Forestry Adventure At Redwood National and State Parks

Redwood National and State Parks

The adventurous Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP)  are located along the coast of northern California in the United States. Comprising Redwood National Park and California’s Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Parks.

These parks are covered with a magnificent forest of sequoia redwood trees, the tallest and most impressive trees in the world. The marine and land life are equally remarkable, in particular the sea lions, the bald eagle and the endangered California brown pelican. The combined RNSP contain about 540 km²  forested land. Located entirely within Del Norte and Humboldt Counties, the four parks, together, protect 45% of all remaining Coastal Redwood old-growth forests, totaling at least 157.75 km^2.

Flora

It is estimated by surveys taken for Redwood National State Parks that the ancient old-growth redwood forest once covered close to 8,100 km²  area of coastal northern California where 96% of all old-growth redwoods have been logged, and almost half , say 45% of the redwoods remaining are found in Redwood National and State Parks.

These parks protects 157.75 km² area of old-growth forest almost equally divided between federal 79.5 km² area and state 78.27 km² management. Redwoods have existed along the coast of northern California for at least 20 million years and are related to tree species that existed 160 million years ago.

These Redwood National parks also contains another large trees commonly found in the forest of Coast Douglas-fir, which has been measured at heights of over 300 feet high. Sitka Spruce are plentiful along the coast and are better adapted to salty air than other species.

The beautiful evergreen hardwood tanoak produces a nut similar to the acorns produced by the related genus Quercus (oak). Both tanoaks and oaks are part of the beech family. Trees such as the Pacific Madrone, Bigleaf Maple, California laurel, and red alder are also widespread throughout these parks.

Fauna

Several beautiful ecosystems exist, with seacoast, river, prairie, and densely forested zones all within the park, it is a preserve for a rare number of animal species. The Brown Pelican and Tidewater Goby are federally listed endangered species that live near the Pacific coastline.

The Bald Eagle, which usually nests near a water source, is listed as a threatened species, a designation which includes vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered species, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the state of California lists it as endangered. The Chinook Salmon, Northern Spotted Owl, and Steller’s Sea Lion are a few of the other animal species that are threatened.

Presently, RNSP contains over 200 exotic species known to live in Redwood National and State Parks. Of these thirty have been identified as invasive species, ten of these are considered threats to local species and ecosystems .Around 40 mammal species have been documented in these parks, including the black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, beaver, river otter, black-tailed deer, elk, and coyote.

Along the coastline,visitors can have a mind freak look on California Sea Lions, Steller Sea Lions and Harbor Seals live near the shore and on seastacks, rocky outcroppings forming small islands just off the coast. Dolphins and Pacific gray whales are occasionally seen offshore. Roosevelt elk are the most readily observed specie of the large mammals in the park.

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