It Takes a Forest ℠

Montgomery Woods State Park. Photo by Peter Buranzon

Parks Forward Commission – Time to Reform the State Parks System

on

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 …

View at Stewarts Point Ranch.

Listen to an Oral History of Stewarts Point

on

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 …

In vitro culture of Aulacomnium turgidum regenerated from emergent Little Ice Age population beneath the Tear Drop Glacier, Sverdrup Pass, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. Credit: Image courtesy of Catherine La Farge

The Toughest Plants in the World

on

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 …

Forest of Nisene Marks State Park.

30,000 Volunteers Help Keep California State Parks Running!

on

. . . 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 …

Eel River at Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area.

I Support Team Standish

on

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 …

Sun through the redwoods. Photo by parmsongs, Flickr Creative Commons

The Healing Power of Redwoods

on

“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 …

Dudley's lousewort (Pedicularis dudleyi). Photo by asadotzler, Flickr Creative Commons

A Rare Plant Inhabits the Forest – Or Does It?

on

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.  …

Marbled murrelet nest. Photo by Tom Hamer

Searching for the Elusive Marbled Murrelet

on

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.

Aerial view of CEMEX Redwoods. Photo by William K. Matthias

Collaboration for Conservation

on

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 …

Technology can be a useful tool in protecting our forests.

Nature + Technology = Fact Finding and Fun!

on

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, …

Aspens in Utah. Photo by Fool-On-The-Hill, Flickr Creative Commons

Meet an 80,000-Year-Old Tree

on

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 …

Peters Creek Old-Growth Forest. Photo by Paolo Vescia

Obama’s Budget Calls for More Conservation Funding

on

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 …

Vineyard conversion has become an increasingly significant threat to redwood forests in recent years.

Vineyards, Redwoods, and Climate Change

on

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 …

We're trying a variety of restoration techniques at Mill Creek.

Sustainability or Resilience?

on

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 …

Fire-suppressed sequoia grove – note the large fire scar on the giant sequoia on the right.

Setting Fire to the Forest

on

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 …

Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana). Photo by ingridtaylar, Flickr Creative Commons

Birds Matter Too

on

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 …

Working hard, assessing areas where old, fallen trees need to be removed. Not a bad day "at the office"!

What Happens to the Land Once We’ve Bought It? Stewardship Happens!

on

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 …

Portola Redwoods State Park.

Hope for Our State Park System

on

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 …