Redwood Matters

Thanks to our members' support, a League-sponsored researcher will examine how the Ensatina salamander's role as a top predator in the redwood forest affects its ability to influence the storage of carbon in the soil. Photo by Anthony Ambrose

Latest Research Grants Support Discoveries in Wildlife, Plants, Restoration

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More than $200,000 in research grants from Save the Redwoods League in 2013 and 2014 will fund projects that will contribute to scientific knowledge of coast redwood and giant sequoia forests. This research can help us answer big questions that will protect the health of people, wildlife and redwood forests.

Redwood seedlings. Photo by Mark Bult

Easy Holiday Redwoods Gifts

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You can honor your loved ones and benefit the redwood forest this holiday season. For as little as $10, your honoree will get a lovely ecard letting them know you’ve made this special gift. For just $25, your ecard can accompany a gift of a League membership, and for $75, your paper or electronic card will announce that you have had a seedling planted in a redwood forest.

You can help remove this pavement to return this site to the surrounding forest. Photo by Paolo Vescia

You Can Start the Restoration

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Your gifts have been essential in our process of purchasing and protecting from further development the Orick Mill Site, which includes 45 acres of pavement in the heart of ancient redwood habitat (pictured). You can help remove this pavement to return this site to the surrounding forest.

Juvenile Chinook salmon from a Redwood Creek trap. Photo by M. Sparkman

Can We Save Salmon?

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You helped fund research that shows salmon numbers are falling, but restoration offers hope. Harm to redwood forests-like logging and damming-has threatened their salmon inhabitants. But thanks to your support, scientists are monitoring the fish in Redwood Creek. They say forest restoration will help ensure that the salmon can recover and thrive once more.

Your support enabled repair of this seasonal bridge, which allows visitors to reach campsites, parking and trails at Standish-Hickey State Park.

Bridge, Tunnel Open, Thanks to You

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  • Thanks to your gifts, the seasonal Standish-Hickey bridge is now open, restoring visitor access for the first time in three years to 61 stunning redwoods campsites.
  • Skunk Train service from Willits has resumed after your League gifts enabled repair of a collapsed tunnel. Riding the train is the only way to see the ancient Noyo River Redwoods that you protected in 2011. Service from Fort Bragg is expected to resume later this month.
Your support enabled repair of this seasonal bridge, which allows visitors to reach campsites, parking and trails at Standish-Hickey State Park.

Your Support Returned a Bridge to the Redwoods

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Thanks to your gifts, California State Parks reinstalled a seasonal bridge across the Eel River, restoring visitor access for the first time in three years to 61 stunning redwoods campsites at Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area (external link). The bridge also allows access to the giant Standish tree, miles of forest trails, a sparkling swimming hole and day-use parking. The bridge and campground are open, so go enjoy the magnificent redwoods at Standish-Hickey and know that you made a difference here. Thank you!

Your gifts helped to repair a collapsed railroad tunnel that shut down the Skunk Train's famous Redwood Route to the Noyo River Redwoods, which you protected. Smiles have returned to riders' faces, as in this 2011 image. Photo by Paolo Vescia

You’re Keeping an Ancient Forest Reachable

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You helped us buy Noyo River Redwoods, a magical ancient forest you can see only by the historic Skunk Train, in 2011. Recently you came to the rescue again. Your gifts helped to repair a collapsed railroad tunnel that shut down the train’s famous Redwood Route last April. The tunnel is now open and full Skunk Train service has resumed. You can make sure we’re ready to protect and provide you access to amazing forests like this one: Please donate today.

View of the coastline from the hills

Protecting Wildlife and Redwoods at Cape Vizcaino

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Restoration efforts are underway at remote and wild Cape Vizcaino, a property in Mendocino County sheltering old-growth redwood forest, grasslands, chaparral and beautiful, rugged coastline. The forest here was formerly managed for logging and ranching. Now, guided by an ecologically-minded forest management plan, the League and our partners are poised to begin healing this land. Learn more about the restoration efforts at Cape Vizcaino.

