Redwood National Park Information
From National Park Service

Katmi National Park &Preserve

Establishment

Redwood National Park was established on 02 October 1968 and expanded on 27 March 1978.

Redwood National and State Parks protect old growth coast redwoods, some of the world's tallest trees. Less well-known are the prairies and oak woodlands and the coastal and marine ecosystems. Three California state parks and the National Park Service unit represent a cooperative management effort of the National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Together these parks are a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve protecting resources cherished by citizens of many nations.

Acreage

Of the total 110,232.4 acres, 75,451.84 are federal and 34,780.56 are state Land area is 104,293.02; submerged area is 5,939.38 Del Norte County federal acreage is 8,008.45 and state is 19,658.77 Humboldt County federal acreage is 67,443.39 and state is 15,121.79 Old-growth forest federal acreage is 19,640, with the state having 19,342 for a total of 38,982.

Designations

Designated a World Heritage Site on 2 September 1980 Designated an International Biosphere Reserve on June 30, 1983

Tall Trees

The coast redwood, whose scientific name is Sequoia sempervirens , is the tallest known plant species in the world. It is also the fastest growing conifer, or cone-bearing tree, in North America.

Coast redwoods are among the oldest living things on earth. The oldest known specimen was logged in 1933. A count of the growth rings revealed that the tree was 2,200 years old. Most redwoods, however, live an average of six centuries.

The tallest known redwood (the "Tall Tree") is about 600 years old. It is located on Redwood Creek within Redwood National and State Parks, near Orick, California. The Tall Tree was measured at 367.8 feet by the National Geographic Society in 1963. The top of the Tall Tree broke off recently. New measurements by the National Geographic Society in 1995 revealed the "National Geographic Tree" measured in 1963 to be the third tallest tree in the world, is now the tallest. It, too, is located in Tall Trees Grove.

California's "Redwood" Trees: Giant Sequoia and Coast Redwood

There are three members of the redwood family: coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) of the California coastal fog belt, giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) of the Sierra Nevada, and dawn redwoods (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) of central China. The names sequoia and redwood are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion between the two California members of this family, but they are very different trees.

Almost all remaining giant sequoias are now safe from the axe and saw; about one-third were cut before being protected. Old growth coast redwood continues to be cut for lumber today, with only a small part of its original uncut acreage still remaining. Of the estimated 1,950,000 acres of coast redwood originally occurring in California, only about 4.4%, or 86,000 acres of old growth, remain. About 80,000 acres of this old growth is protected in parks and reserves.

Coast Redwood Facts

Located on the Pacific Coast from central California to southern Oregon Live up to 2,000 years Weigh up to 1.6 million pounds (730,000 kilograms) Grow up to 367 feet (111.2 meters) tall Diameter up to 22 feet (6.7 meters) Bark thickness up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) Foliage is single, non-overlapping needles .5 to 1 inch long Reproduction by seed or sprout Tallest tree located in Redwood National and State Parks

Giant Sequoia Facts

Located in the Sierra Nevada from 5,000 to 8,000 feet elevation Live up to 3,200 years Weigh up to 2.7 million pounds (1.2 million kilograms) Grow to 311 feet (94.2 meters) tall Diameter up to 41 feet (12.4 meters) Bark thickness up to 31 inches (79 centimeters) Foliage is small, overlapping, awl-shaped needles .25 to .5 inch long Reproduction by seed only Largest tree by volume is General Sherman, located in Sequoia National Park

Plants of the Redwoods

The ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest, containing as many as 25 different species of conifers, are dominated by only a few. Sitka spruce dominates southeast Alaska and coastal British Columbia, while Douglas fir dominates in Oregon, Washington, and inland British Columbia. The stately coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), largest of all, dominates in northern California.

Only in old growth forests are all of the following characteristics present:

Large living trees and a multi-layered canopy Large standing snags Large down trees Large fallen trees in streams

Large Living Trees and a Multi-Layered Canopy

Old and younger trees grow together in a mixture of species. The larger trees often have wind-damaged tops and larger but relatively fewer branches. A thick growth of mosses and lichens harbors many insects, birds, and small mammals. These forests are efficient at trapping large amounts of moisture. The uneven canopy can even retain moisture from fog during the drier seasons.

