Giant sequoias are some of the most majestic trees currently in the natural world. They can grow to thousands of years old, relying on an impressive natural resilience to fire, insects, weather and drought.
However, climate change and unprecedented high-severity wildfires have tested that natural resilience in recent years.
Losing history, preserving the future
We’ve lost an estimated 20% of all the mature giant sequoias in the world since 2015 when wildfire magnitude and severity sharply increased in California’s Sierra Nevada. Some of the trees lost were 3,000 years old.
AnswerConnect is proud to partner with Save The Redwoods League in collaboration with the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition. Their work will support the planting of more than 53,000 saplings in areas severely burned in 2020.
Preparing for a hotter future
This is Phase-2 of a massive reforestation project at the Alder Creek Giant Sequoia Grove – a spectacular 530-acre property that contains hundreds of ancient giant sequoias, including the Stagg Tree, the fifth-largest tree known in the world, as measured by volume.
{Alder Creek Map to show the location of work being done}
Save The Redwoods League supports the goals of the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition by clearing unnaturally overgrown brush and trees, reducing the potential for a fire. They continue to plant tens of thousands of sequoia seedlings to replace the trees lost in recent years. They also experiment with assisted gene flow to pass along traits to make the next generation of trees more robust.
Protecting trees; protecting the planet
Massive in size, Giant Sequoias have a lengthy history of coexisting with wildfires. They rely on wildfires for seed dispersal and seedling establishment. However, the increased ferocity of the wildfires due to climate change – coupled with drought and the build-up of vegetation after years of fire suppression – has resulted in unprecedented tree loss. The species was once thought to be immune to flames because of its thick bark and towering canopy. But recent years have shown that this is sadly not the case.
AnswerConnect CEO Natalie Ruiz said;
“We chose to support this project as we are committed to ensuring the survival of our planet and endangered tree species. There’s no substitute for these extraordinary trees and we are proud to stand alongside Save The Redwoods League and the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition to do the work to restore the natural forest condition. We have to help nature as without it, we won’t be here.”
The incredible work of Save the Redwoods League will help protect this Ancient Giant Sequoia Forest in the Southern Sierra. The incredible work won’t mature for another 2,500 years. But it’s the start of an impactful change to support the Earth thousands of years from now.
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