enjoying nature

This lovely picnic spot in Butano State Park beckons.

It’s Picnic Season! Ready for a Delicious Day in the Redwoods?

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There are a lot of health benefits to a day in the redwoods – exercise and stress reduction are just a couple. Nice weather is good motivation to get active in nature and kick-start the healthy habits that went into …

Hiking the James Irvine Trail in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.

Redwood forests – no cell phones!

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It is all the rage! New York Times columnist Nick Bilton writes this week that a founder of Pinterest “drive[s] until cell service drops off (yes, this is possible) and spend[s] the weekend engaged with all things analog. . .”. …

Sun through the redwoods. Photo by parmsongs, Flickr Creative Commons

The Healing Power of Redwoods

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“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 …

Another Side of Cemex

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This week I explored Cemex Redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains with my colleagues.  I’d been there many times, but this time felt different because I walked into corners of the expansive property that I hadn’t seen before. During my …

Spring is coming!

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Punxsutawney Phil predicts spring will come early this year. As much fun as it is to trust the behavior of a charismatic groundhog, I also love searching for my own signs of spring a little closer to home. Wildflowers are …

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 …

Rain drops glisten on a fence post after winter rain.

Bracing for Rain

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For millennia the redwoods have stood tall, facing west as they look out across the vast Pacific Ocean—an ocean that brings fog in the summer and rain in the winter.  Earlier this week the first storm of the season rolled …

Swimming beneath the redwoods at the Garden Club of America Grove

Heralding Summer’s End among the Redwoods

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Albee Creek campground in Humboldt Redwoods State Park was full over the Labor Day weekend. Clustered around each fire ring were happy faces enjoying the end of summer and start of fall.  Each year for the past four years, I’ve …

Rowan and Emerson walking down the trail.

The Redwood Forest: A Prescription for Kids, Adults

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Last week up in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park I overheard two young boys: “Daddy, can I take a photo of the creek?” His older brother commented, “I don’t need a camera, I’m going to take a photo with my …