Author Archives: Madeleine Turner

Madeleine Turner grew up near Los Angeles and holds a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UC Santa Cruz. When she isn't writing, she's reading or running under the redwoods.

Discovering Wildlife at Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve

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This summer, the League protected Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve, the largest old-growth redwood forest remaining in private lands. Many wild animals call the property home, including northern spotted owls, Townsend’s big-eared bats, foothill yellow-legged frogs, and Sonoma red tree voles!

Albino redwood chimera. Photo by Tom Stapleton

Pondering the Existence of the Mysterious Albino Redwoods

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Tom Stapleton’s research on albino redwoods started with searching for these rare trees in the wild and has led to the patent of three albino redwood varieties, named “Mosaic Delight”, “Grand Mosaic,” and “Early Snow,” which are albino redwood chimeras. Stapleton hopes to shed more light on understanding why these mutations exist.

New Exhibit Explores the Controversial History of Redwood National Park

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A special exhibit at the Clarke Historical Museum, Redwoods Provide(d), looks back on a fascinating time in conservation history. Learn about the struggle to create Redwood National Park — check out the exhibit while it runs through the end of 2018!

New Protections for the Mysterious Marbled Murrelet

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In February, Oregon’s Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to reclassify the marbled murrelet from threatened to endangered. The vote is good news, considering that murrelets have lost an estimated 78,600 acres of nesting habitat in Oregon since 1993. By some models cited by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the species risks an 80 percent chance of extinction by 2060 in certain parts of the state.

Photo courtesy of Brittney Mcguire

Storm Patrol Crew vs. the Road

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At Redwood National Park, a two-person storm patrol crew is working to fight erosion. As Janette Parsons and Brittney Mcguire ended their summer season working at the park last year, they were asked to continue as part of the League’s winter storm patrol crew.

Rolando Cohen, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and Harry Pollack, General Counsel, for Save the Redwoods League led a hike at Portola Redwoods State Park for our Free Second Saturdays at Redwood State Parks event in February. Photo by Rolando Cohen

Finding Strange Marvels in Portola Redwoods

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We’re nine people, trekking through Portola Redwoods State Park on a sunny Saturday afternoon led by Rolando Cohen and Harry Pollack from Save the Redwoods League. Our hike was a component of the League’s Free Redwoods Days, which will happen every second Saturday of 2018.

Can You Play Forest ‘Match’-Maker?

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In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re thinking about the iconic redwood forest duos—those essential relationships between the trees, the environment, and the creatures who make the redwood forests their home. Can you guess any of these amazing duos?

Update on the Long-Awaited Pfeiffer Falls Trail

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After a tumultuous decade for Big Sur, we can expect a new Pfeiffer Falls Trail in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park to reopen in early 2019, thanks to our funding partners and lots of hard, sweaty work.

Elaine Esteban and student.

Fern Watch Canada: For the Good of Science and Home Learners

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Fern Watch, an effort to monitor drought and climate change in redwood forests, has sprouted an exciting new extension. An outdoor science class for homeschoolers, led by Elaine Esteban, began their own fern-monitoring project in British Columbia.

The California condor is listed as "Critically Endangered." Pacific Southwest Region USFWS, Flickr Creative Commons

A Second California Condor Comeback is on the Horizon

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California condors have been absent from the Pacific Northwest for over a century. But the Yurok tribe — whose ancestors lived along the Klamath River in Northern California — still revere and celebrate them. The sight of a condor flying over the redwoods has been erased from living memory, and, as tribe chairman Thomas P. O’Rourke told Audubon last March, “His absence is a hole in our hearts.”

Fritz Wonder Plot. Photo by Andrew Slack

94 Years and Counting: Research Continues in Fritz Wonder Plot

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Robert Van Pelt, a forest ecology researcher and affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington, specializes in big trees, and lately, he’s been focused on a secluded one-acre parcel located in the Big River Watershed, the Fritz Wonder Plot.

Roosevelt elk on the Orick Mill site.

A Lesson in Ecology from the Roosevelt Elk

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The Orick Mill Site, a 125-acre property in the Prairie Creek Scenic Corridor, was a top priority for acquisition by the League for a long time. It’s not hard to see why: the property is nestled between the most iconic redwood groves in the world — the groves of Redwood National and State Parks. But land acquisitions — and the resulting changes in land management — are complicated affairs, especially if you happen to be a herd of Roosevelt elk.

An endangered California condor keeps protective watch over its chick in a nesting cave. Photo: John Brandt/USFWS

Condor Chick Signals Hope for the Future

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This summer proved to be momentous for the recovery of the California condor. Joe Burnett and Amy List, biologists at Ventana Wildlife Society, located the nest of two condors, #538 and #574, inside a hollowed-out coast redwood in Big Sur. Over the years Burnett watched these two birds, nicknamed Miracle and Nomad, as they fledged and grew up in the wild. Now, they’re raising their own chick — the first chick, since the 1980s, born to parents who were not raised in captivity.

A glimpse of a mountain lion caught by wildlife cameras on the San Vicente property.

A Mountain Lion’s Perspective: Humans are Terrifying

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A few years ago, Justine Smith, a researcher with the Santa Cruz Puma Project, observed an interesting pattern; in human-populated areas, mountain lions killed more prey but spent less time feeding. Researchers weren’t sure why, but they suspected it had to do with lions’ fear of people.

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Photo by Tom Burke, Flickr Creative Commons

5 Sweet Swimming Holes Under the Redwoods

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Hiking and swimming go together like a hot meal and a cool drink — one is invigorating, the other is refreshing. Together, they make a wonderful combo. So, where are some great places to go swimming under the redwoods, you might ask? Here are five great recommendations for you. Dive right in!

Giant sequoia in North Grove, Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway, California. Photo by age fotostock / Alamy

Excellent Half-Day Redwood Hikes

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Summer is here, and we’ve got daylight hours to burn. Even with a busy schedule, you can take a day trip before the sun goes down. Here are recommendations for three excellent half-day redwood hikes. Enjoy!

Dogs exploring League sponsored Free Redwoods Day

How to Find Awesome Dog-Friendly Redwood Hikes

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For many of us, dogs are treated less like pets and more like family. It only feels natural to bring our dogs—with their cute, wagging tails and unbounded enthusiasm—along with us as we explore the redwoods this summer. If you need suggestions on where to go, consider these delightful and dog-friendly redwood hikes.