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This is a place for personal insights into our work by Save the Redwoods League leaders. Please join the conversation by posting your stories and comments.

roads apprentices

Video: Restoration “ripple effect” boosts local economy

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  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Save the Redwoods League (@savetheredwoods)   Griff Griffith describes the formerly clear-cut areas in and around Redwood National and State Parks as a “gaping wound”—one that Redwoods Rising and ‘O …


A Black boy wearing a cloth redwood tree costume raises his arms while an adult naturalist in an East Bay Regional Parks uniform points out parts of the tree.

Teaming up with East Bay Regional Parks a “no-brainer”

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At Learning Without Limits Elementary School in Oakland, California, fourth grade means fun field trips. The students have heard stories from older kids about hiking in a redwood forest and wading out into the San Francisco Bay. Now it’s finally …


Redwood leaves like you’ve never seen them before

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Redwoods don’t actually have needles, they have leaves. We call their leaves needles because they’re thin and pointy, but they are indeed leaves, performing all the necessary leafly duties. As it turns out, redwoods even have two distinct kinds of …


Zachary Noah Piser stands at the front of the stage in a white T-shirt, speaking or singing, while Idina Menzel sits on a platform in the background. The scene is illuminated with a cool blue forest backdrop.

Q&A: Zachary Noah Piser of Redwood the musical  

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In 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 …


Bottle brush regrowth on redwoods recovering from fire

Post-fire Big Basin offers visitors a “forest of hope”

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Nearly five years have passed since the CZU Lightning Complex fires devastated Big Basin Redwoods State Park, but many people are still keeping their distance from the park. “A lot of locals are hesitant to come here,” says Debra Martwick, …


Video: How to repair a redwood “pseudo forest”

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  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Redwoods Rising (@redwoodsrising) Springing up in the wake of clearcutting, unnaturally dense “pseudo forests” are a far cry from spacious, biodiverse old-growth groves. Griff Griffith dives into the differences—and …


A big bright yellow banana slug is turned to look at a tiny slug next it.

All hail the banana slug, California’s new state symbol

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Slimy, yellow, impossibly slow, and so very beloved. The banana slug, humble hero of the redwoods, is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Thanks to Assembly Bill 1850, the iconic mollusk has been officially crowned California’s state slug. More than …



Kids on bridge

League announces 2025 Redwood Connect grantees

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When someone has a memorable interaction with the natural world, it can shift their perspective, reveal new possibilities, sometimes even shape an entire life. Especially when that someone is a young person. That’s why the League is thrilled to announce …


Giant sequoia silhouette against a night sky illuminated by pink northern lights

25 things for redwood lovers to look forward to in 2025

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It’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 …


Woman in a pink jacket walks down a fern-lined hiking trail in a misty redwood forest

5 wonderful winter hikes in the redwood forest

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Something magical happens to California’s redwood forests during winter. Clouds insulate the trees from the outside world, making a walk among these giants feel cozy and nostalgic. The rains conjure up the earthy smell of the soil and the brisk …


A setting sun illuminates golden coastal grasslands with a large swath of redwood trees in the foreground.

Inspiring news from Sonoma Coast Redwoods

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Some great news that you made possible: Save the Redwoods League has met our $9 million fundraising goal and successfully acquired Sonoma Coast Redwoods. This means permanent protection for a one-of-a-kind property that combines a healthy redwood forest, biodiverse coastal …


Close-up image of a hand, palm up, holding heart-shaped leaves in a forest

League supporters share Giving TREESday inspirations

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GivingTuesday is a global event dedicated to giving back that offers a much-needed counterpoint to the consumer-driven frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Here at the League, we’ve reimagined this day as Giving TREESday—a celebration of generosity and gratitude …


Two smiling women in a helicopter wearing white helmets and bright yellow safety jackets.

League scientist plays frontline role on the Coffee Pot Fire 

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With 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, …


Osprey in flight carrying a fish

10 fascinating animals and plants of the Sonoma Coast

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Along its wild western edge, Sonoma County hosts a menagerie of feathered, furred, and finned creatures—many of them at-risk species. Protecting these amazing animals is a key driver behind the League’s efforts to acquire Sonoma Coast Redwoods, a 1,624-acre property that connects more than 7.8 square miles of wildlife habitat and nearly 8 miles of streams. This biodiverse mix of redwood forest and coastal grasslands also provides essential habitat for vulnerable flora and fauna.


A teen boy and his father in muddy earth tone clothes, hiking backpacks, and sunglasses, smiling and pointing at a large park sign titled High Sierra Loop Trail. The teenager is pointing to the 211-mile long John Muir Trail route.

14-year-old helps redwoods while hiking John Muir Trail

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Lewis McColgan is a self-described “regular person” from Fremont, California. This past summer, at age 14, he spent more than three weeks in the Sierra Nevada backcountry, hiking all 211 miles of the John Muir Trail (JMT). His goal: to …


League CEO Sam Hodder

Election results and the future of our forests

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Across the US, there’s a shared commitment to conserve forests, beaches, open spaces, and sources of clean water. Sam Hodder, president and CEO of Save the Redwoods League addresses what the election results mean for California’s redwoods.


Yes on Prop 4

Proposition 4 win brings $10 billion to climate fight

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Prop 4 delivers $10 billion to prevent wildfires, protect clean water, and conserve California’s forests and beaches. This historic funding prioritizes restoration, public access, and long-term sustainability—a transformative win for the environment.



pipe cleaner trees at big basin

Three parks, multiple fires, one bold restoration plan

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The newly unveiled Forest Management Strategy helps ensure that future wildfires will not be as destructive to places like Butano State Park, which has provided recreation and renewal for generations of visitors.


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