Media Contact:
Robin Carr, Landis Communications Inc
Email: Redwoods@LandisPR.com | Phone: (415) 766-0927
San Francisco, Calif. (June 18, 2025) — Save the Redwoods League announced today that Alison Forrestel, Ph.D., has been named director of science. She fills a key leadership position at the League, one of the nation’s first science-based conservation organizations, which works to protect and restore coast redwood and giant sequoia ecosystems. Forrestel spent 22 years with the National Park Service, most recently at Golden Gate National Recreation Area. She will join the League staff July 23, reporting to Paul Ringgold, chief program officer.
“Alison brings an extraordinary depth of experience in ecological science, fire management and collaborative conservation that will be invaluable to our mission,” said Ringgold. “Her leadership at the National Park Service, particularly in applying science to complex landscape restoration efforts, makes her uniquely qualified to guide the League’s conservation planning in this era of climate change. We are thrilled to welcome her to the League and look forward to the insight and vision she will bring to our work protecting and restoring California’s redwood forests.”
“I’m honored to join the League at this important time, when our ecosystems are increasingly threatened by climate disruption and science-based conservation is more critical than ever,” said Dr. Forrestel. “The redwood and giant sequoia ecosystems are not only vital for biodiversity and climate resilience, but also profoundly meaningful. I’m deeply inspired by the League’s mission to protect, restore and connect people to these incredible forests, and I’m looking forward to working alongside this talented team and extensive network of partners to advance conservation strategies grounded in strong science and close collaboration.”
Forrestel joins Save the Redwoods League after more than two decades with the National Park Service, where she held a variety of leadership positions in areas such as fire ecology and vegetation management. She most recently served as chief of natural resource management and science at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). Projects there included restoring endangered salmonid habitat in Muir Woods National Monument, assessing climate vulnerability across four Bay Area counties and working to recover endangered plant and wildlife populations across Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties.
At GGNRA, Forrestel led the science program, identifying research needs to inform conservation actions and foster research collaborations with academic institutions with a focus on parks as natural laboratories. She worked closely with a variety of partners, including the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, One Tam and the Presidio Trust, and she co-facilitated the Golden Gate Biosphere Network. Forrestel also led the fire ecology program for Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Pinnacles National Park. She was the lead coordinator between fire management and natural resources management staff, prioritizing prescribed fire projects and participating in prescribed burns.
Forrestel earned her doctorate in environmental science from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Forestry (M.F.) and Environmental Studies from Yale University and her Bachelor of Arts in environmental biology from Columbia University.
Tags: 2025, announcement, Press Release, Staff
