Harold Biswell’s fight for prescribed fire in California
onHow a pioneering fire scientist risked his professional reputation to promote prescribed burning in California’s forests.
Haunted redwoods: 5 spooky mushrooms and creepy fungi
onMist-shrouded and littered with decaying matter, redwood forests are havens for spooky mushrooms and other eerie fungi.
Q&A: Zachary Noah Piser of Redwood the musical
onIn the new musical Redwood, Zachary Noah Piser takes to the stage alongside two icons: Broadway legend Idina Menzel and a massive coast redwood, magnificently recreated inside the Nederlander Theatre. The fact that Piser holds the audience’s rapt attention is …
25 things for redwood lovers to look forward to in 2025
onIt’s been a rough start for many of us, but there are still plenty of amazing things ahead in 2025. So many opportunities to honor the world’s tallest and largest trees—and the wildlife and communities they shelter and nourish. So …
League scientist plays frontline role on the Coffee Pot Fire
onWith a flash of lightning, a fire ignites naturally near several giant sequoia groves in California’s Sierra Nevada. It’s early August and the overly dense vegetation surrounding some of the sequoias is dry and flammable. The threat of a high-intensity, …
Banned for 100 years, cultural burns could save sequoias
onOn a cloudless day in California’s Sierra Nevada, the Tule River Indian, North Fork Mono, and Tübatulabal Tribes gathered to lead a small cultural burning demonstration in the Alder Creek Grove. Since the California ban was lifted in 2022, only two off-reservation cultural burns have taken place in the giant sequoia range: The demonstration at Alder Creek Grove and an earlier burn led by the Tule River Indian Tribe on Forest Service land.
Carrying the torch of conservation
onLisa Weger has a deep connection to Weger Ranch, a 3,862-acre redwood property in the sprawling hills of Mendocino County. This stunning landscape—and a strong commitment to its conservation—is Lisa’s family legacy. By setting a high bar for sustainable forestry in the region, Lisa and Craig hope to inspire other private landowners to consider—and fund—conservation solutions.
Redwoods Forever
onRedwoods seem practically tailormade for tattoo art. They are iconic symbols of strength and resilience. Their bold trunks, feathery needles, and cross-hatched cones translate beautifully into ink. They’re also an ideal choice for a visual statement that’s—in theory—permanent. With lifespans …
California voters to decide on $10 billion climate bond
onWhile question marks remain around the November election, one thing is certain: Californians will have the chance to vote on a historic $10 billion climate resilience bond—now referred to as Prop 4—which the state legislature approved on July 3. If …
First climb of General Sherman Tree reveals health status
onThe iconic giant sequoia, which stands in California’s Sequoia National Park, is the largest living tree on the planet and has withstood two millennia of storms, drought, and wildfires. But it has never had a proper check-up.
On May 21, researchers with the Ancient Forest Society used climbing ropes to ascend to General Sherman’s upper crown in the first-ever climb of the 275-foot-tall giant sequoia. Their mission: to visually inspect the ancient tree for signs of infestation by sequoia bark beetles—an emerging threat that has already killed as many as 40 mature giant sequoias since 2015.
Documentary reveals secrets of California redwoods
onThey only had to wait a few thousand years, but the redwoods are finally getting their moment in the cinematic spotlight. California’s big trees are the stars of Giants Rising, a feature-length documentary by director Lisa Landers. “There wasn’t a …
11 unique baby names inspired by the redwoods
onAround the League office, a baby on the way is exciting news. So when our land stewardship manager, Anthony Castaños, announced that he and his wife were expecting a wee one, the staff was a-twitter. Should we knit a tiny …
Caught on camera: Majestic elk, playful fawns, slinky pumas
onSomething wonderful happens when a redwood forest is protected. Just ask the black bears, coyotes, and mountain lions padding past the League’s wildlife cameras at Lost Coast Redwoods. These creatures can be seen loping down former logging roads or nosing …
Celebrating 50 years of the Endangered Species Act
onOil prices were skyrocketing. Gerald Ford was stepping into Spiro Agnew’s tarnished VP shoes. The Exorcist was nominated for Best Picture. Such was the national landscape on December 28, 1973, when President Richard Nixon signed one of the country’s most …
“12 Days of Redwoods” sing-along for forest fans
onImagine a small child, eagerly unwrapping a holiday package—and discovering the toy of their dreams. That wide-eyed wonder. That giddy excitement. It’s how many of us at Save the Redwoods League feel when we step into a redwood forest. Like …
So long, Long Meadow, we’re packed for Packsaddle!
onAs winter approaches, Save the Redwoods League staff are raising mugs of hot cocoa to toast a wildly productive work season in the giant sequoia range. The big win: Completing risk-reduction and wildfire resilience work in Long Meadow Grove, which …
4 reasons to appreciate redwoods this Thanksgiving
onEven with an entire Thanksgiving holiday devoted to gratitude, we often fail to slow down and really appreciate the things that make our lives better. Things like loyal friends, ice cream, and democracy. Things like mind-bendingly ancient redwood trees. Unsure …
Spooky redwoods ghost town remains “a presence”
onImagine a quintessential ghost town: Tumbleweeds rolling down a dusty main street, a saloon door creaking in the dry prairie wind. The Falk ghost town was something else entirely—a damp and eerie outpost shrouded in the mists of Northern California’s …
10 spots for a natural high in Mendocino County
onThis rugged swath of Northern California is famous for spectacular stands of coast redwoods that hypnotize visitors with their pinch-me-I’m-dreaming beauty. These remaining old-growth giants give the groves in neighboring Humboldt County a run for their money, plus they’re a more doable three-hour drive from the San Francisco Bay Area. Add in nearby beachcombing, wine tasting, and sightseeing in coastal hamlets, and you’ve got a recipe for an incredible weekend getaway.
A river runs to it
onSecuring a bright future for one of Sonoma County’s tallest redwoods—and its up-and-coming kin—at Russian River Redwoods