In February, Oregon’s Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to reclassify the marbled murrelet from threatened to endangered. The vote is good news, considering that murrelets have lost an estimated 78,600 acres of nesting habitat in Oregon since 1993. By some models cited by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the species risks an 80 percent chance of extinction by 2060 in certain parts of the state.
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California condors have been absent from the Pacific Northwest for over a century. But the Yurok tribe — whose ancestors lived along the Klamath River in Northern California — still revere and celebrate them. The sight of a condor flying over the redwoods has been erased from living memory, and, as tribe chairman Thomas P. O’Rourke told Audubon last March, “His absence is a hole in our hearts.”
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The Orick Mill Site, a 125-acre property in the Prairie Creek Scenic Corridor, was a top priority for acquisition by the League for a long time. It’s not hard to see why: the property is nestled between the most iconic redwood groves in the world — the groves of Redwood National and State Parks. But land acquisitions — and the resulting changes in land management — are complicated affairs, especially if you happen to be a herd of Roosevelt elk.
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A few years ago, Justine Smith, a researcher with the Santa Cruz Puma Project, observed an interesting pattern; in human-populated areas, mountain lions killed more prey but spent less time feeding. Researchers weren’t sure why, but they suspected it had to do with lions’ fear of people.
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It’s estimated that about 150 species go extinct per day, so it is always exciting news when a new species is discovered! This spring, we learned about a new mammal found in the coastal redwood range called Humboldt’s flying squirrel.
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Hoping to catch a glimpse of the various wild animals living on and passing through the Orick Mill Site, Save the Redwoods League set up multiple wildlife cameras – and we found some incredible species on the property.
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After disappearing from the Pacific Northwest over a century ago, wild California condors may once again find ample nesting, breeding, and foraging habitat in the redwood range.
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Did you know that the California Legislature named the coast redwood as California’s official state tree on April 3, 1937? In honor of our magnificent redwoods, we’ve created an infographic to show just some of the ways that redwoods support people and wildlife.
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Warning: this topic is gruesome, and awesome. Last week, Land Project Manager Christine Aralia and I walked the Orick Mill Site with Texas State researcher Butch Weckerly. Butch has studied the Roosevelt elk in Redwood National and State Parks since 1997, witnessing local extinctions and population explosions of the elk over the years…
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For many years, selective thinning has been considered a potential tool for accelerating old-growth forest characteristics in the dense stands of young trees that typically cover harvested redwood lands. Now, research by the US Forest Service has confirmed the wisdom of thinning, or removing select trees to reduce competition in a stand. Learn more about this research.
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With recreational marijuana legal in Colorado and Washington and medicinal marijuana available in 23 states and the District of Columbia, marijuana is here to stay. And, more of the marijuana on the U.S. market comes from California than any other … Continued
As surprising as it may seem, the shaded areas on park maps indicating different kinds of habitat and vegetation do not always reflect the reality “on the ground.” This is true for Redwood National and State Parks, which contains a … Continued
There are certain animals in the redwood forest that easily call attention to themselves. The banana slug is bright yellow, the Pacific giant salamander barks, the spotted owl hoots, and the yellow-spotted centipede has distinctive yellow spots on the sides … Continued
This is only my second Mother’s Day as a mom myself, and it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays! I love the idea of having a special Mother’s Day tradition that I can do with my family for years to come. And, even better … Continued
Today, I’m pleased to announce another redwoods conservation success in the Santa Cruz Mountains! Save the Redwoods League and our Living Landscape Initiative (LLI) partner, Sempervirens Fund, have protected an old-growth gem with tremendous potential for public access. The Van … Continued
Did you know that Earth Day is the world’s largest civic observance? Every year, it’s celebrated by more than a billion people in 192 countries. On Earth Day, I like to take some time to simply appreciate the natural beauty … Continued
Last week, I wrote about the value of bringing kids to the redwoods. A family trip to the redwoods can be such an incredible gift to children, creating lifelong memories and a connection with nature that can improve life in … Continued
What are your fondest childhood memories? It’s often the small moments we share with loved ones, like sitting around a campfire and watching the stars, that stick with us for life. And you don’t have to shell out the big … Continued
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 … Continued
Over the past few months here at the League we have been inspired by photos captured of wildlife on the CEMEX Redwoods property in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Motion-activated wildlife cameras called “camera traps” are set up throughout the property, … Continued
