Redwoods
September 23, 2009 12:30 PM Subscribe
Redwoods: The Super Trees. "They can grow to be the tallest trees on Earth. They can produce lumber, support jobs, safeguard clear waters, and provide refuge for countless forest species. If we let them."
I'm sick of these NeoCons and their right-wing agenda!
posted by Pollomacho at 12:48 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by Pollomacho at 12:48 PM on September 23, 2009
They're also awesome at crushing Imperial AT-ST's.
posted by dersins at 1:02 PM on September 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by dersins at 1:02 PM on September 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
I thought redwoods were notoriously hard to harvest for lumber, due to the trunks shattering on impact. At least that's what I recall a forest ranger telling us on a nature hike through the redwoods some while back.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:20 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by filthy light thief at 1:20 PM on September 23, 2009
Very nice post. Very, very nice post. Thanks! While in London recently, I walked past the Redwood grove in Kew Gardens, which, while impressive in its local context, was nothing compared to all this.
Someday I'll visit...
posted by paperpete at 1:26 PM on September 23, 2009
Someday I'll visit...
posted by paperpete at 1:26 PM on September 23, 2009
Hum. The mad scientist in me now want's to genetically engineer a cross between redwoods and baobab trees. Just so I can have something large enough to build my elven tree-house city in.
posted by happyroach at 1:35 PM on September 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by happyroach at 1:35 PM on September 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
Filthy light thief, you're thinking of Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)— which is also called redwood— the largest trees on earth, as opposed to the other redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) which is the tallest, though it may have been the largest before people got at them. What's left is, as Steve Sillet says in the article (though I first heard Bob Van Pelt call it this), "table scraps", and there most certainly were larger trees that were cut than any existing now.
They have a piece on the website about taking a photo of a tree (it looks like Iluvatar), saying it was "a photograph that had never been attempted". But James Balog did something very similar, he just didn't try to make it a seamless image.
posted by Red Loop at 1:47 PM on September 23, 2009
They have a piece on the website about taking a photo of a tree (it looks like Iluvatar), saying it was "a photograph that had never been attempted". But James Balog did something very similar, he just didn't try to make it a seamless image.
posted by Red Loop at 1:47 PM on September 23, 2009
Ha! Nice that that "tallest trees on Earth" link goes to a photo where you keep scrolling down down down.
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 1:48 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 1:48 PM on September 23, 2009
Seconding what burhanistan said. My wife and I (she hates waking up early) made it to Muir Woods ten minutes before it opened, and were let in anyway. We got about an hour of almost perfect silence before the tour-bus contents streamed hither.
posted by notsnot at 1:58 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by notsnot at 1:58 PM on September 23, 2009
Those trees have a life to them that is tangible.
I would have thought this was silly remark had I not visited the Olympic Peninsula and walked around in the rain forests out there. We immediately moved southern Oregon and/or northern California high up on the must-visit list.
A couple years after that, we went to the Grand Canyon. It was surely impressive, as I had hoped, but it was not nearly as overwhelming.
posted by Rat Spatula at 2:57 PM on September 23, 2009
I would have thought this was silly remark had I not visited the Olympic Peninsula and walked around in the rain forests out there. We immediately moved southern Oregon and/or northern California high up on the must-visit list.
A couple years after that, we went to the Grand Canyon. It was surely impressive, as I had hoped, but it was not nearly as overwhelming.
posted by Rat Spatula at 2:57 PM on September 23, 2009
Shortly after their discovery, giant sequoias were subject to much exhibitionism.
I just learned something new on wikipedia.
posted by snofoam at 3:01 PM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
I just learned something new on wikipedia.
posted by snofoam at 3:01 PM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
The first time I saw a Sequoia I cried.
posted by SuzB at 3:06 PM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by SuzB at 3:06 PM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Burhanistan and Red Loop - thanks for the clarification! Names I should recall from hours of plant studies in college, but they've gone fuzzy from lack of use.
Someday I'll visit...
If you can't make it early, then go on a longer trail. Most folks are content with a short stroll past the most epic of trees and go about seeing the next site. But there are some trees that cannot be overwhelmed by people alone. The sheer size of this fast growing tree is stunning.
Fun fact: General Sherman (the tree in Sequoia National Park) was named the Karl Marx Tree in 1890 by the Kaweah Cooperative Commonwealth, a Utopian colony of California socialists (HTML version by Google of the original pdf image, jpg copy).
posted by filthy light thief at 3:32 PM on September 23, 2009
Someday I'll visit...
If you can't make it early, then go on a longer trail. Most folks are content with a short stroll past the most epic of trees and go about seeing the next site. But there are some trees that cannot be overwhelmed by people alone. The sheer size of this fast growing tree is stunning.
