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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.

Three young people stand in front of a large giant sequoia tree against a bright blue sky

Could your organization use $6k for field trips?

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Fall always signals fun changes. The school year beginning, the foliage shifting to shades of gold and red, the window opening to apply for Redwood Connect Grants. Now is the time to think about how a $6,000 grant might support …


A hiker wearing a bright red jacket and a gray backpack walks through a redwood forest carpeted with giant ferns.

Redwoods backpacking, the antidote to stress

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Sometimes modern life can feel like a daunting list of deadlines, debt, and difficult decisions. But all it takes to unzip from these everyday stresses is to walk deep into a redwood forest to live for a weekend, sustained by …


Giant sequoia seedling

Can the giant sequoias recover on their own?

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In August of 2020, the Castle Fire swept through the Board Camp Grove, a small, remote stand of giant sequoias at the southern end of Kings Canyon National Park. The fire burned through the crowns of many trees and left …


People walk along a dirt lane lined with tall trees.

Discovering dawn redwoods on Nami Island

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On a sweltering June day, I stepped off a ferry and onto Nami Island, one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Korea, 33 miles outside of Seoul. Hundreds of needle firs and Korean pines welcomed me, my husband, …


Visitor hiking in redwood forest

California voters to decide on $10 billion climate bond

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While question marks remain around the November election, one thing is certain: Californians will have the chance to vote on a historic $10 billion climate resilience bond—now referred to as Prop 4—which the state legislature approved on July 3. As …


A group of Asian Pacific American schoolchildren climb on the base of a large redwood

How Redwood Rides helps close the nature gap

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On a Wednesday morning in June, a bus pulled into the campground at Samuel P. Taylor State Park, a 2,882-acre expanse of redwood trees, oak-dotted grasslands, and chaparral in west Marin County. Out shuffled 22 kids, accompanied by three young …


A large brown sign reads "Sue-meg State Park" in yellow letters with a small "campground full" sign above

The power of reclaiming Indigenous place names

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In a deep voice, Yurok Tribal chairman Joseph James began a traditional song. ‘O Rew, the Yurok name for the surrounding land, was about to make history. That day, Save the Redwoods League, Redwood National and State Parks, and the …


Yosemite cabins: Getaways to the giant sequoias

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For those who long to wake up and head out for a hike among towering giant sequoias (and who doesn’t?), Yosemite is an evergreen dream come true. The national park is home to three unique groves of giant sequoias—Mariposa Grove, …


A group of people pose for a photo in a photobooth

Redwood fans unite for “Take Me to the Trees” celebration

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As the fog rolled in over San Francisco, nearly 300 guests arrived at the Presidio dressed in fabulous shiny puffers and handknit beanies—a fashionable nod to their shared love for the outdoors. They had come for Save the Redwoods League’s …


Two climbers wearing hard hats shimmy up ropes along the trunk of a massive giant sequoia

First climb of General Sherman Tree reveals health status

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You could say the General Sherman Tree was overdue for a physical—by at least 2,000 years. The iconic giant sequoia, which stands in California’s Sequoia National Park, is the largest living tree on the planet and has withstood two millennia …


A close up selfie of a young man of Yurok heritage with a goatee wearing a yellow construction hat, orange Redwoods Rising hoodie, red vest with a camelback attachment standing in a redwoods forest.

League podcast explores jobs in the redwood forest

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Ever spent your day staring at a computer screen and wondered, “What it would be like to work outside in a redwood forest instead?” Season 4 of the League’s acclaimed podcast I’ll Go If You Go explores this question, delving …


A man in a state parks uniform leads a group of young people in a dance

Which California State Parks Week activity will you choose?

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Will you hike through the redwood forest by starlight? Try out Qi Gong or forest bathing? Participate in a beach cleanup or a bioblitz? Whatever you fancy, there’s a fun way to participate in the third annual California State Parks …


Rosie Clayburn stands in front of a restored pond and looks into the distance

Yurok leader offers insight on landmark project at ‘O Rew  

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Rosie Clayburn is a dynamic leader with the Yurok Tribe of Northern California, the state’s largest Indigenous tribe. As the Yurok Tribal Heritage Preservation Officer and Cultural Resources Director, she advises on everything from land acquisition to the protection of …


Crew members in hard hats carrying large bags plant seedlings up a barren slope with sequoias in the background

Biden and Newsom make big conservation announcements

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As Earth Month comes to a close and Spring takes hold in earnest across the redwood range, let’s take stock of some recent conservation policy announcements.    Just in the last few weeks, we’ve seen the Biden Administration announce a brand …


Giant sequoias

Follow the money…to your favorite redwood forest

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Spectacular. Breathtaking. Transcendent. These are the phrases people often utter while exploring an ancient grove of giant sequoias or a lush swath of second-growth coast redwoods. It’s the rare visitor who gazes at the sun-dappled splendor of a redwood forest …


Bright blue water travels through underground roots and up the trunk of a redwood tree in this animation of water transportation in the redwoods

New documentary reveals secrets of California redwoods

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They only had to wait a few thousand years, but the redwoods are finally getting their moment in the cinematic spotlight. California’s big trees are the stars of Giants Rising, a new feature-length documentary that will make its Bay Area …


people crossing wooden bridge down trail in redwood forest

Rocky Ridge expands stunning Mendocino redwood park

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They say good things come to those who wait. Case in point: Rocky Ridge, the first League-conserved property to be added to California State Parks in well over a decade. Last month, the state park system formally accepted ownership of …


a woman wearing a red rain poncho smiles as she prepares to plant a redwood sapling

Earth Day and beyond: 9 ways to honor nature

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Earth Day has been around since 1970, but there’s never been a more important time to recognize the irreplaceable beauty of the outdoors and the power of nature-based solutions to climate change. On April 22, Earth Day events and initiatives …


A child sits on the floor of a redwood forest

Redwoods transcend barriers of autism

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My son Donovan (shown in the video above) was three when we received his autism diagnosis. Up to that point, we had already faced challenges of raising a child on the spectrum, including his dismissal from two preschools. When we …


A diverse group of young people pose for a group photo in front of a large redwood tree

League announces 2024 Redwood Connect grantees 

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Each year, Save the Redwoods League funds trips to the redwood forest for an incredible lineup of community and education organizations. Looking at our list of 2024 grantees, we can already envision how their outdoor programs could shape the lives …


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