In 1769, Don Gaspar de Portola led the first European expedition up the coast of California. They encountered their first coast redwood at Monterey Bay, and named it Palo Colorado<\/em>, or red tree, for its color. Coast redwoods can live more than 2,000 years, but ancient coast redwoods are rare\u2014less than 5 percent of the original forest remains today. About 18 percent of the remaining coast redwood forest is protected in parks and reserves. <\/p>\n Learn more about coast redwoods with these resources: <\/p>\n Notes on cover photo:<\/em> Humboldt\u2019s flying squirrel<\/a>, named after the famed naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, is a newly discovered species found in the coast redwood range and along the Pacific Northwest. The flying squirrels have a unique anatomy that makes them perfect for cruising through the redwood canopy. They use a parachute-like membrane between their arms and legs, called their patagium, to glide from tree to tree.<\/p>\n Notes on cover photo:<\/em> Leaves are green because they are packed full of a pigment called chlorophyll. This pigment absorbs the sunlight light needed for making sugar out of carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. When it absorbs light however, it only absorbs light waves that are red and blue. Chlorophyll reflects green light waves back into the atmosphere and we see green.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n Redwood branches provide habitat for other trees. Scientists found a 40-foot-tall western hemlock growing in soil accumulated on a redwood branch<\/a> hundreds of feet off the ground.<\/p>\n Notes on cover photo:<\/em> Water is \u201cpulled\u201d to the tops of redwoods partially by cohesion<\/a>, or the attraction among water molecules.<\/p>\n Notes on cover photo:<\/em> In northern Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, the redwood forests get nearly double the rainfall that the forests to the south get. When trees have more access to water, they get to keep the pores in their leaves open more often to absorb carbon dioxide (the raw material needed for photosynthesis and growth). More water means less stress and more growth and when trees grow they love to add vertical growth and get taller so that they maintain their competitive advantage over neighboring trees. Also, drier forest conditions (like in the south) lead to more frequent fires. The trees in the south can\u2019t allocate as much energy to growing taller when they frequently get burned and need to heal after fires.<\/p>\n Notes on cover photo:<\/em> In recent years, scientists have discovered many species that live their entire lives in the coast redwood canopy, including worms, salamanders<\/a> and plants such as Sitka spruce, ferns and huckleberry.<\/p>\n Notes on cover photo:<\/em>\n
Butano State Park. Photo by Miguel Vieira, Flickr Creative Commons<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Wildlife in the Redwood Canopy: Humboldt Flying Squirrel<\/h4>\n
![\"Humboldt's](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/01_flying_squirrel-Nick-Kerhoulas-web-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWildlife in the Redwood Canopy: Humboldt Flying Squirrel<\/h4>\n
Humboldt’s flying squirrel. Photo by Nick Kerhoulas<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
The Color of Leaves<\/h4>\n
![\"Jedediah](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Fifty-shades-of-green-photo-1-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Color of Leaves<\/h4>\n
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Trees in the Redwood Canopy<\/h4>\n
![\"Many](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/FP_ss_rnp-upslope-rhodie-epiphyte-close_web-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTrees in the Redwood Canopy<\/h4>\n
Many species of plants can grow in the crowns of tall redwoods, including this rhododendron growing from a decaying upper trunk 330 feet above the ground. Photo by Stephen Sillett, Institute for Redwood Ecology, Humboldt State University<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Water in the Redwood Canopy<\/h4>\n
![\"Canopy](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/rGrants_RCCI_Sillett_jsLowland_canopyview3-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWater in the Redwood Canopy<\/h4>\n
Canopy view of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Photo by Stephen Sillett, Institute for Redwood Ecology, Humboldt State University<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Why Do We Have Tall Trees Up North?<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Del-norte-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhy Do We Have Tall Trees Up North?<\/h4>\n
Fog flowing into Del Norte Redwoods State Park.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Wildlife in the Coast Redwood Canopy<\/h4>\n
![\"Will](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wandering_salamander2_by_Dan_Portik-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWildlife in the Coast Redwood Canopy<\/h4>\n
Wandering salamander. Photo by Dan Portik<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Wildlife in the Giant Sequoia Canopy<\/h4>\n
![\"Big](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/rGrants_bigBrownBat_USFWS_creditDonPfitzer-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWildlife in the Giant Sequoia Canopy<\/h4>\n
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- All<\/li>\n
- Climate<\/li>\n
- Upper Canopy<\/li>\n
- Mid Canopy<\/li>\n
- Understory<\/li>\n
- Soil<\/li>\n
- Resources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Coast Redwoods Resources<\/h4>\n
![\"Butano](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/google_ButanoSP_large_MiguelVieira_FCC-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCoast Redwood Resources<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\nCoast Redwoods Resources<\/h4>\n
\n- Redwood Transect Activity<\/a><\/li>\n
- Coast Redwoods Education Materials<\/a><\/li>\n
- Coast Redwoods Facts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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\n\nCoast Redwood Mid-Canopy<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n- \n
\n\nCoast Redwood Upper-Canopy<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n- \n
\n\nCoast Redwood Upper-Canopy<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n- \n
\n\nCoast Redwood Upper-Canopy<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n- \n
\n\nCoast Redwood Upper-Canopy<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n- \n
\n\nCoast Redwood Upper-Canopy<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n- \n
\n\nGiant Sequoia Upper-Canopy<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n - Redwood Transect Activity<\/a><\/li>\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/research-grants-slauson-millcreekowl-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Wandering](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/rGrants_wandering_salamander_byDanPortik-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Redwood](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/annual-council-meeting-2007-017-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/green-redwood-cone-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Hiker](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/blog_JB_MontWoods_RR0050-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/FP_ss_rnp-upslope-t901-murrelet-nest3_web-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Sequoia](\"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sequoia-cones_sm-300x270.jpg\")
<\/p>\n