{"id":32347,"date":"2017-09-21T11:39:05","date_gmt":"2017-09-21T18:39:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/?page_id=32347"},"modified":"2022-07-27T17:58:17","modified_gmt":"2022-07-28T00:58:17","slug":"why-redwoods","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.savetheredwoods.org\/redwoods\/why-redwoods\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Protect Redwoods?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The coast redwood<\/a> and giant sequoia<\/a> forests are home to the tallest and largest trees on the planet<\/strong>. They represent the original face of nature, embodying a beauty millions of years<\/strong> in the making. These forests store more carbon<\/strong> from the atmosphere than any other forest ecosystem, and they support communities of life <\/strong>found nowhere else on Earth. <\/p>\n

The redwood forests are the greatest forests on Earth.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But the redwood parks and private lands we have protected over the last century still need help<\/strong>. The primeval forests today resemble islands of disconnected old-growth stands \u2014 pinched at the edges by clear-cuts, development and agriculture. They depend on streams choked by sediment, and they are cared for by parks organizations that are under-funded and under-resourced. <\/p>\n

Explore the interactive infographic<\/strong> below to learn more about why we need to protect the redwood forest.
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How Much is Left to Protect?<\/div>\n
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In the mid-1800s, the Gold Rush drew hundreds of thousands of people to California, creating an explosive demand for lumber.<\/p>\n

After the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake, that demand grew exponentially. Ancient old-growth redwoods\u2014valued for their strength, resilience and beauty\u2014suffered as a result of extensive logging for construction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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That means we still have more than 3\/4 of existing coast redwoods \u2014<\/p>\n

1.25 million acres!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u2014 left to save.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Tallest Redwood<\/div>\n
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Coast redwood:<\/p>\n

379 ft.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As tall as a 37-story building.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Widest redwood<\/div>\n
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Giant Sequoia:<\/p>\n

31.4 ft.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Longer than the length of 2 VW Beetles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Did you Know?<\/div>\n
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Coast redwoods can live for more than 2,000 years<\/strong> and giant sequoias can live to be 3,000 years old<\/strong>. In fact, some trees living today were alive during the time of the Roman Empire!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Redwoods help keep our air clean, removing carbon dioxide and mitigating the harmful effects of climate change.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Old-growth redwoods store as much as 5 times more carbon aboveground than any other type of forest on the planet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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6 fast-growing redwoods can sequester the same amount of carbon as that produced by driving an average car for 1 year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Marbled Murrelets<\/div>\n
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Unique among the puffin family, this endangered Pacific seabird nests high up in tall trees in coastal forests and is seriously threatened by redwood logging.<\/p>\n

Photo Credit: Tom Hamer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Northern Spotted Owl<\/div>\n
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With their preference for old-growth forests, these threatened owls are heavily affected by clear-cut logging.<\/p>\n

Photo Credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Black Bears<\/div>\n
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Though no longer imperiled, black bears face new challenges as people encroach on their habitat. Redwood forests offer bears asylum from negative human-bear interactions.<\/p>\n

The smell of young redwoods is like catnip\u2014or should we say “bearnip”\u2014for black bears.<\/p>\n

Photo Credit: Critterbiz \/ Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Humboldt Marten<\/div>\n
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These agile members of the weasel family need ancient forests to survive and thrive. Once a common sight among the coast redwoods of California, this subspecies of the Pacific marten has vanished from more than 95% of its former range.<\/p>\n

A single population of about 100 remains on the coastal edge of the Six Rivers National Forest in northwestern California.<\/p>\n

Photo Credit: US Forest Service<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Improves your mental and physical health<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Enhances your ability to deal with stress<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Helps you recover from injury and illness<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Healthy trees, healthy people<\/div>\n
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Redwoods inspire a unique connection with \u2014 and appreciation of ­\u2014 the great outdoors as they improve our health, clean our air and water, calm our minds, and rejuvenate our spirits.<\/p>\n

By protecting redwood forests, you\u2019re helping to preserve some of the most extraordinary destinations for outdoor recreation in the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Coho Salmon<\/div>\n
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Coho salmon depend on redwoods for their survival: after 150 years of damming, water diversion, logging and development of its native habitat, this species faces extinction.<\/p>\n

Photo Credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Region<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/a>You Can Help<\/h2>\n

Today, it takes a community<\/strong> including private landowners, parks, local communities, scientists and our supporters, to safeguard redwood forests. Together, we protect redwood forests from threats such as unsustainable development; restore the forests we have lost; and connect people to these towering wonders of nature. With your help<\/strong>, we can leave the forests \u2014 and the world \u2014 in a better place than we found them. <\/p>\n

Donate today<\/a><\/p>\n