The Quiet Strength of an Old-Growth Forest
The coastal fog in this area has helped supply enough water to support the redwood giants through all of the seasons see footnote number 22 for the last 20 million years see footnote number Although coast redwoods have been established by people in other places of the world like New Zealand see footnote number 24 , the oldest and tallest coast redwoods are in their natural habitat see footnote number 25 where they have rain, fog, and forests of neighboring redwoods, fungi, and creatures like banana slugs helping to support them. Protecting their last remaining natural habitat is crucial so redwoods can reach their full potential as the tallest trees on the planet and our awe-inspiring climate change heroes. The survival of several redwood buildings from the fire in San Francisco launched a flurry of demand for redwood lumber in the rebuilding of the city and elsewhere see footnote number By , logging spurred a group of concerned people to form Sempervirens Club, now known as Sempervirens Fund, and start the redwood conservation movement which has successfully preserved thousands of acres of redwood forest.
However, there is much more land still at risk. In , the International Union for Conservation of Nature listed redwoods as endangered see footnote number Today, we have a rare chance to re-establish the once-vast and vibrant local redwood forest into a magnificent, life-giving world between Silicon Valley and the Pacific Ocean. Although many old-growth redwoods have been cut down, younger second-growth redwoods have resprouted since then, some even of the same genetic stock of their massive predecessors. By protecting redwood forests and helping to restore ideal conditions through careful stewardship , old-growth redwood forests can grow again. With a little help from us to get started, the redwood forest can recover from the massive logging and fragmentation that took place during the last years see footnote number Once protected and restored, the redwood forest will take care of itself — providing plant and wildlife habitat, clean air, and inspiration for thousands and even millions of years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions - Redwood National and State Parks (U.S. National Park Service)
You can help Sempervirens Fund protect and care for redwood forests and expand local parks so that you, wildlife, and future generations can enjoy these truly magnificent trees. Donate or volunteer to help preserve and restore the wildlands of the Santa Cruz Mountains. To learn more, read and watch our favorite things about redwoods or visit them in person or virtually. Interested in digging a little deeper into the science behind these redwood facts and history? Here are some sources with more information indicated in the facts above:. Martin, Glen.
The Quiet Strength of an Old-Growth Forest
Van Pelt, Robert. Simard, Suzanne W. Kirkby, J. Sillett, S. Sillett, Stephen , and Van Pelt, Robert. Camann, Michael A. Olson, D. Olson Jr. Little, Jr. Fox, L. III, and J. Haemig, P. Palmer, Brian. Sawyer,et al. Noss Ed. Burns, E. Thornburgh, Dale, et al. Sign up for our newsletter and mailing list. Redwoods Facts and History. Donate Now. Climb a Coast Redwood. Redwoods are the tallest trees on earth reaching more than feet high. Endangered marbled murrelets lay their eggs on the upper branches of redwoods. Creatures like the wandering salamander can live their entire life in a redwood canopy. Redwood leaves clean air by pulling in carbon and storing more of it than any other tree. Fire can burn a cave-like hole in a living redwood where owls and bats like to live.
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Top 10 Facts About Redwood Trees. Tallest Tree on Earth. Almost as Old as the Dinosaurs. They Live for Thousands of Years. Redwoods Take Care of Each Other. They Make Rain. Entire Ecosystems Live in Their Branches. Wild Animals Thrive Here. Redwoods are Climate Change Heroes.
Redwood Facts - Sempervirens Fund
Last Natural Habitat. Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve encompasses acres. Austin Creek State Recreation area is approximately acres. When was the fire? Most of the fires were started by lightning strikes that hit the bases of trees during dry season. Fire travels through the root system to ignite the bases of other trees. The last big fire was in It swept through the forest and continued almost reaching the ocean. We know it was caused by human carelessness. One theory states that an accident at an illegal whiskey still may have caused the fire. Why are some of the trees burned out on the inside? When fire sweeps through the forest the duff and slash around the base of the trees burns hotter and longer, thereby finding a weak spot in the trunk and burning out the heartwood. Why is it so quiet in the grove? Because the grove is so well shaded few plants can grow which would offer food and shelter for animals. Consequently there are very few birds and only a scolding squirrel may be heard now and then.
Why are there so many small trees growing around older stumps? What is the Burbank Circle?