A few years ago, Justine Smith, researcher with the Santa Cruz Puma Project, observed an interesting pattern; in human-populated areas, mountain lions killed more prey but spent less time feeding. Researchers weren’t sure why, but they suspected it had to do with lion’s fear of people.
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The League recently worked with the City of Oakland to install new interpretive content and maps in the kiosks, so park visitors can learn more about the natural area they are visiting.
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Hiking and swimming go together like a hot meal and a cool drink — one is invigorating, the other is refreshing. Together, they make a wonderful combo. So, where are some great places to go swimming under the redwoods, you might ask? Here are five great recommendations for you. Dive right in!
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With 280 parks across 1.6 million acres, hosting more than 74 million visitors last fiscal year alone, California is one of the largest state park systems in the United States. In a focused and comprehensive effort to keep these world-class parks open and thriving, seasoned leaders from California State Parks and outside entities helped plan for and implement 60 ambitious initiatives, from a new state-of-the-art reservation system to increased protections and improvements for the parks statewide. Here are just some of the improvements for redwood state parks.
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Summer is here, and we’ve got daylight hours to burn. Even with a busy schedule, you can take a day trip before the sun goes down. Here are recommendations for three excellent half-day redwood hikes. Enjoy!
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As we celebrate Latino Conservation Week, we’re inspired by the more than 100 events held across the country at national and state parks, wildlife refuges, and monuments to encourage everyone to explore the outdoors and learn how to protect our shared public lands.
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Outdoor adventure is often characterized as a highly idiosyncratic pursuit, one that engages a single individual with the challenges of nature. That’s all well and good, but José González, the founding Executive Director of Latino Outdoors, promotes another perspective: connecting communities and families with the power and beauty of the planet’s wild places.
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When one of my Ecuadorian friends, who works in la selva, came to visit me here in California, the one place he wanted to visit was our iconic forest, the redwoods.
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For many of us, dogs are treated less like pets and more like family. It only feels natural to bring our dogs—with their cute, wagging tails and unbounded enthusiasm—along with us as we explore the redwoods this summer. If you need suggestions on where to go, consider these delightful and dog-friendly redwood hikes.
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It’s estimated that about 150 species go extinct per day, so it is always exciting news when a new species is discovered! This spring, we learned about a new mammal found in the coastal redwood range called Humboldt’s flying squirrel.
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Today marks the 153rd birthday of the spectacular giant sequoia grove in Yosemite National Park, Mariposa Grove. The protection of Mariposa helped inspire a movement of conservation at a time when sequoia were being cut, leading to the protection of the biggest trees in the world.
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We have until July 10 to tell the Trump administration just how much our public lands mean to us. The public comment period will be over soon for the 27 national monuments under review as directed by a recent executive order.
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Summer solstice reminds me of nature’s seasonal cycles and excites me for what’s to come. The study of these seasonal cycles, phenology, is used by the League in our science and education programs.
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Cape Vizcaino, along the Mendocino coast, is named after Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaíno, who is known for mapping much of the area. This spring, while the wildflowers were in bloom, we surveyed the area with the California Native Plant Society to map the plants along the coastline.
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The League’s strives to integrate art into all of our environmental education programs. Art is such an important outlet for students to express what they learned in a creative way and to teach others about their experiences.
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When was the last time you stood still and didn’t hear voices, traffic, or the bustle of everyday life? I bet you’re now thinking that there isn’t any place close enough to us in San Francisco where this would even be possible. That’s why I’m here to tell you that there are options close by!
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Some of my most memorable moments in life began with the decision to venture down a dirt path. There is nothing like setting out into nature with the pure intention of discovery — each bend provides anticipation, each hill you climb brings accomplishment, the sights spur inspiration, and every step brings you closer to yourself.
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You are the proud owner of over 250 million acres of land (external link) — majestic redwoods, breath-taking beaches, and erupting volcanoes. Over 100 years ago, President Theodore Roosevelt Jr. signed into action the Antiquities Act which paved way for the protection of the beautiful valleys and mountain tops of our national monuments.
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My husband and I are constantly seeking new experiences to enjoy together, so we decided to take a long weekend to explore Eureka, in northern California. Even though we were in the midst of a weeks-long deluge with dams straining against their impediments, we were not to be deterred. We were even more determined when we learned that Eureka has a huge number of Victorian homes, which happen to be another one of our fascinations. When we mentioned to one of our friends that we were going to be exploring the redwoods and the Victorians in the Eureka area, she told us that we couldn’t miss the Avenue of the Giants or the Carson Mansion.
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The effort to save the giant sequoia groves of California began over 150 years ago. We were recently reminded that job is never done. In April, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for the review of all national monument designations occurring after January 1, 1996, where the monument exceeds 100,000 acres. Shortly after, the Department of the Interior confirmed that Giant Sequoia National Monument is on that list along with 26 others.
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