wildlife

The red-bellied newt (Taricha rivularis)

Newts: Charismatic Creatures of the Redwood Forest

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If you decide to venture into the redwoods on a rainy day, you may be rewarded with the pleasure of crossing paths with one of the redwood forest’s most charismatic creatures – newts! There are three species of newts that can be found in the coast redwood forest, and they love to make an appearance during wet weather.

Wildlife Wonders: Cameras Find Forests Teeming with Life

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The League’s wildlife cams at Cape Vizcaino (Cape Viz) in Mendocino County caught animals in action playing, prancing, grazing, and generally doing what animals do. The property provides habitat to a variety of wildlife including (but certainly not limited to) American black bears, ospreys, black tailed deer, and pumas living among stands of old-growth coast redwoods, grasslands, chaparral, and a scenic, rugged coastline.

Discovering Wildlife at Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve

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This summer, the League protected Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve, the largest old-growth redwood forest remaining in private lands. Many wild animals call the property home, including northern spotted owls, Townsend’s big-eared bats, foothill yellow-legged frogs, and Sonoma red tree voles!

Marbled murrelet is listed as "Endangered." Photo by Tim Lenz, Flickr Creative Commons

The Endangered Species Act

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The Endangered Species Act was signed into law in 1973, and is a bedrock statute in land protection and conservation. The intention of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is to prevent wildlife species extinction, help imperiled species recover, and support …

Marbled murrelet is listed as "Endangered." Photo by Tim Lenz, Flickr Creative Commons

The Endangered Species Act is Endangered

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The Department of the Interior is working to revise regulatory language in the ESA. The alarming proposal would allow for the analysis of economic impacts when considering listing species or considering protections — a reversal of the current statute.

New Protections for the Mysterious Marbled Murrelet

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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.

The California condor is listed as "Critically Endangered." Pacific Southwest Region USFWS, Flickr Creative Commons

A Second California Condor Comeback is on the Horizon

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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.”

Roosevelt elk on the Orick Mill site.

A Lesson in Ecology from the Roosevelt Elk

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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.

A glimpse of a mountain lion caught by wildlife cameras on the San Vicente property.

A Mountain Lion’s Perspective: Humans are Terrifying

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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.

Humboldt's flying squirrel. Photo by Nick Kerhoulas

New Species Discovered: Humboldt Flying Squirrel

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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.

Black bear caught on wildlife camera at Orick Mill site.

Wildlife Wonders: Caught On Camera

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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.

California condor. Photo by Mike's Birds, Flickr Creative Commons

California Condor to Soar in the Redwoods Once More

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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.

Infographic describes the benefits that redwoods provide for people and wildlife.

Infographic Shows How Redwoods Help People and Wildlife

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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.

Amazing (and Grisly) Wildlife Day at Orick Mill Site

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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…

A study found that thinned areas supported higher populations of prey species for the endangered northern spotted owl (pictured) and the rare Humboldt marten.

Thinning Stands Boosts Wildlife Diversity

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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.

Montgomery Woods

Illegal Marijuana Farms Threaten Redwoods

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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 …

Coastal Trail, Skunk Cabbage Section, Redwood National Park, CA

Learn What You Know and Don’t Know

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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 …

A Pacific sideband found at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Snails Play Cupid with “Love Darts”

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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 …

Calypso orchid. Photo by Justin Rohde, Flickr Creative Commons

Happy Mother’s Day!

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As a mom myself, 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 than those lovely Mother’s Day bouquets are the blossoms you find among the redwoods, and spring is the perfect time to see them.

Santa Mountains Old-Growth. Photo by Paolo Vescia

Conservation Success in the Santa Cruz Mountains

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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 …