Author Archives: Ruskin Hartley


Rain drops glisten on a fence post after winter rain.

Bracing for Rain

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For millennia the redwoods have stood tall, facing west as they look out across the vast Pacific Ocean—an ocean that brings fog in the summer and rain in the winter.  Earlier this week the first storm of the season rolled …

I am joined by Ruth Coleman and Jon Jarvis to celebrate acquisition of the Sandhill property from League to state parks.

Drilling for Park Land

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What do offshore oil drilling and Zion National Park have in common with the redwoods?  On first pass, not much – but as a recent story on CBS news shows, they are linked through a nearly 50-year-old program called the …

Sudden oak death in Marin County, California. Photo by USFS Region 5, Flickr Creative Commons

Oaks and Ashes and Chestnuts, oh my!

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A recent article in the Observer, “Die-back kills off 90% of Denmark’s ash trees,” had me both remembering my childhood and thinking ahead to the future of the redwood forest.  Growing up in Britain, I remember the scourge of Dutch …

Alerce. Photo by andrea ugarte, Flickr Creative Commons

80 Degrees of Separation

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If you leave Redwood National Park and journey 80 degrees south you will arrive at the coastal town of Valdivia, Chile.  These two areas—equidistant from the equator, north and south—are about to be united through a sister park relationship that …

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Why We Can’t Go Paperless (Yet!) – And How You Can Help

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Fall in the redwoods is subtle, but if you look up you might see the redwood needles turn brown before they tumble to the forest floor. Fall is also the time of year when I start to get questions from …

Swimming beneath the redwoods at the Garden Club of America Grove

Heralding Summer’s End among the Redwoods

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Albee Creek campground in Humboldt Redwoods State Park was full over the Labor Day weekend. Clustered around each fire ring were happy faces enjoying the end of summer and start of fall.  Each year for the past four years, I’ve …

Steve Cheney and I enjoy a break on the Lawrence Merriam Memorial Grove bench on the Little Bald Hills Trail.

It’s the Moments

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On Friday afternoon I met Steve Chaney, the superintendent of Redwood National Park, in the small visitor center at Hiouchi in Del Norte county. After 39 years with the National Park Service and five years at Redwood National Park, Steve …

Giant Sequoia

25 Years of Controversy amid the Monarchs

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I just got back from a trip to see the cinnamon-colored giants of Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest in the southern Sierra. It was a real treat to explore a giant sequoia grove for the first time, especially when accompanied …

Montgomery Woods State Park. Photo by Peter Buranzon

The Marathon to Reform State Parks

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I’ve enjoyed watching the Olympics these past three weeks—and not just because it’s hosted in London with a British squad that has surpassed all expectations.  It’s just plain fun to get into obscure sports and watch people at the top …

Close up of Long Meg and her Daughters

The Redwoods in Prehistory

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One of the things I enjoy when I’m in England is playing “spot the redwood tree.” It’s really pretty easy. I once read that if you ascend any church steeple in England and scan the horizon, the tallest tree is …

Honor tree in Butano State Park

Redwoods and Remembrance

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I have spent the past week in England, not to attend the opening of the Olympics, but rather to attend my 90-year-old granny’s memorial service. As with all such occasions, the sadness of loss is mixed with the happiness of …

Emily and Harry in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.

Redwoods Parks Still Need Your Help

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It’s never good news when the Governor’s office notifies you by email that the director of California State Parks has decided to step down because a senior staff member allegedly mismanaged park funds. According to an article published by the …

Selection harvest in Mendocino County.

We Can Halt Animal Extinction by Restoring Forests

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To prevent species extinctions it is necessary to take advantage of the window of opportunity for forest regeneration. Restored forests gradually recover species richness.

Rowan and Emerson walking down the trail.

The Redwood Forest: A Prescription for Kids, Adults

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Last week up in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park I overheard two young boys: “Daddy, can I take a photo of the creek?” His older brother commented, “I don’t need a camera, I’m going to take a photo with my …

"Big Tree" in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.

Redwoods’ Magic Shines amid Crisis

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After a year of anguish, hard work and some heartbreak, the headlines scream “no parks will close.” Well, except for the five that will. And the ones that will be closed during the week, or off-season. And some have no …