Blog

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 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 …



colorful artwork of a redwood forest

Redwoods: A muse for artist’s captivating creations

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We were living a perfect week: September in Sausalito. My friends and I traveled from Chicago in 2008 to participate as guest artists in the Sausalito Art Festival for the first time. We finished setting up on Wednesday evening. Over …


A nighttime photo of a wolf pack

How new wolves may affect the sequoia ecosystem

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In a remarkable chance encounter hundreds of miles from any other known wolves, two of the canids recently found each other in Sequoia National Forest, where their kind has been absent since the 1920s. Researchers are studying how this breeding …


Beams of light illuminate a woman standing on a trail in the forest, looking at several huge redwoods

Let’s put a climate bond on the November 2024 ballot

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League President and CEO Sam Hodder talks a little bit about what a climate bond could mean for the redwoods, as well as communities throughout California. It is critical that our legislators work to craft and pass a single climate …



Many yellow flowers bloom among tall grass

Snow-melting cabbage and other surprises

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Behind five alluring coast redwood forest plants are stories of endurance, adaptation, and even superpowers. See if you can spot these remarkable species this spring. Western skunk cabbage Blooming as early as February along streams and wet areas, western skunk …


A large giant sequoia is surrounded by a wooden fence along a snowy path

Magical winter backpacking in Mariposa Grove

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During every backpacking trip, I question my sanity. This is typical during miles 5 through 7 or on any uphill section. However, on my recent trip to Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite National Park, this questioning came a …


A man and a baby, both wearing knitted caps, sitting on a bench in a giant sequoia forest

11 unique baby names inspired by the redwoods

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Around the League office, a baby on the way is exciting news. So when our land stewardship manager, Anthony Castaños, announced that he and his wife were expecting a wee one, the staff was a-twitter. Should we knit a tiny …


A mountain lions talks across an open grassy field surrounded by forest

Caught on camera: Majestic elk, playful fawns, slinky pumas

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Something wonderful happens when a redwood forest is protected. Just ask the black bears, coyotes, and mountain lions padding past the League’s wildlife cameras at Lost Coast Redwoods. These creatures can be seen loping down former logging roads or nosing …


Two people sit on a blanket in a meadow overlooking a redwood forest

Reserve offers ‘an unparalleled escape into nature’

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Spring and summer 2023 marked the launch of an exciting new step for the League: a phase of limited visitor access to Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve. In 2018, the League acquired this special 730-acre old-growth redwoods property within the ancestral …


stangeland grove dedication

Bruce Stangeland: Creating a living tribute to loved ones

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The family of my late wife, Susan, loved the redwoods. And when I fell in love with her, in a way, I fell in love with the redwoods too. Early in our relationship, I took Susan to Muir Woods (National …



Two people feel a relief map in the foreground. A redwood forest is in the background.

Grove of Titans: Inclusive storytelling wins top NAI honor

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What an honor! The National Association for Interpretation (NAI) has recognized Save the Redwoods League and its partners for interpretive excellence on the Grove of Titans project in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. The League was thrilled to receive first …


Red Hill Grove provides critical habitat for a wide variety of rare, threatened and endangered species, including the northern spotted owl. Photo by Tom Kogut/USFS, Flickr Creative Commons

Celebrating 50 years of the Endangered Species Act

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Oil prices were skyrocketing. Gerald Ford was stepping into Spiro Agnew’s tarnished VP shoes. The Exorcist was nominated for Best Picture. Such was the national landscape on December 28, 1973, when President Richard Nixon signed one of the country’s most …


in a snowy forest, a man in a bright red jacket is drawfed by the massive reddish-brown trunk of a giant sequoia

“12 Days of Redwoods” a sing-along for forest fans

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Imagine a small child, eagerly unwrapping a holiday package—and discovering the toy of their dreams. That wide-eyed wonder. That giddy excitement. It’s how many of us at Save the Redwoods League feel when we step into a redwood forest. Like …


Two female restoration workers in neon-green vests smile in front of a partially burned sequia forest

So long, Long Meadow, we’re packed for Packsaddle!

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As winter approaches, Save the Redwoods League staff are raising mugs of hot cocoa to toast a wildly productive work season in the giant sequoia range. The big win: Completing risk-reduction and wildfire resilience work in Long Meadow Grove, which …


Redwood tree rises through the canopy

Top 15 League achievements of 2023

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As we approach the end of 2023, we find ourselves contemplating yet another remarkable year at Save the Redwoods League. Our gratitude extends to our wonderful partners, members, and supporters who make possible the essential efforts of safeguarding and restoring …