10 nerdy cool things about redwoods
onHelp connect kids to redwoods from afar by teaching them fun redwood forest facts – starting with these 10 neat facts you may not know about the redwoods.
Fall Rains Bring Forest Mushrooms
onWith all these wonderful rainy days the forests are probably bursting at the seams with mushrooms. Some mushrooms, like the bright scarlet waxy cap or the colorful coral fungus, immediately draw your attention as they poke up out of the …
Allyson Carroll: Decoding History Hidden in Redwoods
onDendrochronologist Allyson Carroll has decoded centuries of history hidden in giant sequoias and coast redwoods, thanks to the League’s research grants program and our members’ support.
What’s So Cool About Cones?
onDuring a recent hike in the Berkeley hills with a friend, the topic of cones came up. There is an activity I like to do with students to teach them about cones: I bring in a small redwood cone and …
A Strange and Wonderful Mystery Forest
onGuest bloggers Doug and Joanne Schwartz – League members and dedicated volunteers – are serving this summer as our Redwood Explorers-in-Residence, exploring the northern parks, and ground-truthing and mapping the groves of ancient forest they find. Along the way, they’re …
Exploring One of Nature’s Weird Phenomena
onAs you may have read in their recent blog, Doug and Joanne Schwartz – League members and dedicated volunteers – are serving this summer as our Redwood Explorers-in-Residence, exploring the northern parks, and ground-truthing and mapping the groves of ancient …
Bird’s Nest Fungus in the Forest
onThis fall and winter has definitely been a dry one for us here in California. One thing I’ve noticed is that with limited rainfall comes fewer mushrooms. I have always associated the rainy fall with prime mushroom time. I love …
My “Best of” List for 2013
onAs 2013 comes to a close, it’s that time again for the “best of” lists to come out. You know—the best movies of the year, the best music, etc. Since I started my job here at Save the Redwoods League …
The Secret of the Long-Horned Beetle
onWe have probably all seen squirrels running around with a seed in tow, looking for the perfect place to bury their food for the winter. Some of these seeds do get eaten later, and some are forgotten and eventually grow …
Seen Sorrel Cry?
onThey were perfectly placed drops of water on the outer edge of each redwood sorrel (Oxalis oregana) leaflet. At first, I thought that I was just seeing drops of fog that had not yet evaporated. Then, I realized that these …
Humboldt’s Original Skunk Weed
onIt smells a little skunky along the trail. Did a fellow hiker light up a joint ahead of you or it could be a botanical wonder of the coast redwoods and beyond?! Skunk cabbage emerges early in the year in …
A Rare Plant Inhabits the Forest – Or Does It?
onIt was a beautiful day for a hike along Peters Creek. The ancient forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains was in full bloom; chattering woodpeckers, the tumbling creek, giant redwood and Douglas fir trees all begged for acknowledgement and appreciation. …
Secret Life of Ferns
onFerns are under-appreciated, despite the fact that as a group they have more than 12,000 species worldwide and their lineage is even older than the redwoods! Maybe I’m a fern nerd (well, no maybe about it actually), but I can’t …
I Smell Cyanide!
onThe fantastic yellow-spotted millipede, Harpaphe haydeniana, roams freely through the coast redwood forest. Often found crawling in the duff on the forest floor, H. Haydeniana is multi-legged invertebrate that demands respect. When it senses danger, this millepede curls up in a ball …
Finding Patterns in the Redwoods: It’s Easy as 1, 1, 2, 3…
onNature’s patterns are everywhere. Sometimes they’re obvious – we mammals, for instance, almost always have five fingers and five toes on each hand and foot. Sometimes these patterns aren’t nearly so apparent, but they’re still there nonetheless. The Fibonacci sequence …
Trillium is toxic!
onHave you ever seen this stunning flower in the redwood forest? It is a Giant Wake Robin, or Trillium chloropetalum, and was recently seen blooming in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Spring is coming!
onPunxsutawney 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 …
Exploring the Mysteries of Redwood Burls
onWe’ve all seen them—those enormous growths from the trunks or bases of redwood trees, sometimes covered in new sprouts, sometimes appearing to drip down the side of the tree like the molten remnants of a lost limb. These strange formations …
Redwood Sorrel Sun Salutations
onEver wonder why redwood sorrel (Oxalis oregano) leaves appear to wilt in the sun? The leaves fold downwards when sun flecks shine onto patches of this tiny plant that carpets the coast redwood forest floor. This is a protective response …
Do salamanders bark in the woods?
onEvery time I talk to a researcher who works in the redwood region, I learn something that makes my jaw drop. It happened again just a few days ago when I was speaking with Prof. David Wake of U.C. Berkeley. …