Montgomery Woods

 I was able to stop by Montgomery Woods on the way home from work on the coast this afternoon. What a great way to spend the late afternoon, early evening. I had my first owl encounter while walking through the redwoods. I was wondering if this was the fabled spotted owl, but after a little research, found out that it's actually the barred owl. The owl and I just sat and watched each other for about five minutes. I don't know why he kept looking at me, almost seemed as if he was expecting me to give it some food or something. Finally, I had to say goodbye and thank him for the encounter.

 Barred owls are actually hurting the cause of the spotted owl I was sad to find out. They are more aggressive and sounds like they may be competing and winning as far as claiming habitat. The are actually an eastern species and have been slowly making their way west.

 Today I had to pause and appreciate the fact that this tiny grove holds some of the oldest living things on the planet. Sometimes it's just mind blowing.

I also never noticed this tree before. Whoever used to own this property before donating it as a park, did log a few of the old giants. Their stumps can be seen in the middle of the grove. It's hard to know why they chose the ones they did, because they seem pretty random, and are in random spots. The tree above looks like it took an ax or chainsaw to its body before it was stopped for unknown reasons. New tree material has filled the gap. If only the trees could tell their stories...

Prof. Steve Sillett in Montgomery Woods

Montgomery Woods

 I went to Montgomery Woods this morning, to spend some time with the redwoods. I was supposed to meet the Sierra Club in town for a group hike, but there was only one other woman waiting. There was no one else that showed up, and neither one of us were actually a part of the Sierra Club. We assumed that the group hike got canceled and neither she nor I heard the update. So I drove up to Montgomery Woods solo and that was just fine.

 The hike felt more like a renewal of vows, and that vow being the re-affirmation that this ecosystem is invaluable, and these trees are worth protecting, defending, and fighting for, should the need arise. Today I thought about how to bridge the gap that exists between those like myself who feel that ancient redwoods are worth protecting, defending, and fighting for, and those who do not, who see the redwoods as "just trees."

 As a teenager growing up on the east coast, I remember hearing about Julia "Butterfly" Hill. She was more of a caricature than an actual human being to me at the time. She was "just a dirty, tree hugging hippy," in my mind, and probably in the mind of a majority of Americans. Redwoods, were not on my radar as anything worth thinking about, especially as a teenager living 3,000 miles away. Now, I view Julia as a true American heroine.

At the end of her two year tree sit in 1999, the 25 year old Julia descended "Luna," (the name given to the tree) and said with tears in her eyes, "I understand that all of us are governed by different values, and I understand that to some people I'm just a dirty tree hugging hippy, I can't imagine being able to take a chainsaw to something like this...I don't understand."

Is it possible that those who don't understand will ever understand? Are there bridges that we can build to help facilitate that understanding? Is there more to these trees than just lumber? Does the ecosystem matter? What about other threatened ecosystems around the world? The topic seems as relevant today as it was 20 years ago.

Ft. Bragg

The beautiful yellow sand verbena is in bloom, as well as many other flowers along the bluffs and dunes of Ft. Bragg, CA.

Ponderosa Pine

Here is a beautiful Ponderosa Pine growing just outside Willits, CA. I drive past this tree several times a week and finally got a rough measurement of it's trunk along with a healthy dose of poison oak a couple weeks ago. Today I finally got a picture of the ol' giant. Too bad I couldn't stand directly next to the tree. I couldn't run fast enough in the 10 seconds my camera gave me. I must have looked like a freak to the passing traffic on the 101. I'm probably 50 feet or so in front of it, and still dwarfed.

Along with the bright sun and 90 degree temperatures was a nice looking cloud rainbow around noon.

From the Redwood Forest by: Joan Dunning

I just finished reading the book "From the Redwood Forest" by Joan Dunning, and found the book to be exceptional. The book is about the battle over Headwaters Forest, about 60,000 acres of old growth, coastal redwood forest. The book captures the feeling, the urgency, the political climate, and many of the colorful characters that became household names back in the mid 90's. I think anyone who loves the redwoods should read this book. Not only does it inspire, but it documents the history of the struggle to save this invaluable patch of land. Anyway's words fail me tonight. Joan Dunning's book speaks for all of us who care about these woods and this area. Click here for the book, and click here for Joan Dunning's website.

Jackson State Demonstration Forest

Giant Douglas Fir (above)

I went for a hike in Jackson Demonstration Forest after work a couple days ago. I took a trail that I had hiked last year when I first moved to the area and it was interesting how my perspective has changed. First of all, it was nice to see some old ancient trees growing towards the top of the mountain ridge. I will have to come back and get a circumference of this old giant Douglas Fir that I found off trail.

Secondly, I was able to see the forest in terms of what it's potential is or was, rather than what currently exists. Above is a small section of cut forest. Maybe nothing shocking, but definitely devastating to what used to grow and live there.

I am currently finishing a book called "From the Redwood Forest" by Joan Dunning, that describes the debate around Headwaters that attracted national attention in the mid 90's. (I have to laugh how a Wikipedia page for Charles Hurwitz and his company MAXXAM "does not exist.") It's a long and complicated story, so I won't go into detail here. It's a fascinating read though, and the same problems that existed back then, are currently still playing themselves out now. After looking at what we have done to our forests, it's easy to say "Well, that's just the way it is." When you begin to dissect all the facts, statistics, and hear the stories, it's simply unbelievable.