history

Three women in aprons stand with three young girls in dresses in front of a wooden structure, circa late 1800s/early 1900s.

Spooky redwoods ghost town remains “a presence”

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Imagine 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 …

Adults plant a tree as dozens of schoolchildren watch in 1908.

Happy Arbor Day. What is it?

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Ask 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 …

The Stagg Tree is the fifth largest known tree in the world. Photo by Max Forster, Save the Redwoods League

Alder Creek History

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A Legacy of Giant Sequoia Protection Giant sequoias are legends in the Sierra forests both for their enormity and centuries of endurance. In the conservation community, they are legendary as well: The effort to protect these extraordinary trees laid the …

Black and white photo of a forest next to a dry creek, with hikers in the distance

War stories from the 1960s redwoods conservation movement

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Photographer 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.

Coastal fog in redwood forest, dawn

Why Are There Few Black Voices in Redwoods Conservation?

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The 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.

Logging Miles on the Travel Log

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National 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.”

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.

New Exhibit Showcases 100 Years of League, Redwoods History

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At 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.

There is nothing better than exposing a student to nature in a way that will have a lasting positive impact.

Happy Environmental Education Week!

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It’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 …

Here at the League, we love learning about the forest! Photo of RCCI researcher collecting data, by Steve Sillett.

Top 5 Fascinating Redwoods Facts

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It’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.: Conservation leader, parks pioneer, and Save the Redwoods League Councillor and collaborator.

Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. and the League

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I’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. …

Save the Redwoods ladies, 1918. Photo courtesy of Humboldt Historical Society.

How Did the League Help Start the State Parks System?

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With 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 …

View at Stewarts Point Ranch.

Listen to an Oral History of Stewarts Point

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Stewarts 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 …