BioBlitz is Here!
onThe time we have been preparing for during the past few months, BioBlitz 2014, is finally here! For the next two days you will find us at Muir Woods National Monument and the Crissy Field Center as we explore, learn, …
BioBlitz at Muir Woods: What Will We Find in the Canopy?
onThe Muir Woods BioBlitz is just a couple weeks away, and folks around here are getting excited. One of the hot topics of conversation around the Save the Redwoods League office is which species the scientists will find living in …
Using Cell Phones for Science
onThese days, I think it’s a pretty safe bet that many people spend more time on their cell phones — checking email, posting to Facebook, playing games— than they do out in nature. This trend seems especially prevalent among our …
Countdown to BioBlitz!
onIn 21 days we will have a major scientific event happening throughout the Bay Area: the 2014 National Park Service BioBlitz. Here at the League we are busy preparing for this 24-hour exploration of the ecologically diverse areas of the …
Shaggy Mane Mushroom in a Forest Near You
onFinally, with the onset of rain, we have amazing mushrooms pushing up throughout the coast redwood forest. One of my favorites is the shaggy mane mushroom, Coprinus comatus. This is a gilled mushroom that emerges with a white scaly cap …
“Right” and “Wrong” Redwoods?
onWhen we want to restore forests, it’s as simple as just planting some redwoods, right? You may be surprised to hear that the business of replanting a forest is a bit more complicated than that. When we work to restore forests, we try to make sure that the forests we rebuild are as close as possible to those that were lost — and there are also very practical reasons for doing so
Drought in the Redwoods
onLast week I traveled northwards up the coast redwood range to check on weather conditions in the forest at Humboldt Redwoods, Prairie Creek, and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Parks. Through our Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative, we are studying how …
The Future of Redwood Conservation
onMuch has been said about the importance of old-growth redwood forests. Their superlative beauty, their mind-bending longevity, their capacity to sequester carbon, and their ability to inspire peace, awe, and contemplation are all reasons why our commitment to their protection …
Thankful for New Discoveries, Mountain Lions and More
onTomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I sure have a lot to be grateful for this year. Our work at the League has never been more diverse or more important; and more than anything, I am thankful to have the opportunity to …
Top 5 Redwood Parks to Visit This Winter
on5. Calaveras Big Trees State Park As the story goes, in 1852 a hunter named Augustus T. Dowd wounded a grizzly bear and chased him into this forest, only to find trees that were three times bigger than any he’d …
Our Redwood Classrooms
onBay 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 …
A Perspective on Albino Redwoods
onThis week, arborist and horticulturist, Tom Stapleton, shares his perspective on the fascinating and mysterious ghosts of the redwood forest…the albino redwoods! By studying these rare trees, he hopes to learn if climate causes albinism and aid in the protection and …
One Way to Manage and Protect a Forest: Burn It
onLately we have been thinking a lot about fire. It is fire season in California and sadly huge fires in the west are making headlines with their destructive activity. So, we’ve been discussing ways to decrease these devastating forest fires. …
How the Banana Slug Got its Name
onEvery once in awhile, I stumble across something that just makes me laugh. The sight of this banana slug posing on its namesake was no exception! After seeing the yellow slug and banana peel together, it is no surprise to …
Have You Seen the League’s 1st Parent’s Guide to the Coast Redwoods?
onIt is available for free download – just click here. It identifies the most impressive redwood parks with the biggest, gnarliest trees. It also leads you to the most accessible and the most secluded. And it offers so much more! …
The Toughest Plants in the World
onIt’s not often that I hear about a creature more resilient than redwoods. After all, they grow faster, live longer, and reproduce more prolifically than just about any other tree. Be that as it may, some very small, unassuming creatures …
Burl Thieves Attack Redwoods
onLast year, I saw a man ride a bicycle down the road from Ladybird Johnson Grove in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park carrying a large chainsaw. I was baffled at the sight and now realize just how terrible an omen …
Explore, Dream, Discover – Introducing the Parent’s Guide to the Coast Redwoods!
onWith Memorial Day, school vacations, and summer travel just around the corner, we’re thrilled here at the League to introduce the first ever Parent’s Guide to the Coast Redwoods! Not just for parents, of course, the guide is a valuable …
Seen Sorrel Cry?
onThey were perfectly placed drops of water on the outer edge of each redwood sorrel (Oxalis oregana) leaflet. At first, I thought that I was just seeing drops of fog that had not yet evaporated. Then, I realized that these …
The Healing Power of Redwoods
on“It is like being in a cathedral.” “Ancient spirits of the Native Americans are still living among the redwoods.” “I always feel healed after a visit to the redwoods.” These are the kinds of emotions many of us experience in …