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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.

A line of middle-aged hikers follow a path through a redwood grove

Redwood field trips: Not just for little kids

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On a sunny summer morning, I met up with a group of two dozen adults for a hike through Butano State Park in San Mateo County. Some of the participants had gone on previous hikes with me, but others were …


A rain-swollen stream flows through a redwood forest.

Why Dark Gulch is the “missing puzzle piece”

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Dark Gulch fills a critical hole in the Montgomery Woods Initiative, particularly from a fire resilience perspective. Protecting the nearby Dark Gulch property will help buffer the reserve’s old-growth redwoods from fire and encroaching development. Consolidating ownership helps us implement fuel reduction projects more efficiently and reduce the severity of wildfires. By connecting Atkins Place to Weger Ranch, Dark Gulch helps secure the region’s redwood footprint and creates a new protected corridor for fish and wildlife. It allows us to be better stewards within a changing climate.


Close-up of a shoulder badge that reads "California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection: CALFIRE since 1988" in an emblem that includes the outline of the state of California and a sun on the horizon.

Prop 4 could be a game changer for redwoods 

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California’s redwood forests have long been a symbol of the state’s natural beauty. But these majestic trees also provide incredible ecological benefits to our water quality, wildlife habitat, and the health and well-being of local communities. With Proposition 4—”Prop 4″—on …


Overhead view of a few firefighters watching smoldering burn piles in green scrub in the shadow of tall trees.

Banned for 100 years, cultural burns could save sequoias 

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On a cloudless day in California’s Sierra Nevada, the Tule River Indian, North Fork Mono, and Tübatulabal Tribes gathered to lead a small cultural burning demonstration in the Alder Creek Grove. Since the California ban was lifted in 2022, only two off-reservation cultural burns have taken place in the giant sequoia range: The demonstration at Alder Creek Grove and an earlier burn led by the Tule River Indian Tribe on Forest Service land.


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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Two new comprehensive research studies published by the USGS Western Ecological Research Center discuss the drastically low number of seedlings found in sequoia groves in the wake of recent mega-fires. Their findings: inadequate natural seedling recovery and high tree mortality rates create a substantial risk of losing portions of sequoia groves.


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. If …


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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By eliminating the largest barrier between underrepresented communities and redwoods parks—lack of transportation—Redwood Rides not only expands outdoor access, but also inspires the next generation to care about the ancient forests.


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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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 of storms, drought, and wildfires. But it has never had a proper check-up.

On May 21, researchers with the Ancient Forest Society used climbing ropes to ascend to General Sherman’s upper crown in the first-ever climb of the 275-foot-tall giant sequoia. Their mission: to visually inspect the ancient tree for signs of infestation by sequoia bark beetles—an emerging threat that has already killed as many as 40 mature giant sequoias since 2015.


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 …