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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 group of people gather in a large circle with sequoia trees in the background.

We are all in this together

by Sam Hodder on

It is clear that when it comes to protecting and healing what we love most, we are all in this together. This issue of Redwoods follows these threads of collaboration and commitment as they weave through some of our most exciting and urgent projects. We take you to Sonoma Coast Redwoods, a dramatic stretch of California coastline whose preservation depends on a collective effort by the League, our partners, and our full community of supporters. We meet dedicated scientists working to unravel the complex relationship between redwoods and fog — and the growing impacts of climate change. And we explore how the League’s Redwood Rides program, working in partnership with local organizations, is helping to connect underrepresented communities with nature.

Coast redwoods canopy seen peaking through thick white fog

Redwoods and fog

by Kathleen Ok-Soo Richards on

A gentle mist drifts silently through the redwoods, softening shadows and imparting a damp chill to the air. Moisture drips from branches and ferns, emanating an earthy, pine-like aroma. The scene of fog shrouding a redwood forest evokes a sense of mystery and awe, its ephemeral beauty casting a filmic, dreamlike quality to the landscape. Perhaps even more captivating is the hidden, interwoven relationship between fog and coast redwoods.

Close-up image of a hand, palm up, holding heart-shaped leaves in a forest

League supporters share Giving TREESday inspirations

by Kate Berry on

GivingTuesday is a global event dedicated to giving back that offers a much-needed counterpoint to the consumer-driven frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Here at the League, we’ve reimagined this day as Giving TREESday—a celebration of generosity and gratitude …

Two smiling women in a helicopter wearing white helmets and bright yellow safety jackets.

League scientist plays frontline role on the Coffee Pot Fire 

by Kristina Malsberger on

With a flash of lightning, a fire ignites naturally near several giant sequoia groves in California’s Sierra Nevada. It’s early August and the overly dense vegetation surrounding some of the sequoias is dry and flammable. The threat of a high-intensity, …

Osprey in flight carrying a fish

10 fascinating animals and plants of the Sonoma Coast

by April Kilcrease on

Along its wild western edge, Sonoma County hosts a menagerie of feathered, furred, and finned creatures—many of them at-risk species. Protecting these amazing animals is a key driver behind the League’s efforts to acquire Sonoma Coast Redwoods, a 1,624-acre property that connects more than 7.8 square miles of wildlife habitat and nearly 8 miles of streams. This biodiverse mix of redwood forest and coastal grasslands also provides essential habitat for vulnerable flora and fauna.

A teen boy and his father in muddy earth tone clothes, hiking backpacks, and sunglasses, smiling and pointing at a large park sign titled High Sierra Loop Trail. The teenager is pointing to the 211-mile long John Muir Trail route.

14-year-old helps redwoods while hiking John Muir Trail

by Emily Harwitz on

Lewis McColgan is a self-described “regular person” from Fremont, California. This past summer, at age 14, he spent more than three weeks in the Sierra Nevada backcountry, hiking all 211 miles of the John Muir Trail (JMT). His goal: to …

League CEO Sam Hodder

Election results and the future of our forests

by Sam Hodder on

Across the US, there’s a shared commitment to conserve forests, beaches, open spaces, and sources of clean water. Sam Hodder, president and CEO of Save the Redwoods League addresses what the election results mean for California’s redwoods.

Yes on Prop 4

Proposition 4 win brings $10 billion to climate fight

by Save the Redwoods League on

Prop 4 delivers $10 billion to prevent wildfires, protect clean water, and conserve California’s forests and beaches. This historic funding prioritizes restoration, public access, and long-term sustainability—a transformative win for the environment.

pipe cleaner trees at big basin

Three parks, multiple fires, one bold restoration plan

by Save the Redwoods League on

The newly unveiled Forest Management Strategy helps ensure that future wildfires will not be as destructive to places like Butano State Park, which has provided recreation and renewal for generations of visitors.

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

Redwood field trips: Not just for little kids

by Deborah Zierten on

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”

by April Kilcrease on

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 

by Ben Friedman on

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 

by Kristina Malsberger on

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?

by Deborah Zierten on

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

by Helena Guglielmino on

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?

by Juliet Grable on

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

by Jiyi Jun on

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

by Kristina Malsberger on

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

by Kathleen Ok-Soo Richards on

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.