Large Standing Snags

Dead snags may remain standing for many decades. Insects and woodpeckers open up this dead wood, providing habitat for many other species. In turn, these species become food for larger predators, such as the northern spotted owl, marten, and black bear.

Large Down Trees

Logs criscross the forest floor and help hold steep soils in place. Like living trees, these downed logs can hold extraordinary amounts of water and provide food and shelter for wildlife.

Large Fallen Trees in Streams

Fallen trees lie in random patterns in small streams. Since the water flow in these streams is not powerful enough to move large logs, they form semi-permanent "stairsteps" that hold woody debris in place and stabilize the streambed.

Fish populations benefit by consuming insects harbored in the debris. They also benefit from the shelter provided by fallen logs. Recent research indicates that fish are heavily dependent on old growth forests. Their populations suffer as a consequence of old growth destruction.

Since the Beginning..

The Yurok people are closely tied to water. Fish and eels were the traditional staple foods along with acorns, berries, and deer meat. People traveled by foot on the many trails through the steep mountainous areas of northwestern California and by canoe along waterways. They fished, eeled, hunted, gathered food and basket-making materials, visited friends and family, traveled to ceremonial dances, and traded all types of items by canoe up and down the Klamath River. Traded items included twined women's ceremonial hats and tanned deer hides. Longer, sturdier, ocean-going canoes were used to hunt seals, catch fish off-shore, and ferry people and goods along the coast.

The canoe was an essential part of each family's household, without which the families would be limited to local travel or to paying someone else, usually with dentalium shell money, for a ride to their destination. Canoes were also used for the Boat Dance, an integral part of the White Deerskin Dance, which was held every two years as a world renewal ceremony.

Traditional Construction

Coast redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens) have always been the wood preferred by Yuroks for canoe-making. Not only was the wood found in abundance in the coastal areas of northern California, but it is also resistant to insect damage and rotting, both essential to the longevity of a canoe left year-round on the river bank. Traditionally, trees that were knocked over in a storm or felled by lightning were used for canoe- making. It was very difficult to fall a massive redwood tree with small tools; only rarely would a carver use an elk horn wedge and stone maul to cut down a standing tree. When choosing a tree, the canoe-maker looked for one that would not split easily and would produce a solid, sturdy canoe.

To begin a canoe, the log was split into two sections lengthwise producing "blanks" for two canoes. Often, the logs or blanks would be left in a shady, cool place for up to a year to "season," further ensuring the soundness of the wood. When the carving began, what had been the center, or interior, of the tree became the bottom of the canoe. What had been the outside of the tree became the top of the canoe. This was done because the interior wood is a much tighter grain and therefore heavier. Also, the interior has fewer knots.

Pioneer History in the Redwood Area

Mining

Spaniards and Anglos largely ignored the northern California coast until the Gold Rush. Gold was discovered at Gold Bluffs Beach in the 1850's. Mining proved marginally profitable. Although some mines were reopened after the Civil War, they closed again shortly thereafter. Small-scale mining continued sporadically until about 1920. The remains of mining operations can still be seen in the Gold Bluffs area.

Logging

Logging began in the Redwood region in 1851. At first, logs were floated to small mills or dragged by oxen on skid roads. By the 1870's logs were hauled to mills by rail. In 1882, an invention called the "steam donkey" was used. During the 1890's, the steam donkey was replaced by the "bull donkey." In the 1920's, caterpillar tractors were first employed. Since the 1940's, trucks have been used to haul logs. Redwood lumber is well-known for its resistance to decay and was once a very popular wood for home-building. Outstanding redwood Victorian-style homes and other structures are still visible in Eureka, Ferndale, and San Francisco.

Redwood Burls

Burls in coast redwood are masses of stem tissue where elongation of the many stem tips has not occurred. They are anatomically similar to tissues in eucalyptus called "lignotubers" by the Australians.

