redwood canopy

The Forest in the Trees by Connie McLennan

The Forest in the Trees: A Children’s Book about the Redwood Canopy

on

I have always lived within a hundred miles of the redwoods—though in northern California, 100 miles “as the crow flies” often means 200 miles of driving, some on tortuous coastal or mountain roads. I grew up in Yreka, California, where …

From the top of the canopy looking down. Photo by Stephen Sillett, Institute for Redwood Ecology, Humboldt State University

Forest Canopies of the World

on

High up in the canopy of an old growth forest, there exists an extraordinary world hardly known to most of us on earth. For centuries, people have admired the sheer size of redwood trunks and appreciated the bounty of ferns and sorrel that carpet the forest floor. We have cherished the rare silence that envelopes the trees and relished in the beauty of sunlight filtering through the underside of the canopy. Yet, the intricate world at the top of the trees remained a mystery until the late twentieth century, with the advent of canopy exploration.

View of the coast redwood canopy. Photo by Stephen Sillett

BioBlitz is Here!

on

The 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, …

Will wandering salamanders be among the creatures found in the canopy during the BioBlitz? Photo by Dan Portik

BioBlitz at Muir Woods: What Will We Find in the Canopy?

on

The 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 …

Redwood Canopy – A Research Frontier

on

Humans have walked through the redwood forest for millennia, but we first journeyed into the redwood canopy mere decades ago. Recent advances in climbing technology now enable canopy researchers to safely access the highest reaches of the redwood tree tops …

Crown‐mapping involves measurements of heights, diameters, distances, and azimuths of all branches. Here Jim Spickler (left) extends a steel tape to measure the horizontal extension of a dead branch while Bob Van Pelt (right) records the measurement. Photo by Stephen Sillett, Institute for Redwood Ecology, Humboldt State University

Countdown to BioBlitz!

on

In 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 …

Epiphytic mushrooms and moss growing on a redwood branch. Photo by Steve Sillett

Epiphyte Heaven!

on

I think I first really learned the meaning of the word “epiphyte” while working in the rainforest of Ecuador. There are epiphytes all over the trees in the tropical rainforest – one of the most famous  is the orchid. But …

Redwood canopy.

Walking in the Shadows

on

Yesterday, I wandered through Muir Woods National Monument looking up at the redwood canopy on a perfectly warm, late summer afternoon. I didn’t wander alone, I shared the paths with many park visitors, staff and volunteers from the Monument and …