The primary goal of the Redwoods Rising Apprenticeship is twofold: to provide a career development opportunity for the next generation of natural resource managers, and to boost capacity for Redwoods Rising restoration projects.
A new bill authored by Senator Maria Elena Durazo, SB 1296––titled the Nature & Parks Career Pathway and Community Resiliency Act––seeks to build jobs in the natural resource field by focusing on job creation and training in working class communities and communities of color.
As the manager of the Redwoods Rising Apprenticeship program, I don’t get out in the field very often, but I get to see growth in the apprentices in snapshots. It’s remarkable to me how a short 11 weeks can contribute to a young person’s life. I’m so grateful that I can help to provide an invaluable experience to people only just beginning their careers.
As I was heading toward the gap in the logs, I noticed that the one to my right had a large dark area under it. I didn’t think it was anything because most of the time it’s either charred or shaded making it look darker than it really is.
Earlier this season, Redwoods Rising apprentices toured the Greater Miller Creek Project Area to get a sense of the work they would be doing later in the summer. They also did a team building activity, where they established a circle in the grass, and then had to retrieve a piece of redwood branch that they placed outside of the circle without touching the ground. The larger lesson was that growth requires teamwork. All in all a fun day.
Eighteen students from Humboldt State University (HSU) are participating in a collaborative restoration project known as Redwoods Rising, gaining valuable knowledge and work experience studying the historically logged coast redwood forests in Redwood National and State Parks this summer.
Eighteen students from Humboldt State University (HSU) are participating in a collaborative restoration project known as Redwoods Rising, gaining valuable knowledge and work experience studying the historically logged coast redwood forests in Redwood National and State Parks this summer.
This summer launched the first season of the Redwoods Rising Apprenticeship, adding capacity to the effort of landscape restoration in Redwood National and State Parks. Len Mazur, a student at Humboldt State University and Redwoods Rising Apprentice on the botany crew, writes about his experiences helping to restore this fragile and resilient landscape.
Redwoods take thousands of years to grow, and as we look to the future, we recognize the importance of training the next generation of conservation leaders to continue caring for these forests. That’s why we started an apprentice program this summer. Meet the Redwoods Rising apprentices who gained hands-on field experience as they helped us study and restore the historically logged lands within Redwood National and State Parks.