Burls develop from axillary buds in the seedling redwood. This "basal burl" (sometimes called a bud collar) persists, growing larger throughout the life of the tree. The dormant stem tips continue slow growth and branching, but do not elongate. Unlike aerial stems of redwood, burl tissue grows downward. It forms an enlarged mass near the base of the tree above or below the soil surface. Burl tissue overgrows the root tissues at the base of the tree. Burls may also occur well up the main stem and on branches.

Adventitious (hanging) roots often develop from burls, particularly near the soil, but no stems develop on redwood roots. "Stump" sprouts from the burl are often incorrectly called "root" sprouts, but there is no known instance in which stems have developed from root tissue in redwood. Dormant buds rapidly elongate after the biochemical dominance of the main stem is removed (such as when the tree is cut). In undisturbed forest stands, a few trees may sprout from the burl. These sprouts, growing under the canopy of the main stem, are at a physiological disadvantage and rarely reach large size. In this regard, they are like branches which eventually die when severely shaded by other branches.

The ability to sprout is rare in conifers, but in redwood it is an alternative to regeneration by seed. When a tree breaks off near its base or is cut, new stems arising from the remaining burl tissue may produce one or more stems which can rapidly take the place of the parent stem. In some cases, this may occur over several "generations," leading to rings of sprouts around the site of the former tree. Regeneration from seed is more common in the northern range of the redwood. This observation is based upon the large proportion of single-stemmed to multiple-stemmed trees.

Small burls can be purchased in shops in the redwood region. By placing these in a shallow tray of water, the dormant buds will sprout. Roots rarely develop, but if they do, the sprouted burl can be "planted" in a moist shaded spot and may develop into a tree on its own.

"Birds-eye" wood is burl tissue. The birds-eye effect results from sawing across the "knots" or bud traces of the dormant stems embedded in the associated woody tissue.

In addition to this normal burl tissue, there are similar-appearing growths on redwood stems which are anatomically different. These are outgrowths of cambium without buds. They do not sprout, but have sweeping swirls of annual layers of wood instead of the birds-eye character.

Burl tissue also occurs in a number of other species in the redwood forest, including bigleaf maple (Acer macrophylum), California bay (Umbellularia californicum), rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum), and huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium).

Written by Stephen D. Viers, Jr., Research Scientist, Redwood National and State Parks, Arcata, California 95521. February 1984.

Geology of the Redwood Region

For millions of years, the floor of the Pacific Ocean and the North American continent have been colliding. This collision has made the rocks of Northern California some of the most scrambled in the United States.

Geologists believe that continents are basically rafts of light rock floating on the heavy black volcanic basalt of the earth's mantle. This same basalt makes up the bedrock of the sea floor. The heat of the earth's inner core expands and partially melts this rock so that it becomes less dense than surrounding rock. This less dense molten rock (magma) rises, breaking through the ocean floor along the mid-ocean ridge. This magma then cools and re-solidifies, making new ocean floor. As more magma rises from beneath, this new rock is pushed farther and farther away from the ridge.

As this "conveyer belt" of new ocean floor continues its long journey towards North America and Asia, it collects ocean sediments and other debris. Along the edge of North America, sediment-covered ocean floor collides with the continental plate. The force of this collision continues to create the Great Valley and Coast Range of California.

The coast range consists of the most recent bedrock and sea floor sediments to be welded onto the North American continental plate.

Categories of Rocks Found Here

The rocks found in Redwood National and State Parks are part of this crumbled belt of sediments and generally fall into one of three categories:

Sedimentary Rocks - sandstones, mudstones, and conglomerates. Conglomerates are formed from assorted pebbles cemented together in a sand matrix. The porous and permeable structure of these rocks makes them important aquifers (reservoirs and conductors of ground water) for the redwoods.

Metamorphic Rocks - such as Redwood Creek schist, are formed when sedimentary rocks are subjected to enough heat and pressure to melt and recrystallize some or all mineral components. This can also occur locally when rocks are crushed as a result of faulting.

Transitional Rocks - sedimentary rocks that have been slightly metamorphosed. For example, pebbles in a conglomerate are deformed, but the rock still has the appearance of a conglomerate.

