coast redwoods

Warming Redwood Weather

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Wendy Baxter and Anthony Ambrose from Todd Dawson’s Laboratory at U.C. Berkeley have been tracking weather in the League’s Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative research plots in the coast redwood and giant sequoias forests. Check out their latest weather report …

Sniffing for Science

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Scientists certainly come in all shapes and sizes, but did you know sometimes they have four paws?! Recently, the League partnered with Tim Beam (Humboldt State University), Scott Osborn (California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife), and Working Dogs for Conservation …

Turkeys in the Redwoods

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As we sit back and relax on the day after Thanksgiving, our bellies still full from our decadent meals the day before, I’m thinking about turkeys, redwoods, and what the Native Americans might have eaten years before us at this …

Rain creates colorful mushroom show

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Aren’t we all more than a little relieved for the recent coast rains after too many dry, drought-stricken months here in California? I always look for mushrooms on the forest floor as proof that the rain has really sunk in. Last week …

Wild strawberry plant.

Protecting Plantings

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Recently, I visited Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and was surprised to see mesh bags dotting the forest floor. Taking a closer look, I saw a variety of plants hidden under the mesh coverings. Park ecologist Jeff Frey explain the park …

Green Cones Go Red

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Typically, cones mature on the redwood branches in autumn. They turn slightly yellow as the cone scales separate, exposing the seeds hidden within to the elements. Rain then washes away tannic crystals that hold the seeds inside the cones and …

Brad Pitt and the Redwoods, Seriously?!

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I nearly fell out of my chair when I came across a feature article about Brad Pitt doing a shoot in Humboldt Redwoods State Park for Details Magazine. My first thought was, “Okay, why wasn’t I invited?” And second, “Who …

Entre Los Gigantes

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Qué maravilla— ¿cómo es que estos gigantes existen? ¿Qué cuentos han de saber y cuantas historias han de conocer? ¿Qué me dirían a este momento? Recalling one of my most memorable experiences among the redwoods at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State …

Creek in the redwoods

The Evolution of a Park

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Save the Redwoods League was established in 1918, and 96 years later, we have quite the vantage point to look back and see how things have changed. It’s the nature of things, for people and organizations alike, that we don’t …

Largest WWII Memorial in U.S. Rediscovered in the Redwoods

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In 1945, with victory in Europe and Japan within sight, individuals and organizations all across the country united in a nationwide effort to preserve 5,000 acres of old-growth redwoods as the National Tribute Grove. The effort, led by Save the Redwoods League …

Redwood Weather

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  RCCI researcher Wendy Baxter describes below why we are tracking weather in the woods: Monitoring the local weather and long-term climate is an integral part of the Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative (RCCI). Beginning in 2011, scientists from UC …

When We Can’t See the Trees for the Forest

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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 …

Many new redwoods grow in areas with old-growth cutting. Photo by Joanne and Doug Schwartz

A Strange and Wonderful Mystery Forest

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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 …

Yosemite Valley – 1866. Photo by Carleton Watkins

The Power of Photography: Connection and Conservation

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For almost a hundred years, Save the Redwoods League has been protecting and restoring redwood forests and enabling people to connect with their peace and beauty. Photographers and painters began connecting people to redwoods decades earlier, beginning with Carleton Watkins’ …

Longtime League Councillor and research advisor, Bill Libby, says hello to a squawking Steller's jay being studied at Big Basin State Park.

Bird in hand and two in the bush

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Several weeks ago, a wily Steller’s jay outsmarted me while I cooked breakfast under the redwoods in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.  I was about to sit down and eat my scrambled eggs, but decide to first fetch the boiling water off my …

“This photo shows the friendship, fun and bonding that took place in the redwoods. Our experience with the volunteers and staff at the state park was wonderful — everyone seemed genuinely pleased to meet Betty and to help this become a memorable trip.” -Trina Baldwin (Betty’s friend and driver on the trip)

Betty’s Trip to the Redwoods in Photos

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In my last blog I introduced you to Betty Thompson, a 66-year-old woman from Georgia with cerebral palsy, who was about to realize her lifelong dream of seeing the redwoods. In June, Betty and her friends embarked on a weeklong …

League supporters Victoria Reeder and Roy Williams recently celebrated their wedding amongst the redwoods at Big Basin State Park.

Love in a Redwood Forest

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It’s no surprise the redwoods inspire people in many different ways. The biodiversity of plants and animals inspires scientists, the towering red-hued trunks of the trees inspire artists, and the fallen logs and clear creeks inspire an adventurous spirit in …

Redwood Canopy Video

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Climbers took to the coast redwood treetops at Muir Woods National Monument for the first time this spring. Their canopy exploration was part of BioBlitz 2014, a massive effort to learn about and celebrate the biodiversity of Golden Gate National Recreation. …

The Eel River, which snakes along the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, has dozens of secluded and scenic swimming spots. Photo courtesy HRSP/Redwoods.info.

Make a Big Splash Among the Big Trees

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Sweltering summers are perhaps the best time all year to experience the redwood forests in Humboldt County the way locals do, as natural water parks. The Eel River, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River along the Avenue of the Giants, and Redwood Creek, which is surrounded by the world’s tallest trees in Redwood National Parks, have plenty of kid-friendly swimming holes.