New research illuminates climate vulnerability and resilience of world’s tallest trees
onRedwoods throughout the range are showing effects of drought and climate change.
Research from Save the Redwoods League and Humboldt State University Confirms Significant Role of Redwood Forests in California’s Climate Fight
onPolicymakers in California and all over the world are exploring the potential of natural solutions to the climate change crisis, particularly the role forests play in storing carbon in their wood as they grow. Recent findings bolster research confirming massive carbon storage in old-growth redwood forests and potential of younger, previously logged forests.
What Does the UN’s Report on Massive Species Extinction Rates Mean for the Redwoods?
onIn the most comprehensive assessment of its kind, the United Nations (UN) paints a bleak picture, describing a future in which 1 million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction — unless we make transformative changes now.
Discovering the Climate Change Resilience of Coast Redwood Forests
onAfter a decade studying the impacts of climate change throughout redwood forests, Emily Burns, PhD, and Stephen Sillett, PhD, share new insight into how coast redwood trees are growing today. See the remarkable new findings about second-growth forests.
“Best of” List for 2017
onAs 2017 comes to a close, it’s that time again for the “best of” lists to come out. Best movies of the year, best music, etc. So here is my own “best of” list for the past year.
An Earth Day for Science
onThis year’s Earth Day theme was focused on environmental and climate literacy, which means that we need to make sure everyone is educated on the impacts of climate change on our planet and the actions we can take to protect and sustain our environment.
Future Coastal Climate Not Cool for Redwood Forests
onIn a study published in the research journal Global Change Biology, climate scientists from the University of California and NatureServe conclude that a warmer future with normal rainfall on California’s coast will leave coast redwoods south of San Francisco Bay with significantly different climate than they have experienced for decades.
New Study Provides Coast Redwood Climate Forecast
onUnderstanding how climate change impacts the world’s tallest forest is like assembling an incredibly large jigsaw puzzle; the full picture emerges slowly, one piece at time. But occasionally, a critical piece falls into place…
Redwood Weather
onRCCI researcher Wendy Baxter describes below why we are tracking weather in the woods: Monitoring the local weather and long-term climate is an integral part of the Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative (RCCI). Beginning in 2011, scientists from UC …
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 …
BioBlitzing with students!
onOn March 28th, over 4,000 visitors and volunteer scientists arrived at Muir Woods National Monument ready to learn, discover, and explore this absolutely amazing redwood forest. Thousands more visited the Crissy Field Center for the Biodiversity Festival. Whether or not …
Parks, Planet, Pavement: Redwood Highlights of 2013
onWhile many year-end lists will highlight the accomplishments of 2013, for Save the Redwoods League, the year is best reflected with three major highlights. Together these stories speak of the focus and commitment of the League and its partners, the unique …
On the edge: Eastern redwoods
onI recently drove eastward through the many vineyards of the Napa Valley in search of coast redwoods living on the species’ eastern boundary. Given how widespread redwoods used to be on planet Earth, the edges of the natural redwood range today …
A Redwood of a Blog: How the Giant Trees Grow
onRCCI’s nursery experiments and tree ring analyses are essential to understanding the past and future of the redwood forest, but it is the trees themselves that tell us about its present. By establishing 16 large plots in old-growth forests throughout …
Dendrochronology: The Glue that Binds RCCI
onThe first phase of the Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative was based upon understanding how past climate has affected the ancient redwood and giant sequoia forests. To do this, the research teams relied upon the science of dendrochronology: the analysis of …
Climate change is good for the redwoods…But is it climate change and is it good?
onI’ve spent much of the past week thinking about our Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative, and what our recent results mean for the future of the redwood forest. As with any good scientific research, the first phase of RCCI raised far …
Climate Change Discoveries Make Media Splash
onYou may have heard about the surprising discoveries of the League’s Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative (RCCI) program, which drew unprecedented media coverage yesterday. Did you see the coverage in the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News, the …
Ferns in the Redwood Canopy
onIn last week’s blog, I described my climb into a large double redwood to help Steve Sillett and his team make measurements for our Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative. While up in this tree, I was suspended alongside enormous fern …
200 Feet Up a Redwood
onHarness cinched. Helmet buckled. Camera and notebook tucked in tightly. Knowing this was one of the last days this spring to collect coast redwood canopy data, we scurried up climbing ropes into the leafy forest canopy of Del Norte County. …
Sequoias Suddenly Snowless
onI fastened on my snowshoes and set off for a wintertime hike among the giant sequoias. I quickly realized the snow in the forest was patchy at best and completely melted at worst, and it’s only March! It was shocking …