Fun fact: General Sherman (the tree in Sequoia National Park) was named the Karl Marx Tree in 1890 by the Kaweah Cooperative Commonwealth, a Utopian colony of California socialists (HTML version by Google of the original pdf image, jpg copy).
posted by filthy light thief at 3:32 PM on September 23, 2009
I live behind The Redwood Curtain in Humboldt County and it's always a treat to see our resources get a tip of the hat. A banner of the full 300-foot, 1,600 year-old tree from the cover shot hangs from the clock tower on the HSU quad. (photo here)
posted by porn in the woods at 4:56 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by porn in the woods at 4:56 PM on September 23, 2009
I thought I recognized the name...
Ilúvatar (the Father of All), is the name in the legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien for the supreme God, the creator of the angels ( Ainur) and the universe ( Eä). He is the single omnipotent creator, but has delegated most direct action within Eä to the Ainur, including the shaping of the Earth ( Arda) itself. Also known as Eru, though Ilúvatar would be the Elven name.
The Father of All seems appropriate, really.
posted by markkraft at 7:11 PM on September 23, 2009
Ilúvatar (the Father of All), is the name in the legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien for the supreme God, the creator of the angels ( Ainur) and the universe ( Eä). He is the single omnipotent creator, but has delegated most direct action within Eä to the Ainur, including the shaping of the Earth ( Arda) itself. Also known as Eru, though Ilúvatar would be the Elven name.
The Father of All seems appropriate, really.
posted by markkraft at 7:11 PM on September 23, 2009
Thank you, homunculus for this post.
posted by at the crossroads at 7:30 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by at the crossroads at 7:30 PM on September 23, 2009
Redwoods really have a presence ... standing in a redwood grove with sunbeams filtering down is like being in a living cathedral.
One striking feature of redwood forests is how quiet they are. The wind, and moisture dripping from the leaves, are about all you can hear. (Absent noisy tourists, that is.) This is another result of the amazing decay-resistance of the wood. Very little rotting wood --> few insects --> few birds --> no birdcalls. You don't realize how much gentle noise there is in a regular forest from birds and small animals until you stand in a redwood forest and hear only the wind.
My house, a Victorian dating probably from the 1880s, was originally built entirely of clear heart redwood. It's amazingly durable for a such a soft wood, again because it's so rot-resistant. The 120-year old redwood lumber is generally in better shape than newer pieces of pine and fir that were added later. Clear heart redwood lumber is now practically unobtanium - healthy forests are more important, but it's kind of sad that I have to repair my house with "inferior" materials!
The wonderful qualities of redwood influenced local architecture as well - tall trees provided extra-long lumber which permitted tall balloon framed houses. Balloon framing was quick and cheap and suitable for boom towns with a shortage of skilled carpenters. (Nowadays, platform framing is used at least partly because long lumber has become very expensive.)
The so-called Stick/Eastlake Style of Victorian houses here in SF made extensive use of long straight redwood lumber for both framing and trim. The clear grain of the heartwood made it easy to mill into intricate shapes for the gingerbread trim, making San Francisco's Victorian houses some of the more exuberant ones in the US. I read somewhere that as the Gold Rush faded, there were lots of unemployed engineers in California who had formerly built and maintained mining equipment. These guys got jobs in lumbermills and helped build the fancy milling machines that turned out ornate gingerbread for houses. Officially California is the Golden State, but I think the Redwood State would be a better nickname.
posted by Quietgal at 7:53 PM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
One striking feature of redwood forests is how quiet they are. The wind, and moisture dripping from the leaves, are about all you can hear. (Absent noisy tourists, that is.) This is another result of the amazing decay-resistance of the wood. Very little rotting wood --> few insects --> few birds --> no birdcalls. You don't realize how much gentle noise there is in a regular forest from birds and small animals until you stand in a redwood forest and hear only the wind.
My house, a Victorian dating probably from the 1880s, was originally built entirely of clear heart redwood. It's amazingly durable for a such a soft wood, again because it's so rot-resistant. The 120-year old redwood lumber is generally in better shape than newer pieces of pine and fir that were added later. Clear heart redwood lumber is now practically unobtanium - healthy forests are more important, but it's kind of sad that I have to repair my house with "inferior" materials!
The wonderful qualities of redwood influenced local architecture as well - tall trees provided extra-long lumber which permitted tall balloon framed houses. Balloon framing was quick and cheap and suitable for boom towns with a shortage of skilled carpenters. (Nowadays, platform framing is used at least partly because long lumber has become very expensive.)
