Harold Biswell’s fight for prescribed fire in California
onHow a pioneering fire scientist risked his professional reputation to promote prescribed burning in California’s forests.
Spooky redwoods ghost town remains “a presence”
onImagine a quintessential ghost town: Tumbleweeds rolling down a dusty main street, a saloon door creaking in the dry prairie wind. The Falk ghost town was something else entirely—a damp and eerie outpost shrouded in the mists of Northern California’s …
Happy Arbor Day. What is it?
onAsk the average person to define Arbor Day, and a likely response is, “It’s something to do with trees.” While Arbor Day isn’t the most popular holiday in America, it’s been celebrated in the nation since April 10, 1872, when …
War stories from the 1960s redwoods conservation movement
onPhotographer and activist Dave Van de Mark helped to establish Redwood National Park by documenting the story of the forest. 50 years later, he is photographing the same places he helped to protect, in a stunning reflection on 50 years of transformation in the forest.
‘Discovery’ of dawn redwoods sparked controversy at the time
on“Discovery” of dawn redwoods sparked controversy among scientists
Why Are There Few Black Voices in Redwoods Conservation?
onThe more we learn about the cultural context of the early 20th-century conservation movement, the better we understand how the racist and classist beliefs and practices of the era created systemic impacts on today’s conservation and outdoor recreation.
Reckoning with the League Founders’ Eugenics Past
onSave the Redwoods League has long disavowed our founders’ connections to eugenics. We now publicly acknowledge that piece of our history.
Logging Miles on the Travel Log
onNational Public Radio tells the story: “From 1917-1921, Kellogg took his Travel Log on the road. He drove it across the country four times, coast to coast, bringing word of the redwoods to people who had never heard, let alone imagined, there could be such trees. He spoke of the accelerated logging taking place in the redwood forests, made impassionate pleas for the trees’ preservation, and spread the word about a fledgling organization looking for members. It was called the Save the Redwoods League.”
Sustaining Grandeur Exhibition at The Bancroft Library
onMarking the 100th anniversary of the founding of Save the Redwoods League, Sustaining Grandeur is a free, collaborative exhibition between The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and the League. The spring exhibition explores the organization’s first century …
New Exhibit Showcases 100 Years of League, Redwoods History
onAt the university’s Bancroft Library, the exhibit, Sustaining Grandeur: The First 100 Years of Save the Redwoods League, features letters from presidents of the United States and First Ladies, historical photos of coast redwoods and giant sequoia, artifacts and films from the past century, and much more.
Happy Environmental Education Week!
onIt’s National Environmental Education Week, and that means we’re celebrating all the wonderful schools and organizations around the world who work to connect youths and their families to the natural world. In my own experience growing up, I was fortunate …
Top 5 Fascinating Redwoods Facts
onIt’s National Environmental Education Week! This week is a celebration of environmental education and a special time to inspire learning and stewardship among students. I can’t say enough about how important outdoor education is to complete the circle of land …
Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and the League
onI’ll be speaking at the Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. Symposium at Stanford University today, on a panel about parks along with California State Parks Director Major General Anthony Jackson and Jack London State Historic Park Executive Director Tjiska Van Wyk. …
How Did the League Help Start the State Parks System?
onWith California State Parks’ 150th anniversary just around the corner, it seems like a good time to reflect on the League’s role in shaping State Parks and to look back at our shared history. Since its inception in 1918, the …
Listen to an Oral History of Stewarts Point
onStewarts Point Ranch, a property we own and protect in northern Sonoma County, has a long and interesting history. The Richardson family settled at Stewarts Point in the 1860’s. Recently, a wonderful oral history project called “The Story Shed” interviewed …