First time I heard about RedWoods was 3 months ago, when we got in California and literally everyone said "You have to go, the trees are giant and spectacular rain forest". Whenever we got free time from work we headed to the Avenue of Giants, where you see this dense forest full of redwoods (See the post here) It's kinda sad to think that many years ago, the Ranch I was working in, was surrounded by Redwoods, but now a days they were all killed.
While hiking this magical State Park I secretly picked up a good amount of seeds to plant in Portugal ^___^ It will take ages to grow as an adult redwood but I'm so into this trees that I want to spread them in the World. Planting trees is creating life.
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What are Redwoods?
Redwoods are Giant Pine trees with around 300ft./91m tall and live to the mature age of over 2000 years. Rainy and foggy coastal conditions ensure there is enough
moisture for their survival.
Why are Redwoods Special?*
- Almost indestructible, these huge trees persistently survive while battling the natural elements.
- Most fires cannot penetrate the thick fibrous and almost fire resistant redwood bark. An intense fire may burn through the bark and hollow out a tree, but if enough living tissue remains unharmed. The tree continues to live and slowly heal its fire scars;
- The coast redwood has the ability to sprout from its trunk base. The trees make up a circle and sprout from the base of a parent tree. Even if a redwood tree has been logged, its root system is still alive.
- Fallen redwoods provide a fertile place for new trees to grow.
- Redwood seeds come from olive-sized cones containing, on average, 60-120 seeds. The forest floor is thickly covered with leaves, so seeds rarely find their way to the soil except after a fire or flood.
"Save the Redwoods
In 1917, attention to saving the redwoods shifted farther north in California. Highway constrution and logging threatened the Humboldt County forests. A group of scientists and naturalists explored the area and its damaged trees, inspiring the founding of the Save the Redwoods League. The League helped negotiate with lumber companies and raised funds to purchase land for conservation. Aided by advertising executive Newton B. Drury, the organization lobbied for support to establish an official California State Park Commission."- from "The History of California State Parks" leaflet
Have you been in any Redwood Forests? Where? Share pictures!
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*Let's say every tree is special. They provide oxygen, food, shade, love! All important elements to any being in this planet to live.
But the way Redwoods grow and how ancient they can get, it's pretty special and amazing hein?
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