Palo Colorado

I hiked the other day for several miles along Palo Colorado Creek.  I stopped for a while in the Fairy Ring, a large circle of 100 ft. tall second-growth redwoods, who solemnly stand, as if holding hands, around a soft clearing where once stood one giant old growth redwood.  I stood in that circle ankle deep in a carpet of redwood duff, deep red dead needles and bark slowly turning into soil, birthing the old growth into new.

The coast redwoods in my canyon, sequoia sempervirans, were extensively logged 150 years ago, along with most of California’s giant trees.  Of the 2 million acres of redwood forest that stood before loggers arrived with their giant hand saws, and later steam powered donkey engines, only 4% still remains, half in parks, the other half still controversially logged.

From Palo Colorado Canyon (which means redwood canyon in Spanish) the trees were hauled out by oxen, loaded onto ships on the rough Big Sur Coast, milled at Felton or Davenport, and used to rebuild San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.  Giant stumps line our canyon with hewn indentations 8 feet above ground where loggers stood on boards notched into the trunk and slowly toppled the tree.

One old growth tree still stands on our four acre property, spared probably because of its tricky location in a steep creek bed.  We call it Big Red.

California redwoods are the tallest trees in the world, reaching over 370 ft, 120 meters, like walking along through a forest of 35 story buildings.  They are also the largest living tree by mass volume, up to 2000 tons, the size of 20 blue whales.  And they live a long time, as much as 3500 years.

California author John Steinbeck said about redwood trees, "The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always...From them comes silence and awe. It's not only their unbelievable stature, nor the color which sees to shift and vary under your eyes, no then are not like any trees we know, they are ambassadors from another time."

Actually then are from another time, the Jurassic period to be exact. Stephen Spielberg was correct in placing T.Rex among the redwoods; the dinosaurs may be long gone, but the sequoia still stand tall. Once populous on most continents, their range shrank as the world warmed, now only on the California coast and Sierra foothills. They depend on coastal fog for 40% of their moisture, since they don't have a tap root. Their extensive root system, strong enough to hold up a 2000 ton tree against coastal storms, extends not down (only 10 ft) but out, up to 80 ft from the base.

I learned about these wide roots from a suicide prevention counselor. She told a group of us ministers that we need to emulate the redwoods; they extend their roots out widely not only for precious water but also for mutual support - they literally grab onto each other when the storms come.

Buddhist botanist Stephanie Kaza says, "Redwoods are the yogis of the forest," silent and wise and deep. Their longevity comes in part from their very thick bark, full of resin that resists fire and prevents decay from insects.

They are also one of the few trees that can reproduce without seeds; new sprouts can form from a stump or from a downed tree's roots, as a clone. Hence the Fairy Ring around the ghost of a former Big Red, and the new trees that rise from those old lumbered stumps.

Activist Julia Butterfly Hill sat atop a 180 ft redwood she called Luna for 738 days in the Late 90's to prevent the Pacific Lumber Company from felling it, and to draw attention to the plight of these rare and wise trees. She was somewhat successful - Luna still stands and lumber companies have made at least a public relations commitment to sustainable forestry practices.

Californians realized early that special beauty of redwood groves and have set apart some magnificent ones: I recommend Big Basin State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the first of our state parks, 1902, and Muir Woods, just 12 miles north of San Francisco, a magical spot. I stopped at Muir Woods once on my way to a dreaded church meeting and got some good advice. I have a card, "Advice from a Tree" hanging in my bedroom:

Advice From a Tree
Dear Friend
Stand Tall and Proud
Sink your roots deeply into the Earth
Reflect the light of your true nature
Think long term
Go out on a limb
Remember your place among all living beings
Embrace with joy the changing seasons
For each yields its own abundance
The energy and Birth of Spring
The Growth and Contentment of Summer
The wisdom to let go like leaves in the Fall
The rest and Quiet renewal of Winter

Feel the wind and the sun
And delight in their presence
Look up at the moon that shines down upon you
And the mystery of the stars at night
Seek nourishment from the good things in life
Simple pleasures
Earth, fresh air, light
Be content with your natural beauty
Drink plenty of water
Le your limbs sway and dance in the breezes
Be flexible
Remember your roots
Enjoy the view!
(Ilan Shamir)

Copyright © Deborah Streeter