research

Western Hemlock in Coast Redwoods

Measuring Champion Trees

In the USA, champion trees are the largest for a species. The word “champion”  denotes  largest is based on a point tally, not  total wood volume. Its a triathlon where points are awarded for height, circumference and crown spread.  In the USA, American Forests manages the national registry and has the most recognized champion list. But when […]

Research Permits / Fines

Research Permits / Fines

Recently,  enforcement rangers said they considered off-trail exploring & measuring to be “data collection”. So to play it safe, I applied for a research permit to go off-trail, tape-wrap diameters, and laser measure height; new finds and re-measures. Later, I may also apply for a photography permit for extra aspects of photos in the redwoods. […]

Large Coast Redwood

New Redwood Discovery

June 2nd, we discovered a large Coast Redwood in Redwood National and State Parks. It will probably rank among the 10 largest known Coast Redwoods. My exploring partner was Chris Atkins, whom I first met for LiDAR redwood measuring.We fine-tined our  preparation …. packing snacks, cameras, lenses, getting a  RNP overnight  camping permit, water shoes, lasers, GPS, […]

Coast Redwood Twig Cones

Coast Redwoods Grow w/out Fog

More  folks than I realized have wondered if Coast Redwoods can grow without fog. The photo below (larger image at bottom) proves that Sequoia sempervirens, Coast Redwood, can flourish without fog. It’s an evident fact that Coast Redwood can grow beautifully without needing to rely on fog in the growing season. I expected more people […]

Redwoods Surge With Unprecedented Growth

Redwoods Surge With Unprecedented Growth

Recently, the San Francisco Chronicle ran an article about remarkable growth of Coast Redwoods during the last 100 years. The Coast Redwoods are growing at an unprecedented rate. “The last remaining old-growth redwood trees along the California coast and in the Sierra are in the midst of a growth spurt the likes of which has […]