A Tangled Web: Redwoods, Colonialism, Eugenics, and Climate Change
Many people may not realize when walking among redwood forests that their conservation is tied up in a natural and social history that is as complex as the trees are visually spectacular. It is precisely the traits that give the redwoods their splendor that led to one particularly nefarious argument for their conservation—the then-emerging field of eugenics. Read on to learn more about how eugenics is entangled with the history of redwoods conservation.
DEIJ Reading List
As we work to achieve our mission to protect redwoods and create public access to lands, it is critical to center Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) across all of our work. As we move forward on this journey, our staff have shared some of the books that have served as guideposts for their own DEIJ journeys as we embark on this work together.
The Seedling Saga
Plant a native plant and habitat is restored! Right? The saga of these seedlings, five years in the making, offers a look at the deceptively difficult process and planning that come before planting and the seemingly endless problems that stand between their roots and restoring native habitat.
Removing a Dam, Restoring a Watershed
In September 2021, a defunct, century-old dam was removed from Mill Creek, in the San Vicente watershed, inland from Davenport, CA. This moment capped a decade of restoration efforts in the watershed at the southern end of San Vicente Redwoods, to bring back Coho salmon and improve redwood forest resiliency. Restoring the watershed has also helped the Amah Mutsun tribal band re-establish their relationship to the land and to their history. Their partnership and research deepens our understanding of what stewardship means, for forests, for water, and for everyone. We invite you to hear from the many voices of the Mill Creek dam story in the video and read more about the dam removal here.
Our Vision
We believe wild and thriving redwood forests can flourish again from Silicon Valley to the Pacific Ocean. With your help, we can establish a large, interconnected, and protected network of healthy trees and streams, stretching across public and private lands. Learn more.
Our Work
Healthy, connected coast redwoods ensure vibrant habitat, clean air and water, and climate resilience. Your support purchases, restores, and safeguards redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains, ensuring they will never be developed, degraded, or destroyed. Learn more about how we work.
Most people glimpse their first redwood in a public park. Your support expands our great local redwood parks, sharing new destinations with the public, and helping make the land more accessible and welcoming for everyone. Discover the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The redwood forests we protect are strategically identified for their ecological and conservation values. Many of these lands serve as critical habitat corridors. And redwoods are resilient allies in the fight to address our climate crisis. Explore Redwoods Science.
We work in the forests, repairing and restoring the delicate balance of life, protecting and healing the best habitat. You can volunteer with us—helping tend to the forests—and you can fund the stewardship of the redwood forests you cherish. Learn more about caring for our lands.
