Author Archives: Sam Hodder

President and Chief Enthusiast for the Outdoors (CEO) of Save the Redwoods League, Sam brings more than 25 years of experience in overseeing land conservation programs from the remote wilderness to the inner city.

League staff in the forest looking at the canopy

President’s Letter

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I hope this issue of Redwoods gives you that “walk in the redwoods” excitement. That our suggestions for redwoods adventures in Mendocino stir your wanderlust. That learning how the League is transforming a former sawmill site into a stunning new gateway to Redwood State and National Parks inspires you with the restorability of even our most impacted landscapes. That you feel hope and gratitude, reading about the generosity of the Esselen Tribe in sharing their traditional ecological wisdom. That you nod in understanding as our Community Voices writer describes how life-saving time in nature can be.

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President’s letter: If we make the right choices and investments today, the redwoods can help save us

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When I walk in places like Humboldt Redwoods State Park and the League’s Alder Creek property, I see magnificent, towering coast redwoods and giant sequoias that tell a story of hope and resilience. We tell that story in this edition of Redwoods, spotlighting what we’ve learned from the groundbreaking Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative launched in 2009. The more we learn about the redwood and giant sequoia forests, the clearer it is how significant their role could be in the climate-change solution. That is, if we act quickly and make the right investments now.

Montgomery Woods

President’s letter

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A letter from Save the Redwoods League president and CEO Sam Hodder in the Resilient Future Edition of Redwoods magazine, published Winter 2022.

Portrait of a person at a desk in a room beneath large landscape photographs of redwoods

Meeting the moment

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Save the Redwoods League has been so honored to have a relationship with Dr. James. As a member of our Redwood Legacy Circle, he decided last June that rather than leave a gift for the League in his estate, he would pay it forward now to meet the moment in these extraordinary times. We are incredibly grateful for his generous gift to the League.

A woman stands in a forest looking up at the trees.

Two historic projects

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We celebrate the success of the Forever Forest Campaign and historic projects on the Lost Coast that restored Indigenous guardianship to Tcih-Léh-Dûñ and protected the spectacular Lost Coast Redwoods.

Nina Roberts, PhD, is helping Save the Redwoods League to engage all people in redwood forests for their health and happiness and to inspire them to protect these precious natural wonders.

In honor of Nina Roberts

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Save the Redwoods League honors the life of a towering force in conservation and parks.

Pfeiffer Falls Trail walkway

Re-emergence and hope

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The theme for this edition of Redwoods is Returning. We were hopeful that by now we’d be returning to some form of normalcy. We knew that would likely be a new normal, with the challenges we faced embedded in our hearts.

Second-growth coast redwoods regenerating after fire.

A time of regrowth and renewal

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The theme for this edition of Redwoods is Renewal. We dive into the 30 by 30 movement to protect 30% of Earth by 2030. Forest and human well-being can progress in tandem.

A view of a reservoir surrounded by forested mountains and a blue sky, framed by branches of an oak tree, with an owl flying through.

Reflections on nature during our pandemic year

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Spotting a barn owl in the wild, League President and CEO Sam Hodder reflects on the role nature has played in inspiring and sustaining people during a global pandemic.

A man with a beard and glasses standing in front of a park sign with a car in the background

Wishing our friend Bob Doyle at EBRPD well as he retires

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After starting as a ranger at East Bay Regional Park District and becoming its general manager, Bob Doyle retires after 47 years of looking after many of the Bay Area’s most treasured landscapes.

Save the Redwoods and outdoors advocates from underrepresented communities visit the League’s Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve. Photo by Wondercamp

Hope and healing amid ongoing crises

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In this edition, we strive to depict a more holistic story of redwoods culture—one in which we all stand together to protect and restore these forests to which we are connected.

Giant sequoia trees at Alder Creek

Resilience of giant sequoia put to the test in the Sierra

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We remain hopeful as SQF Complex Fire moves through Alder Creek “And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm …

Armando Quintero

League welcomes new Director of California State Parks

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Armando Quintero has been named to head California State Parks. Director Quintero has had a long and outstanding career in parks and conservation, including his work to engage, train and inspire the next generation of park leaders. We look forward to working with him!

Huey Johnson

We lost one of the greats of conservation yesterday

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I want to share some brief thoughts on the passing of Huey Johnson. Huey was a powerhouse and created the “land for people” era of the modern conservation movement. Starting with the Marin Headlands that have since grown to define …

A long line of people wearing yellow, white, and blue construction hats walk through ferns past a large redwood tree stump. Photo by Max Forster

Put Californians back to work through conservation

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Redwoods restoration can integrate climate adaptation into economic recovery As Governor Newsom and California’s lawmakers grapple with how best to mitigate impacts of COVID-19 on our lives, health and the economy, the people of our state have voted with their …