Building upon our founders’ dream of protecting and enhancing redwood parks, the League is now engaged in a wide range of activities — from saving threatened redwood landscapes and restoring forests, to upgrading park amenities, expanding education and interpretative programs, and finding new ways to benefit parks and visitors. One such project is under way at Limekiln State Park.
If anything is lacking in Neal Youngblood’s life, it isn’t a professional challenge. As a geologist for Redwood National Park, Youngblood supervises logging road retirement. In terms of restoration of the region’s essential natural systems, there is no job that …
It had always been Rick Sermon’s dream to bring the joy of a greenhouse and nursery to his workplace. Sermon saved that task for just before his retirement. Before that, he had one last thing to take care of as …
Your generous gifts enabled Save the Redwoods League to purchase Shady Dell and plan its restoration. Now we’re working to open its wonders to you. But first Shady Dell needs work. Logging in the 1800s, 1950s and 1980s damaged this landscape. Before logging, this land embraced giant redwoods, clear streams and diverse, native plants and animals, including now-imperiled salmon, northern spotted owls and birds called marbled murrelets. These animals depend on ancient forest habitat. Our vision is to help restore the forest features they need.
A recent discovery has been making headlines around the world: Trees don’t grow more slowly as they get older as was previously assumed. Rather, the older the tree, the faster it bulks up! This rapid growth in old age is …
Your gifts have been essential in our process of purchasing and protecting from further development the Orick Mill Site, which includes 45 acres of pavement in the heart of ancient redwood habitat (pictured). You can help remove this pavement to return this site to the surrounding forest.
Thanks to your gifts, California State Parks reinstalled a seasonal bridge across the Eel River, restoring visitor access for the first time in three years to 61 stunning redwoods campsites at Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area (external link). The bridge also allows access to the giant Standish tree, miles of forest trails, a sparkling swimming hole and day-use parking. The bridge and campground are open, so go enjoy the magnificent redwoods at Standish-Hickey and know that you made a difference here. Thank you!
Restoration efforts are underway at remote and wild Cape Vizcaino, a property in Mendocino County sheltering old-growth redwood forest, grasslands, chaparral and beautiful, rugged coastline. The forest here was formerly managed for logging and ranching. Now, guided by an ecologically-minded forest management plan, the League and our partners are poised to begin healing this land. Learn more about the restoration efforts at Cape Vizcaino.
Unless we take care of the land and waterways around Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, the amazing 2,000 year-old giants at Stout Grove and other parts of the park will suffer. The streams running through the Mill Creek property just south of the park should nurture Stout Grove and imperiled salmon, but they’ve been damaged by 100 years of logging. See how Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks are restoring Mill Creek’s waterways.
It can be a long, winding even stressful drive to Stout Grove in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park at the northernmost tip of California. But it only takes moments to be completely at peace here. Step into this cathedral-like stand, and you’ll gaze upon immense redwood columns rising to a canopy that filters the sunlight. A thick carpet of needles and ferns traps every sound, creating remarkable silence.
We thinned and restored dense forest to reduce fire risk and prepared the Beaver Creek property for transfer to Calaveras Big Trees State Park. The League also installed fencing to mark the new park boundary. This property will buffer Calaveras’ amazing giant sequoias.
Cleanup of a remote property that Save the Redwoods League purchased has protected endangered California condors, thanks to our members. A helicopter recently removed 24 loads of refuse, each weighing up to 4,000 pounds, from the property acquired in 2010 for addition to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
A reserve harboring some of the world’s tallest trees is easier to find and enjoy, thanks to our members. In November 2010, Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks finished the first $340,000 phase of improvements at Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve (pictured), including new signage, improved parking facilities, new accessible restrooms and picnic tables under the giant trees. The work resulted from an extensive environmental design and review process to make the reserve more accessible while reducing impacts to the trees, creek and the forest landscape.
Trails in Portola Redwoods State Park were cleared and widened this summer, thanks to our members and a grant from Save the Redwoods League. The $30,000 grant enabled six high school student volunteers and two leaders to clear fallen trees (pictured), widen a trail for people with disabilities, remove poison oak, rebuild a fence and install a retaining wall. The grant supported the crew from the Student Conservation Association, which fosters career development in land conservation and resource management.
All gifts matched up to $100,000 for ‘O Rew Redwoods Gateway!