The Rock Cycle

Magma cools and crystallizes to become Igneous Rock, which is weathered, eroded, and transported to become Sediments. Sediments undergo lithification (become cemented together) to become Sedimentary Rocks, which can be metamorphosed (subjected to heat and pressure) to become Metamorphic Rocks. Metamorphic Rocks and sedimentary rocks can be melted to become Magma.

When the earth first formed, it was a massive ball of hot molten rock, or magma. Thus, all the earth's rock began as magma. As magma cools, it crystallizes to form igneous rocks, one of the three rock groups. When igneous rocks undergo weathering and transportation, they become sediments. Sediments can then be hardened and cemented together by a process known as lithification, which forms sedimentary rocks. The third rock type, metamorphic rock, is formed when sedimentary rock is changed by great heat and pressure, a process called metamorphism.

The rock cycle has many pathways. For example, igneous rocks can undergo metamorphism to become metamorphic rocks. Likewise, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks can be exposed to weathering and erosion to form new sediments.

In most places, such as in Redwood National and State Parks, rocks are hidden at the surface by a layer of soil, water, or vegetation. But beneath this cover, rocks occur everywhere in one form or another. The geologic map shows the approximate location of the bedrock which lies under the surface soils.

When the ocean sediments here were crushed against the North American continent, they formed the Franciscan Assemblage; the folding and faulting of the earth that accompanied its formation also produced the coast ranges. Serpentinite and Redwood Creek Schist are metamorphic rocks formed under high to low levels of temperature and pressure. The Gold Bluff Formation is made up of sediments deposited at the ancient mouth of the Klamath River. The Gold Bluff Formation earned its name from the presence of very fine gold particles mixed with black sand.

Marbled Murrelets

The Marbled Murrelet or "Fog Lark" is a small ten-inch-long seabird about the size of a robin which nests in trees from Alaska to central California. Scientists believe they nest only in the high canopy of ancient coastal forests. They seek food in the nearby ocean. Marbled murrelets are rare, and became listed in 1992 as an endangered species by the California state government. Debates on the importance of protecting endangered species often include this species.

The first murrelet nest was discovered in 1974, making murrelets the last species in the United States to have their nesting habits discovered. Murrelets are usually heard more often than seen. They have a high-pitched "keer" call best heard around sunrise. Murrelets are very fast flyers with quick wingbeats, a short stubby body, and small wings. Chicks are downy and tan-colored with dark speckling; they are born with webbed-feet. Since murrelets rarely come down to the forest floor, you should report any murrelet found on the ground immediately to a ranger. This will result in proper care and eventual release at sea.

There are several reasons why murrelets nest only in the canopy of ancient forests. Their plump bodies are not very aerodynamic. Their flight is characterized by sharp drops; many wingbeats are necessary to make much forward progress. The tops of towering trees make easy landing platforms. Murrelets nest on large flat limbs, where they usually lay eggs on thick beds of moss already growing there. These accumulations of moss are found most frequently in older trees. In addition, nesting in the high canopy protects murrelets from many predators. Due to their dependance on ancient forests, murrelets have become endangered as stands of ancient forest have disappeared.

Preliminary studies indicate that the greatest density of these birds in the United States is within Redwood National and State Parks. Researchers have developed techniques for monitoring marbled murrelets using radio telemetry. Studies are also being conducted on their habitat requirements and behaviors. This research will provide park managers with more information and greater ability to protect this endangered species. Current protection plans include limiting use of power tools by park staff to preserve the forest quiet during the breeding season in early fall.

Avoid making loud noises that might disturb birds and frighten them away from their nests. Don't leave food scraps which may draw predators such as jays and ravens into murrelet habitat.

The controversy around this small seabird highlights the importance of the Endangered Species Act passed by Congress in 1973. The Act provides the public with an opportunity to protect endangered species and plan for their recovery. Habitat loss from human actions such as intensive logging or water diversion for irrigation or hydroelectric power is the chief contributing factor to species becoming endangered. When private individuals or organizations seek to use publicly-owned natural resources for economic gain, invoking the Endangered Species Act can cause conflict.

Each species contributes to the richness and diversity of life. No species exists separate from others; all are tied together in the interdependent web of life. Valuing one species above all others and denying the importance of a species to the whole system may profit some of us in the short term. Long-run consequences for all of us, however, are often costly. The extinction of one species may cause a domino effect leading to the extinction of others.