The so-called Stick/Eastlake Style of Victorian houses here in SF made extensive use of long straight redwood lumber for both framing and trim. The clear grain of the heartwood made it easy to mill into intricate shapes for the gingerbread trim, making San Francisco's Victorian houses some of the more exuberant ones in the US. I read somewhere that as the Gold Rush faded, there were lots of unemployed engineers in California who had formerly built and maintained mining equipment. These guys got jobs in lumbermills and helped build the fancy milling machines that turned out ornate gingerbread for houses. Officially California is the Golden State, but I think the Redwood State would be a better nickname.
posted by Quietgal at 7:53 PM on September 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
I recently visited the southernmost redwood in the world, the trunks hidden under the folige are substantial. and the poison oak was over my head.
posted by hortense at 8:06 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by hortense at 8:06 PM on September 23, 2009
Many people don't realize that there is also a redwood tree in China. In fact it was only known as a fossil until live ones were discovered in 1944.
posted by eye of newt at 8:35 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by eye of newt at 8:35 PM on September 23, 2009
By remarkable coincidence, I was among the redwoods today, in Big Basin State Park. Tallest tree in the park: 329 feet. Impressive and magnificent.
posted by ambient2 at 11:09 PM on September 23, 2009
posted by ambient2 at 11:09 PM on September 23, 2009
Big Basin is pretty impressive, if only because its so close to the heart of the S.F. Bay Area.
People visiting California invariably want to go up north -- Yosemite or Humboldt, for instance -- and see the Redwoods, but the thing is, you don't have to travel that far. You can go hiking in the redwoods from the center of much of the Bay Area in less than 30 minutes... and if you travel for a little longer, you can be in Big Basin, with some of the tallest old growth redwoods in the world, with the tallest being about 7/8ths the height of Ilúvatar.
Other than the fact that Ilúvatar is obviously in a much more wild, unventured, untended environment, I would imagine it would be hard to notice those extra 50 feet or so. One thing that you can do in Big Basin that's pretty awesome is actually go inside some of the redwoods.
posted by markkraft at 1:59 AM on September 24, 2009
People visiting California invariably want to go up north -- Yosemite or Humboldt, for instance -- and see the Redwoods, but the thing is, you don't have to travel that far. You can go hiking in the redwoods from the center of much of the Bay Area in less than 30 minutes... and if you travel for a little longer, you can be in Big Basin, with some of the tallest old growth redwoods in the world, with the tallest being about 7/8ths the height of Ilúvatar.
Other than the fact that Ilúvatar is obviously in a much more wild, unventured, untended environment, I would imagine it would be hard to notice those extra 50 feet or so. One thing that you can do in Big Basin that's pretty awesome is actually go inside some of the redwoods.
posted by markkraft at 1:59 AM on September 24, 2009
One striking feature of redwood forests is how quiet they are. The wind, and moisture dripping from the leaves, are about all you can hear.
Even a very small stand of them can create an oasis of quiet in the middle of traffic. There's a tiny grove, maybe a dozen trees, around the corner from me. Walking under them puts me into a different world, just for a minute.
posted by tangerine at 10:57 AM on September 24, 2009
Even a very small stand of them can create an oasis of quiet in the middle of traffic. There's a tiny grove, maybe a dozen trees, around the corner from me. Walking under them puts me into a different world, just for a minute.
posted by tangerine at 10:57 AM on September 24, 2009
I like redwoods fine in the abstract, and I certainly hope we can save them, but I get a twitch whenever they come up in conversation. A redwood tree is slowly destroying my (rented) home.
About 20 years ago, the landlord received a sapling as a gift. Misty-eyed with recollections of her childhood in the redwood forests of California, she planted it about five feet from the back corner of the cabin.
FYI, I recommend planting redwood saplings... further from your house than that.
Aside from the "one day it will crush my bathroom" issue, it's a lovely tree. Drops an infuriating amount of needles every time the wind kicks up, but I understand that's a feature, not a bug.
[Recalls wind last night; glances at front porch; grumbles; gets broom.]
posted by ErikaB at 12:33 PM on September 24, 2009
About 20 years ago, the landlord received a sapling as a gift. Misty-eyed with recollections of her childhood in the redwood forests of California, she planted it about five feet from the back corner of the cabin.
FYI, I recommend planting redwood saplings... further from your house than that.
Aside from the "one day it will crush my bathroom" issue, it's a lovely tree. Drops an infuriating amount of needles every time the wind kicks up, but I understand that's a feature, not a bug.
[Recalls wind last night; glances at front porch; grumbles; gets broom.]
posted by ErikaB at 12:33 PM on September 24, 2009
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posted by homunculus at 12:31 PM on September 23, 2009