Why Do Some Trees Grow in Spirals?
onHere are the most likely reasons why some trees take on this curious growth form.
Here are the most likely reasons why some trees take on this curious growth form.
There is a ray of hope for California’s underfunded State Parks system: a new high-level commission is being appointed with a mandate to transform the system – soon. As those of us who work in the system know, the State …
Stewarts Point Ranch, a property we own and protect in northern Sonoma County, has a long and interesting history. The Richardson family settled at Stewarts Point in the 1860’s. Recently, a wonderful oral history project called “The Story Shed” interviewed …
It’s not often that I hear about a creature more resilient than redwoods. After all, they grow faster, live longer, and reproduce more prolifically than just about any other tree. Be that as it may, some very small, unassuming creatures …
. . . so reported Major General Anthony L. Jackson, Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), to the State Parks Commission last Friday morning. That is a lot of volunteers! If those 30,000 volunteers were to lie …
Standing on the bank of the Eel River, surrounded by local volunteers describing the park as the ‘lifeblood of the community,’ it’s hard to believe that Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area almost didn’t make it. Despite its well-developed trail and campground …
“It is like being in a cathedral.” “Ancient spirits of the Native Americans are still living among the redwoods.” “I always feel healed after a visit to the redwoods.” These are the kinds of emotions many of us experience in …
It was a beautiful day for a hike along Peters Creek. The ancient forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains was in full bloom; chattering woodpeckers, the tumbling creek, giant redwood and Douglas fir trees all begged for acknowledgement and appreciation. …
The League’s Shady Dell property was a busy place on Monday. Armed with binoculars and aerial photo maps, four League staff members were joined by a couple of staff from the Department of Fish and Wildlife and a pair of consultants to search for potential nest sites for the marbled murrelet.
Save the Redwoods League and our colleague land conservation organizations are tackling more sophisticated and more capital-intensive projects than ever before. We have learned that we can do this better by collaborating. One of the League’s most exciting and successful …
As our Stewardship Manager, I enjoy regular visits to our magnificent properties for a variety of reasons—checking that roads are clear for an upcoming tour, overseeing the demolition of a structure, investigating any issues with trespassers, checking for invasive species, …
Do you think a 2,000 year old redwood is ancient? A giant sequoia weighing 2,000 tons is heavy? What if I were to tell you that these weren’t even close to the oldest or the biggest? Sure, bristlecone pines live …
There was a bit of good conservation news coming from Washington, DC, last week. President Obama’s budget includes a substantial increase for Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) funding. The LWCF program has had a huge impact on land conservation …
The direct effects of climate change come in many different flavors – shifts in temperature and precipitation will have significant, though yet undetermined, implications for the redwood forest. The ways in which climate change might indirectly affect the redwoods make …
Do you feel tension? No, not emotional tension, the intellectual kind. Does intellectual tension invigorate you? It invigorates us at Save the Redwoods League. There is a debate among conservationists: should our goal be sustainability or resilience? At Save the …
We’ll do all the law’s allowin’/Tomorrow I’ll be right back plowin’/ settin’ the woods on fire —Hank Williams In a recent post, I discussed the role of natural disturbance in creating the forests we see today. This week, I’d like …
Audubon Magazine (March-April 2013 issue) reminds us “Why Birds Matter.” Of course birds have intrinsic value: to watch an eagle in flight is a thrill; to hear the whistle-like song of a marbled murrelet echo through the dark forest is …
We all get really excited when we close a big project—like when we acquired the beautiful 145-acre property with pristine redwoods next to Portola Redwoods State Park a few months ago, or when we received a conservation easement on 90 …
Crisis is turning into opportunity for our state park system. California State Parks has new, effective leadership in Major General Anthony L. Jackson, USMC (retired). And the State’s Little Hoover Commission just issued its thoughtful report, identifying many of the …
On a foggy July night in 1850, the Baltimore clipper Frolic sailed south along the Mendocino coast, bound for San Francisco and its booming economy. The hold of the former opium ship was filled with all the luxuries of the …
$2 million goal for ‘O Rew Redwoods Gateway!