Central Valley community groups visit Alder Creek to guide future programming
We were a group of about 20 hikers, navigating a stretch of rough terrain at the League’s Alder Creek property. Carefully avoiding the dreaded thickets of whitethorn, we descended from the ridgeline and entered a valley of towering giant sequoias. Our path took us past patches of purple lupine and swaths of red paintbrush. Glimpses of a sweeping mountain vista peeked through the massive tree trunks.
“I don’t want this hike to end!” exclaimed one of the participants. Exactly what you want to hear when leading a day-long adventure to help shape community programming at this incredible giant sequoia property.
Envisioning a warm welcome for local communities
How do you create a giant sequoia destination that’s welcoming to the local community? This question has been at the forefront of the League’s planning for our 530-acre Alder Creek property in the southern Sierra—so we decided to bring in the experts for some collaborative visioning.
This past summer, our community engagement and restoration teams invited representatives from 12 Central Valley nonprofits, colleges, and affinity groups to explore and engage with nature at Alder. Visiting organizations included Latino Outdoors, Bakersfield College, and Fresno Community Science Workshop, a nonprofit that provides opportunities for youth from under-resourced communities to participate in hands-on science. Also in attendance were representatives from Wellness to the West, a recently founded organization that centers the health and wellness of Fresno’s Black community.
Our aim for the day was to build partnerships with the local community and collectively imagine how future visitors might learn, play, and connect with the giant sequoias. With that vision in sight, the League plans to create an outdoor space that fosters inclusive and impactful experiences in nature.
Touring a landscape rooted in resilience
Our morning began with an opening circle at base camp, followed by an overview of ongoing restoration efforts at Alder Creek. Ever since portions of the property burned at high severity in 2020, crews have worked to restore natural fire resilience to the grove, removing excess vegetation and other fuels to help prevent future megafires.
We then visited the magnificent Stagg Tree—a more than 2,000-year-old giant sequoia that’s the fifth-largest known tree on Earth. For our group, seeing the perseverance of nature through time and adversity—whether that’s a long-lived sequoia or a landscape coming back after fire—was an inspiring lesson in resilience.
After lunch we headed up to the ridgeline, where thousands of sprightly sequoia seedlings planted by the restoration team are bringing new life to the formerly charred landscape. From there, Jesse Valdez, the League’s tribal liaison, led a hike while sharing about the deep relationship local Indigenous tribes have with the land. Beginning in 2024, several tribes have hosted cultural burns at Alder Creek, restoring an ancestral stewardship practice that was banned in California for more than a century.
Laying the groundwork for connections with nature
Later that afternoon, with the sights and stories of Alder Creek fresh in everyone’s mind, the group sat down for a visioning workshop to discuss ideas for future programs that could be held on the property. “There are a lot of opportunities for people here to reconnect with nature, to gain knowledge, and also showcase the knowledge they already have,” commented a representative from the nonprofit Outdoor Afro. Together, the group proposed environmental skill-building, career exploration, wellness retreats, astrophotography workshops, and cultural hikes like the one we had just enjoyed.
This is how the League approaches community engagement across the redwood range: We let community members tell us what they want to see, do, and learn, so that our programs meet real-world needs. It’s clear that Alder Creek holds possibilities that pique a wide variety of interests, and we’re excited to develop next steps for community access.
The League intends to hold limited community programming at Alder Creek beginning in 2026. If you are a Central Valley–based community organization interested in programs at Alder Creek, please contact outreach@savetheredwoods.org.
Expanding programming at Alder Creek is a key part of Save the Redwoods League’s efforts to strengthen local communities and connect all people with the beauty and benefits of nature. Your contribution to the Redwood Resilience Fund is an investment in a brighter future for all.
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