stewardship

Photo by Andrew Slack

Notes from the North: Crossing the Bridge

by Andrew Slack on

Bob grinned as he confirmed to us that in fact, we would be crossing the bridge. “Weren’t you warned? It’s the only way across. Move slow, stay on the left, and you’ll be fine.” After Bob climbed onto the first plank, his dogs jumped past him and trotted fearlessly across the bridge. We followed and separated ourselves to ease the stress on the old cables and limit any swaying. The milky-emerald water of the Mattole River rushed below, overflowing from recent storms.

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Fire-suppressed sequoia grove – note the large fire scar on the giant sequoia on the right.

Managing for Fire

by Anthony Castaños on

Through thoughtful stewardship practices, the ways we seek to emulate aspects of the natural state of the forest can also work in conjunction with how we manage forestland into the future.

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Conservationists Hike 1,230 Miles of California Coast to Foster Spirit of Stewardship

by Redwoods Reporter on

Hikers along the California Coastal Trail in Del Norte County have begun to mistake Morgan Visalli and Jocelyn Enevoldsen for twins. If you ignore Visalli’s blonde hair and Enevoldsen’s dark brunette braids and pay attention to the color spectrum that radiates around them, you can see it too. They wear matching turquoise rain coats, handkerchiefs, and socks.

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When We Can’t See the Trees for the Forest

by Joanne and Doug Schwartz on

Guest 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 documenting the many … Continued

SCA crew, and their California State Parks supervisor.

Historic Redwood Grove Gets TLC Through Team Effort

by Sam Hodder on

Have you ever thought about what it takes to take care of protected land at the landscape scale? Most of us don’t manage areas of land much greater than our own backyards — it’s difficult to think on the scale … Continued

Bennett Juniper is quite large! Our property caretaker is standing to the right of the tree.

Caring for One of the Oldest Living Trees in the World

by Jessica Inwood on

Out in Tuolumne County, near the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River, is a Western juniper tree known as the Bennett Juniper. It is estimated to be somewhere between 2,000 and 6,000 years old, and some botanists think it may … Continued

Celebrating National Trails Day

by Sam Hodder on

I talk a lot about the importance of parks and wild places, the beautiful scenery and interesting wildlife they contain, but this week I’m putting the spotlight on one of my favorite features of our open spaces: trails. My appreciation … Continued

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

Top 5 Fascinating Redwoods Facts

by Sam Hodder on

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 … Continued

My colleague Richard Campbell tries to make his way uphill through the thick brush.

Protecting Our Land Through Restoration

by Jessica Inwood on

During my annual monitoring visit to one of our lands, I noticed thick brush growing up around the redwood forest. Something would need to be done about it! California’s drought has brought dry conditions that create an increased chance for … Continued

Since 1918, Save the Redwoods League has safeguarded special places, including the pictured Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve.

What Is Our Land Ethic?

by Sam Hodder on

Like many in the land conservation arena, I often use the term “land ethic” in discussing the vision and work of Save the Redwoods League and our partners.  As the League approaches its 100th anniversary, I’ve been thinking a lot … Continued

What Do the Winter Olympics and Redwoods Have in Common?

by Sam Hodder on

Well, they’re both part of a rapidly-changing world. It’s more than a little scary to watch the Winter Olympics this year and see the bare, snowless mountains in the background and the spectators in T-shirts lining the race courses. Scarier … Continued

Sixth graders in LandPaths' environmental education program work to restore the redwood forest.

Students Learn About Restoration

by Deborah Zierten on

On a cold December morning, I arrived at Rancho Mark West in Sonoma County to the sight of twenty-two sixth graders huddled in a circle beneath towering redwood trees. They were listening silently as their instructors explained how they were … Continued

It’s part of my job to walk our conservation easement properties at least once a year to keep an eye on things.

Conservation Easements, Part 2: Monitoring and Enforcement

by Jessica Inwood on

Last month, I explained the nuts and bolts of conservation easements, a super important tool in land conservation and one that we at Save the Redwoods League use often. This month, you can learn about what happens next: monitoring and … Continued

The Future of Redwood Conservation

by Sam Hodder on

Much has been said about the importance of old-growth redwood forests. Their superlative beauty, their mind-bending longevity, their capacity to sequester carbon, and their ability to inspire peace, awe, and contemplation are all reasons why our commitment to their protection … Continued

Conservation easements can permanently protect privately-owned properties like this one. Photo by Paolo Vescia.

What IS a Conservation Easement, Anyway?

by Jessica Inwood on

Conservation easements are an incredibly important tool we use to help protect land. They can be confusing to understand, so my next few blogs will focus on different aspects of conservation easements to explain the concept and show why land … Continued

One Way to Manage and Protect a Forest: Burn It

by Jessica Inwood on

Lately we have been thinking a lot about fire. It is fire season in California and sadly huge fires in the west are making headlines with their destructive activity. So, we’ve been discussing ways to decrease these devastating forest fires. … Continued

View at Stewarts Point Ranch.

Listen to an Oral History of Stewarts Point

by Jessica Inwood on

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 … Continued

Eel River at Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area.

I Support Team Standish

by Richard Campbell on

Standing on the bank of the Eel River, surrounded by local volunteers describing the park as the ‘lifeblood of the community,’ it’s hard to believe that Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area almost didn’t make it.  Despite its well-developed trail and campground … Continued

Technology can be a useful tool in protecting our forests.

Nature + Technology = Fact Finding and Fun!

by Jessica Inwood on

As our Stewardship Manager, I enjoy regular visits to our magnificent properties for a variety of reasons—checking that roads are clear for an upcoming tour, overseeing the demolition of a structure, investigating any issues with trespassers, checking for invasive species, … Continued

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