The Gray Whale

Did you know that whales are mammals? Though adapted to life in the sea, they still have air-breathing lungs and warm blood like people do. Females give birth to live young which nurse on their mother's milk. Whales may even have a few hairs on their heads!

Whales breathe through a nose located on the top of their head. They swim to the surface, exhale to clear their blow hole, and take a breath. They never have to lift their heads out of the water to breathe.

There are two types of whales: toothed whales like the orca and baleen whales like the gray. Instead of teeth, a baleen whale has a series of plates which hang from the roof of its mouth. Smooth on the outside, yet bristly on the inside, this curtain of baleen filters out food from the ocean water.

Gray Whale Migration

The gray whale travels more than 11,000 miles each year, which is thought to be the longest migration of any mammal. They stay close to shore during the migration, which makes them the easiest whale to watch.

Visitors may catch a glimpse of these whales as they swim south to Mexico each fall, and again in the spring as they return to Alaska.

Gray whales feed on small crustaceans in the cold water around Alaska from May through November. As fall weather settles in, the whales start the southward journey to the shallow lagoons of Baja California. The gray whales mate and have their babies in these warm waters during the winter. The cows (females) and calves (newborns) remain in the lagoons the longest. The young whales gain nearly 200 pounds a day, growing a thick layer of protective fat for the long journey north.

Some gray whales do not travel as far north as Alaska during the summer months. These animals may be seen off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. Scientists are studying the behavior of the local whales off the coast of Redwood National and State Parks in an attempt to determine their ages, identities, and activities.

Good locations within Redwood National and State Parks to observe gray whales include Redwood Information Center, Gold Bluffs Beach, and Klamath River Overlook.

Look for the Spout

Though whales can dive deep under the water, they must always return to the surface to breathe air. As they break the water's surface, they spray out a fine mist of condensed water vapor through their blow holes. They are exhaling the spent air which has become saturated with moisture in their lungs.

Seeing a "spout" or a blow is the easiest way to spot a whale. Gray whales have a fan or heart-shaped spout. They usually spout three to four times in a row, then dive out of sight for up to five minutes.

Or a Flip of the Fluke

As these creatures plunge below the surface, they may lift their broad, flat, tail fluke out of the water to propel themselves downward. Unlike fish, which move their tails side to side, whales move their tails up and down to swim.

Whales Watching You!

These intelligent, curious creatures don't spend all their time swimming. Occasionally one may stop to "spy-hop," or jut its huge, streamlined head out of the water. Perhaps spy-hopping gives them a better look at their surroundings; a whale can only see underwater about as well as a human can.

A whale may also burst out of the water, giving us a glimpse of its huge, barnacle-covered body. The whale usually then falls back into the water on its back, causing a huge splash. No one knows exactly why whales breach -- perhaps it has a social function or is simply exhilarating.

Outdoor Schools in Redwood National and State Parks

Redwood's Outdoor Schools: Investing in the Next Generation

Dwarfed by the trunks of dinosaur-sized trees one member of the "Away Team" wades into a stream where another team member has discovered a new wildlife specimen clinging to the underside of a stone. After careful observation and notation, the specimen is named "heavy-breathing cling-on" and recorded in the team's "data bank". Their reconnaissance mission now complete, the "Away Team" transports back to "Command Control" which is located in a large tree cavity. Inside the hollow redwood they rejoin their 4th grade classmates from other "away teams" to map life zones of the redwood forest. Twenty miles away, two dozen sleepy-eyed 6th-grade students huddle together in the coastal fog on the site of a former logging camp. In clothing smoked by two nights' campfires and shoes still damp from yesterday's tidepool study, they are planting a redwood seedling to commemorate their three-day experience in the redwoods.

These students are participating in Redwood National Park and State Parks' Outdoor School program. Park rangers accustomed to nurturing long-term resources (redwoods may grow to be 2,000 years old) are investing in a different and ultimately more valuable resource: the children of Del Norte, Humboldt, Curry and Josephine Counties...future heirs of the redwood empire. Redwood National and State Parks is one of very few national parks with an outdoor school program. In fact, the park has two outdoor schools: Howland Hill Outdoor School located near Crescent City, and Wolf Creek Outdoor School near Orick. Though they may look like rustic summer camps, they operate like campuses of environmental education. Each site is equipped with 6 cabins, an activity center, and a 113,00-acre living laboratory.

