children

The Forest in the Trees by Connie McLennan

The Forest in the Trees: A Children’s Book about the Redwood Canopy

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I have always lived within a hundred miles of the redwoods—though in northern California, 100 miles “as the crow flies” often means 200 miles of driving, some on tortuous coastal or mountain roads. I grew up in Yreka, California, where …

Arboreal Lessons

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Award-winning children’s author Anthony D. Fredericks explains how a journey to Redwood National and State Parks inspired his book Tall Tall Tree and his commitment to #Stand4Redwoods because of the lessons redwoods offer kids. You can enter to win a copy of Tall Tall Tree and other fantastic prizes by entering our Reading the Redwoods contest by May 10, 2018. Reading the Redwoods is a free, online contest for kids in grades K-5, hosted in celebration of the Centennial of Save the Redwoods League.

Janet Jackson Explores Local Redwood Watershed with Inner City Youth

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Jackson does what she can to expand the horizons of her students. Each month she takes three or four students to a regional park for an extended hike. She has also participated in outreach programs sponsored by universities and conservation groups, including Exploring Your Watershed, a Save the Redwoods League project that teaches kids about the linkages between the East Bay’s redwood forests and San Francisco Bay.

LandPaths' In Our Own Backyard program serves 900 students each year.

Bree Arthur, LandPaths: Getting to Know Nearby Nature

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Sixth-graders trundle off buses and into a sun-speckled redwood forest. It’s terra incognita for most of them. But they are in good hands with educators from LandPaths, a Sonoma County organization supported by Save the Redwoods League education grants program …

Dr. Seuss characters like the Lorax have taught and tickled kids and adults alike for generations.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

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“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” ~ the Lorax This famous quote by the title character of The Lorax is well-known in the world of conservation, and has likely …

The outdoor experiences we have as kids can help us be happier and healthier for our whole lives. Photo by rocket ship, Flickr Creative Commons.

Kids & Nature: Turning Around a Worrisome Trend

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Many of us who love nature have clear memories of meaningful outdoor experiences as children. At the Save the Redwoods League office, if you ask the staff why they chose careers in conservation, you’ll hear story after story about summers …

The Eel River, which snakes along the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, has dozens of secluded and scenic swimming spots. Photo courtesy HRSP/Redwoods.info.

Make a Big Splash Among the Big Trees

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Sweltering summers are perhaps the best time all year to experience the redwood forests in Humboldt County the way locals do, as natural water parks. The Eel River, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River along the Avenue of the Giants, and Redwood Creek, which is surrounded by the world’s tallest trees in Redwood National Parks, have plenty of kid-friendly swimming holes.

Reconnecting families and future generations to nature is a critical priority. Photo by Paolo Vescia.

Kids in the Redwoods, Part 2

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Last week, I wrote about the value of bringing kids to the redwoods.  A family trip to the redwoods can be such an incredible gift to children, creating lifelong memories and a connection with nature that can improve life in …

Students collected data about the redwoods forest at BioBlitz 2014.

Kids in the Redwoods, Part 1

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Did you hear about the BioBlitz in the Bay Area last week? Scientists, community members, families and school groups converged on Muir Woods and Crissy Field to explore, catalog and discover our local ecology. I was at Muir Woods on …

Change is in the air. Shady Dell photo by Paolo Vescia.

Conservation 2.0

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Happy first day of Spring!  While our thoughts  turn to rebirth and new beginnings of the season, I’m thinking about another kind of new beginning, because conservation as we know it is undergoing some substantial changes. It’s hokey, I know, but …

The PORTS program connects students to their state parks through videos and interviews with a park ranger. Photo courtesy of California State Parks.

Visit a Redwood Forest… from Your Classroom!

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When students learn about a threatened plant, animal or environmental community, their desire to help often kicks in. They contribute to the cause by writing letters, raising money, and educating others about the issue. Once raised, their awareness can last …

Knowing Nature: The Best Gift Ever

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This is a joyous and peaceful time of year, whatever your belief system. It is a time when the world seems to collectively pause and remember what is truly important, whether family and friends, health and peace, or places of …

Photo courtesy of Vida Verde

Exploring a Redwood Forest with Kids

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A few weeks ago I traveled an hour south of San Francisco to the town of San Gregorio to observe a group of fifth graders from Oakland begin their adventure at an outdoor education center, Vida Verde. During this visit …

Students measure fern fronds through a Save the Redwoods League education program at Redwood Regional Park. Photo ©Save the Redwoods League.

Our Redwood Classrooms

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Bay Area residents got a sneak peek into the hopes and dreams of the Department of the Interior last week when Secretary Sally Jewell came to Crissy Field (external link) to announce the department’s new campaign to connect the next …

DIY iPhone microscope.

DIY Microscope: See Nature’s Secrets

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If there is one piece of equipment to make you feel like a scientist, it has to be a microscope. There is something exciting about being able to see the hidden secrets of an object, the minutiae that are not …

Exploring the Forest at Night

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One of the great joys of Halloween time, besides the candy, is the spooky, dark and eerie  theme of the holiday. And what better location to represent this theme than a cool, foggy redwood forest at night. The tall trees, the profound silence …

Photo by Julie Martin

It’s About the Children!

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There are so many reasons to move State Parks forward.  For me, the first reason is for our children. Remember how much fun you had in the forest as a child?  I recall digging for bugs in the dirt at …

Free, redwoods-themed BINGO sheet.

Get online and then get outside!

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Want to encourage your child’s natural curiosity about the wonders of nature and take advantage of Cyber Monday as well? Make the most of some of the online bargains available right now, and put together a backpack kit for your …

Credit: Victoria, Bowne Munro Elementary, East Brunswick, New Jersey

‘Thank You’ to All the Kids Who Love Redwoods!

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I’m writing this post with two special events on my mind: the Save the Redwoods League art contest for kids, and Thanksgiving! The winners of the art contest will be announced tomorrow, November 15, and it seems apropos that the …