedar, one of the largest trees in Asia. This tree is found in forests in mainland China and Taiwan growing alongside plants not unlike those found in our coast redwood forests.
Join us this Saturday as we spend the afternoon at Oakland’s Joaquin Miller Park, hiking and camping among the redwoods. League staff will lead a hike through the forest to talk about the state of the redwoods and how we need the public of all ages to help us monitor these amazing beauties.
It is well known that the redwoods inspire people in many different ways. Some want to study how the trees and forest function; others hike beneath the branches for exercise, and still others paint and photograph these majestic beauties.
Did you know that the California Legislature named the coast redwood as California’s official state tree on April 3, 1937? In honor of our magnificent redwoods, we’ve created an infographic to show just some of the ways that redwoods support people and wildlife.
In honor of International Day of Forests, check out our new infographic showing how much of the redwood forest is left to protect. Please help us spread the word by sharing this infographic!
We all know that redwood forests are part of a larger ecosystem, the components of which can find themselves closely intertwined and interconnected. This system can often be referred to as a watershed, where all the land-borne water downward, starting at the tops of the hills and making its way to the ocean. Everything in a watershed is connected, from the redwood forests to the San Francisco Bay — and knowing your place within the watershed can be a powerful tool in protecting these natural areas.
Although you will not see a great abundance of lichen on the trunks of redwood trees, high up in the canopy the branches are covered with a rich variety of lichen species, adding to the complex habitat the redwoods are …
We here in California are all pretty relieved by the rain and snow we have received this winter. Our plants are starting to bounce back, we can go skiing again, and our shoes are actually getting muddy when we hike …
With all these wonderful rainy days the forests are probably bursting at the seams with mushrooms. Some mushrooms, like the bright scarlet waxy cap or the colorful coral fungus, immediately draw your attention as they poke up out of the …
John Muir, William Kent, Theodore Roosevelt, Stephen Mather. Many men with the same vision: To protect and preserve the natural beauty of this country so others might activate our curiosity, experience a sense of awe, and exercise our imaginations! No places accomplish that more than our many national parks.
Thinking about the different variety of holiday trees makes me think about the different conifers that share the forests with our mighty coast redwoods and giant sequoias. Often we concentrate so much on our magnificent state trees that we look past the other trees that stand tall next to them.
Turret spiders are related to tarantulas and part of a larger group of folding trapdoor spiders. They are found only in California and live in moist forests, often near streams. The coolest thing about these spiders is the burrows they build.
For the past few years the League has been actively restoring our Cape Vizcaino property along the wild and beautiful Mendocino coast. Our wildlife cameras have captured pictures of deer, foxes, coyotes, mountain lions and even bears.
I have been to Yosemite National Park a handful of times, and on each visit I have a very different experience. Whether I am rock climbing in the valley, backpacking in Tuolumne or hiking trails with tourists from all over the world, every time the park takes my breath away. Its towering peaks, rushing waterfalls and granite rocks warrant some steep competition for other natural areas.
Since about 92% of the redwood forest is second and third growth, restoration will be a key strategy. Restoring young forest so that it can become old growth once again is essential for the future of conservation. Restoration at San Vicente Redwoods started recently with a volunteer day. Twelve volunteers from the Oracle Corporation spent the morning pulling invasive weeds amongst the redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
If you live in California and have a garden, then you are probably like me — trying to find plants that will make your garden look beautiful without requiring too much water. Well, look no further because I have the …
As many people know, each state has selected symbols to represent its natural and cultural heritage. In California, these symbols range from the state rock, serpentine; to the state marine mammal, the grey whale; to the state tree, the mighty …
Wolf lichen (bright green) and tube lichen (gray-green) on a sequoia cone I often think of lichen as slow movers. Although they may be the first organisms to colonize a new area, they need a stable substrate to grow on …
Last weekend, while I was hiking in the forests of Northern California with strong winds and thunder and lightning storms, I was reminded that we are entering fire season. While the thought of forest fires often stir fear in us …