Wolf Creek Outdoor School

In 1972 Redwood National Park opened the gate to its first outdoor school site, the Wolf Creek Outdoor School. But it wasn't until 1974 that the site received its first "cabins" - four geodesic domes with frames of iron pipe and a skin of plastic sheeting. In 1976, when one dome collapsed while rangers were attempting to drain the basins of rain water collected in the shell, it was decided to build new cabins. Today there are six sturdy but uninsulated cabins.

Howland Hill Outdoor School

In the spring of 1979 the first Howland Hill students camped in two-person army surplus tents overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Though the view was picturesque, the tents leaked; drinking water had to be backpacked to the site and each two-person tent housed three persons. The following autumn the "canvas campus" moved into an abandoned cabin atop Howland Hill.

Though improvements have been made to the facilities at Howland Hill Outdoor School, it retains much of its rustic character. Where children once camped in army surplus tents, there are now six wooden cabins and a self-composting toilet. Water is carried in a fire truck rather than a backpack. However there is still no electricity. When the campfire dies, the students must find their way to cabins with flashlights and sleep by the light of the moon.

"Returns" on the Education Investment

Like the ancient redwoods that encircle the outdoor school "campuses", environmental education is a long-term investment in the future. Redwood's outdoor school program has already received returns from its early programs. This autumn Laura Hurt returned to the Howland Hill site for the first time since she was a fifth grade student. This time, however, she was the fifth grade teacher instead of the student. The Crescent City teacher took her students on a night hike where they heard the story of a night hike that occurred several years earlier and ended with the discovery of a porcupine.

VaLane Voorhees first visited the Wolf Creek Outdoor School as a student from Orick School. This summer she returned to the Wolf Creek site as a National Park Service ranger. On horseback, she now patrols the very forest where she studied chinook salmon and banana slugs many years ago. VaLane, who currently attends College of the Redwoods in Eureka, plans to pursue a career in resource protection with the National Park Service.

Thousands of other residents in Del Norte, Humbolt, Curry, and Josephine counties have attended the outdoor school program. When asked "Do these programs make a difference?" the answer from teachers, parents, and former students is an emphatic "Yes!" Though these same students probably could not recall what they did on their 10th birthday, they always remember the afternoon that the famous 200 year-old mountain man Jedediah Smith stepped out of the forest and led them tracking wildlife down Enderts Beach.

The Outdoor School program is an long term investment in both human and natural resources. Years from now, the 1992 "Away Teams" will transfer the stories they've stored in their personal "data banks" to the next generation of redwood heirs. It is hoped that many years from now there will be a group of 5th graders seeking shelter from the coastal mist huddled under the canopy of a tall redwood that was planted on the site of a former lumber camp one foggy Friday morning. The Future of the Outdoor Schools

The Outdoor School program, now 20 years old, provides an outdoor laboratory to over 8,000 students annually. However, both the Howland Hill and the Wolf Creek Outdoor Schools have a backlog of classes waiting to enroll. Uninsulated cabins and budgetary constraints on staffing means the outdoor schools only operate five months per year. Unfortunately many students must be turned away.

The complexity of global environmental problems requires the action, decisions and behaviors of a public with a firm understanding of ecology, economics and ethics. Though mighty redwoods may spring freely from small cones, an environmentally literate citizenry may only spring from well-funded environmental education programs. Redwood's Outdoor School relies on private donations to keep the gates open.

Recent donations to the Wolf Creek Outdoor School have enabled park staff to build a bathhouse and begin construction of a new activity center. It is hoped that further donations will enable the park to build all-weather facilities and hire year-round staff for the outdoor schools. If you would like to invest in Redwoods Empires' most important resource - its students - contact the park superintendent at: 707-464-6101.

This information was provided by the National Park Service

Visit http://www.redwood.national-park.com/info.htm for more information