Loss of giant sequoia highlights need for action on wildfires
onYou can help us protect giant sequoia from severe wildfire.
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Threatened and endangered wildlife in the redwoods
onAs controversy erupted in recent months over the protected status of the northern spotted owl in the Pacific Northwest, it was another reminder that California’s coast redwood and giant sequoia forests play host to many threatened and endangered wildlife species. … Continued
Creating a fire-ready future for redwoods
onAlthough the losses of last year’s fire season were unprecedented, they were also the latest in a series of high-fire years fueled by misguided forest management, climate change, and drought. And it is now clear that coast redwood and giant … Continued
San Vicente Redwoods is green with new growth
onSan Vicente Redwoods bounces back following CZU Complex fire
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League plants giant sequoia seedlings on severely burned ridge at Alder Creek
onLeague planted giant sequoia seedlings in an area of Alder Creek hit heavily by fire
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Reimagining Big Basin Redwoods
onPost-fire update and images from Big Basin Redwoods State Park, eight months after the CZU Lightning Complex fire
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New bill would commit state to more prescribed and cultural burning
onNew bill would commit state to more prescribed and cultural burning
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Video: Fire impacts at Alder Creek
onvideo of fire impacts at Alder Creek
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Wildfire action plan unveiled in response to record-breaking fire season
onstate unveils new fire action plan
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Donors Worldwide Contribute $543,000 to Big Basin Redwoods State Park Recovery Following 2020 Wildfires
onSave the Redwoods League today announced the completion of the purchase of Cascade Creek, a 564-acre property between Big Basin Redwoods and Año Nuevo State Parks. The $9.6 million project — including both land acquisition, closing and initial stewardship costs — marks a keystone connection for protected habitat from the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. It also advances the League’s goal of protecting the last of the old-growth redwood forest as identified in their 2018 Centennial Vision for Redwoods Conservation.
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Fire Recovery at the Core of New Parks Effort
onThe fire at Big Basin Redwoods State Park made headlines around the world, but it was far from the only redwood park to burn. Sadly, each of the parks forced to close by fire had only recently been reopened following the state’s COVID-19 stay-home order.
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How Will Redwoods Fare Under Wildfires in a Changing Climate?
onIn the giant sequoia range, roughly 16,000 acres (or 34 percent of the range) had burned, most of which is old growth. We have yet to assess the fire effects on the ground, but as with most modern wildfires, there will likely be a mix of beneficial and detrimental ecological effects.
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After the fire: Big Basin Redwoods State Park
onIt’s been about three months since fire swept through Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and we thought we’d check in on this remarkable coast redwood forest. As we’ve discussed, most of the redwoods will be OK. In the video, you can see the famed Mother of the Forest Tree, charred but still living and surviving. In all, fascinating to see a resilient forest evolve.
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Soberanes Fire Burns in the Redwood Region
onAt the time of writing, the Soberanes Fire has burned over 60,000 acres in Monterey County and is about 45% contained. The fire area covers much of Garrapata State Park, a scenic and rugged redwoods park at the southern end of the coast redwood range. We don’t yet know whether, or to what extent, the park’s redwood groves are suffering damage; and while the primary concern is for the well-being of nearby human communities, it’s interesting to consider the implications of fires like this in the redwood forest.
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Re-Sprouting After Fire
onLast weekend, while I was hiking in the forests of Northern California with strong winds and thunder and lightning storms, I was reminded that we are entering fire season. While the thought of forest fires often stir fear in us … Continued
Ferns Flush First after Fire
onOn October 14th last year, a wildfire burned four acres of coast redwood forest at Roy’s Redwoods Preserve in Western Marin. Despite this fire blazing after many cumulative months of dry weather, fire fighters quickly contained the burn and only … Continued
Fierce Fires Pose Threats to Forests, Water
onIt’s fire season again. Last week, the local news reported on a 2,500-acre fire in Napa County, just east of the redwood range and Save the Redwoods League’s property near Bothe-Napa State Park. As I’ve mentioned before in previous blogs, … Continued
Harvesting Timber for Forest Protection
onThere is a sad paradox to much of my work as a forester. I became a forester because I love the forest, yet much of my work requires me to kill trees. No matter what the larger goal is for … Continued
Protecting Our Land Through Restoration
onDuring 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
Burning Cape Vizcaino
onThe view from the picnic table was grand to be sure, the blue infinities of sea and sky meeting where the distant fog gathered offshore (and coastal fog, when you think about it, really is the perfect blend of the … Continued