Photo by Bob Wick

You Can Open the Gate to a Hidden Sequoia World

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Southeast of Three Rivers in the Sierra Nevada is a kingdom of giant sequoias reachable on foot, mountain bike and horseback. Ancient giants here measure as much as 16 feet across, likely wider than your dining room. Save the Redwoods League is working with Sequoia Riverlands Trust and the Bureau of Land Management to buy Craig Ranch and provide easy access to the majestic ancient trees. Learn more about this purchase and how your gift can be matched.

High-severity treatments have boosted the growth of isolated giant sequoias in what is now Giant Sequoia National Monument. Photo by Rob York

Disturbances Benefit Giant Sequoias

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Being dwarfed by Earth’s most massive tree, the giant sequoia, fills you with wonder. It’s hard to believe that a living thing can be so enormous and old. It may be alarming to see these forests on fire, but research funded by your gifts shows that disturbances such as these are actually good for giant sequoias. See why.

Our Redwood Watch map shows the coast redwood range in orange and giant sequoia range in red. You can help scientists research the effects of climate change on redwood forests by taking photos that will be placed on this map. Map by iNaturalist

Help Research: Photograph South, East Parts of Redwood Range

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Today, redwoods stand at a critical point. The current and projected interactions of these stressors jeopardize more than 90 years of League conservation work. We must act today to protect redwoods from these threats in the future. Learn more about you can help.

Fran Wolfe and her husband Cameron Wolfe enjoy the grove he dedicated to her in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

Valentine’s Day: From the Ultimate Gift to New Ecards

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You may celebrate Valentine’s Day with chocolates or a bouquet of red roses. But Piedmont, California, attorney Cameron Wolfe gave his wife Fran something much bigger: He worked with Save the Redwoods League to dedicate the Fran B. Wolfe Redwood Grove in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

You can help protect Peters Creek Old-Growth Forest (pictured), a rare ancient  forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Photo by Paolo Vescia

You Can Protect 4 Santa Cruz Mountains Forests

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Wonderful redwoods enthusiasts like you contributed the $100,000 needed to gain a matching gift for San Vicente Redwoods, the largest unprotected redwood forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Pete and Patty Mattson, long-time Save the Redwoods League members, generously donated the matching funds.

Credit: å© Michael Nichols/National Geographic

National Geographic Features League Research

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National Geographic magazine’s December cover story includes the remarkable findings of League scientists who are studying how redwoods can survive sweeping environmental changes. The feature includes incredible photos, such as a portrait of a 3,200-year-old giant sequoia.

Ruskin K. Hartley at the 2011 Noyo River Redwoods Celebration. Photo by Paolo Vescia

League Thanks Hartley for 15 Years of Service

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The League has accepted Executive Director Ruskin K. Hartley’s resignation. After 15 years of service, Hartley feels it is time for new challenges.

Photo by Mark Bult

How Your Seedling Gifts Help Heal Forest

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Photo by Mark Bult Thanks to your gifts through the seedling planting program, more than 2,000 redwoods and 2,600 Douglas-firs have been planted in the last two years to restore logged forests in and around Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Ancient …

Arcata High School students measure tree height using a clinometer. Your support enabled them and others to explore forest stewardship careers. Photo by The Forest Foundation

Future Stewards: Your Gifts Help Inspire Students to Care for Forest

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Thanks to your support that enabled Save the Redwoods League to provide an education grant to our partner, The Forest Foundation (external link), the next generation of forest caretakers is taking root. Over two days, the Auburn-based foundation took 65 high school students from Humboldt County-area schools on a learning adventure called “Map It, Manage It, Sustain It.” Learn more about this program.

Researchers measure redwoods in experiments that are part of our effort to protect forests during rapid climate change. Photo by Anthony Ambrose

Redwoods and Climate Change Update

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Today, redwoods stand at a new crossroads of environmental change where rapid climatic changes and other factors threaten them in ways they have not experienced before in their long history on Earth. Our Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative research project will help us understand redwoods’ vulnerabilities to climatic changes so we can protect these forests in the future. Now Initiative scientists are studying 450 redwood saplings.

Big Tree‰Û in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.

New Blog Offers ‘Giant Thoughts’ on Our Work

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Check out the new Save the Redwoods League blog, Giant Thoughts, a place for personal insights into our organization and our work. Here you’ll find viewpoints from our leaders and special guest bloggers. Please join the conversation by posting your stories and comments. Be sure to share this blog with your friends and family!