I came across a fallen redwood recently that had been severely strangled by English ivy. The redwood had fallen across the road and a cross-section had been cut through the redwood’s trunk, revealing a shockingly think mass of ivy branches tightly wrapped around the tree’s bark.
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When you drive north on Highway 101, just past the small town of Orick, you will begin to marvel at the giant redwoods of Redwood National and State Parks. There is no sign letting you know you have arrived; you just slowly become shaded by the great canopies towering above you.
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On the Santa Cruz coast, surrounding the picturesque town of Davenport, is a sweeping expanse of native coastal prairie and redwood forest. This beautiful landscape is special not only for what it is, a local historical and ecological treasure, but for what it could become — our next national monument.
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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. We also now have a state lichen. But recent research on lichen sheds a new light on what this organism is all about.
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At the time of writing, the Soberanes Fire has burned over 60,000 acres in Monterey County and is about 45% contained. The fire area covers much of Garrapata State Park, a scenic and rugged redwoods park at the southern end of the coast redwood range. We don’t yet know whether, or to what extent, the park’s redwood groves are suffering damage; and while the primary concern is for the well-being of nearby human communities, it’s interesting to consider the implications of fires like this in the redwood forest.
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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.
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From July 7 – 18, 2016, in the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, Sunset Pianos planted twelve pianos as part of the “Flower Piano” series. Hundreds of musicians took their cues from San Francisco’s original giants at the piano nestled into the amphitheater of the redwood grove.
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Initiatives like Latino Conservation Week aim to engage Latino communities in public lands, create opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, break down barriers, and become allies in defending our natural places. So cue Pokémon GO: this app is integrating technology with nature. Within its first week the much anticipated Pokémon GO App has become a must have for die-hard fans and new Pokémon enthusiasts alike.
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The beautiful Alerce trees, Fitzroya cupressoides, grow in the cool rainforests of Chile, just to the west of the Andes. The Alerce are members of the same conifer family as the redwoods (the Cupressaceae) and the two species share many striking similarities.
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I think it would be safe to assume that most everyone can enjoy a peaceful walk in the woods. Whether you are 8, 18 or 80, no one can deny the staggering beauty of giant trunks rising into a canopy of green. Mount Tamalpais State Park is one of these unique places, home to breathtaking redwood groves. It towers above the bay just north of San Francisco in Marin County. Unfortunately, places like Mount Tam aren’t always accessible to people and families of lower income and limited resources. So what can we do to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience this place?
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New research by Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative scientists Robert Van Pelt and colleagues reveals no forest on Earth has more biomass – wood, bark, and leaves – then the ancient coast redwood forests of Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP).
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Over the weekend, the League celebrated the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service at our Orick Mill Site property near Redwood National and State Parks. It was a momentous event, and I was honored to speak to the attendees about the significance of the moment. For those who weren’t able to be there, I’ll take the opportunity to share my remarks, and some photos, here.
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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.
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A group searching for a summer weekend campsite at the last minute is common, says Anderson. And scoring that weekend is far from impossible, with the right approach. Here’s how to squeeze in that spontaneous weekend trip to your favorite park.
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My journey exploring our public lands and the outdoors coincided with my journey inward, exploring my cultural identity. And as those paths intertwined, I came to realize that when we learn to feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for both our natural and cultural spaces, we have richer, fuller, and more empowering experiences.
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The most common plant in the redwood forest is probably a fern: the Western sword fern. And this prehistoric plant, which is found in every redwood forest, is telling us a story about how the forests are responding to changes in climate.
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After the fourth consecutive year of severe drought in California, a team of scientists came together in the summer of 2015 to study the impacts of the historic drought on the world’s largest trees, the giant sequoias.
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We go through our lives doing similar things day after day. We wake up and check our phones, and then we go to school or work, and finally, finish our day running errands or relaxing. But there is one HUGE thing that most people don’t even see or realize is right in our backyard: There are redwood trees that we sometimes take for granted and might not really think about visiting.
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Hikers along the California Coastal Trail in Del Norte County have begun to mistake Morgan Visalli and Jocelyn Enevoldsen for twins. If you ignore Visalli’s blonde hair and Enevoldsen’s dark brunette braids and pay attention to the color spectrum that radiates around them, you can see it too. They wear matching turquoise rain coats, handkerchiefs, and socks.
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The Lost Coast lends itself to adventure like nowhere else in California. As you explore this stunningly beautiful, remote expanse of coastal bluffs and forests, a true sense of discovery takes hold – it feels wonderfully wild and unchanged. With 100 miles of almost completely roadless beauty, this is the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline left in California. Small wonder that the spectacular trail that winds along the Lost Coast is a top-tier, bucket-list adventure for all who love to get into the wild. And now that trail is even better!
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Donors like you have enabled the League to protect nearly 200,000 acres in more than 60 parks and reserves along a 450-mile coastal strip.
Thanks to our members, the League has supported restoration work such as tree thinning and planting and removal of pavement and invasive species on more than 4,000 acres of redwood forest.
Since 1999 our Education Grants Program has helped bring more than 69,000 children to redwood forests.
