#Redwood tree

[sherrylephotography]

My photography @sherrylephotography

September 2023

Redwood tree

[morningcallsphotography]

Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway Orick, CA NY -> CA (and back), 2021

Contact ©morningcallsphotography

[fallensapphires]

Nature: Redwood Forests

The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always. No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable. From them comes silence and awe. It's not only their unbelievable stature, nor the color which seems to shift and vary under your eyes, no, they are not like any trees we know, they are ambassadors from another time.

Requested by @its-astrotea-love

[tricksterfiction]

Prompt #2 Bark

An old tradition for budding young Gridanian conjurers was to ask the Elementals for their first cane. Firstly starting with a branch collected at the express consent from the chosen tree and then whittled carefully by hand. It built character, connection to one's tools, it was a rite of passage.

However, with every generation of conjurers there would be a select few who simply bit of more than they could chew.

One such plucky youth prayed before her chosen tree, a deeply rooted Redwood loomed above. It's lowest branches far higher than a seasoned botanist would consider worth the time to collect. Importantly it watched over her family's new home. At it's base was wrapped lovingly with red and white string, a small golden bell knotted in a bow, along with a wooden plate carved with a prayer in Doman. The bell chimed quietly, and the plate clacked with every brush of the breeze.

Sen one such plucky youth, with only 9 summers to her name - occasionally blowing long gingery bangs from her face. Wrapped in a dark green robe. Autumn leaves piled not far from where she was. She had knelt there for three quarters of a bell and was interrupted by the sneaking arrival of her friend, Dolyea Dahkra the dark faced mooncatte with deep crimson eyes and her expert tickling hands...!

A squeal from Sen and delighted cackle from Dolyea broke the peace, both collapsing in a fit of giggles.

After catching her breath, Sen playfully pushed Dolyea, "You scared me! I was right in the middle of praying-"

"You're always so busy praying now, studying and praying, praying and studying." Dolyea complained, "I hardly see you anymore."

Sen patted the air at Dolyea, "I know, I know. Old knifeear's doesn't give me any free time, ever!"

Dolyea sulkily picked under her nail with her fang, she looked up at the tree. "What're you praying to this tree for anyway?"

Sen brightened, then pointed, "I'm gonna get that branch for my cane." Both the girls craned their necks up, Sen sheltered her eyes from the sun with a hand grinning.

Dolyea frowned deeply, "Uh. That's pretty high up." Looking back down at Sen.

"Yeah!"

"You're not that great of a climber and even I wouldn't try that without help from my one of my sisters."

Confidently tapping her temple, Sen went to the other side of the tree proudly holding up some adult sized tree climbing gear. Boots with some jury rigged spikes were there too. "I got that covered, only an idiot would try to climb this without proper equipment. I begged Uncle Hara to let me borrow his gear for the afternoon to 'study it.'"

"I thought the old lizard threw out his back from working for the botanists."

"He did." She blinked at Dolyea, they stared at each other.

"Seeennn..." Dolyea drew out, "C'mon this is dumb, you can easily climb another tree to get a branch instead of this giant."

"No see, that's exactly why." Sen held up her finger, "No other kid is going to have a redwood cane like me, I've only seen a few adults with one. Do you know how jealous the other apprentices will be when they see me whittling that branch? Besides..." She fanned out her hand, "This tree has been watching out for my family, even if the climb is dangerous I'll be fine."

They stared at each other once more, the wind blew again rustling some leaves in place of crickets. Dolyea's concern phased out for frustration.

"What're you gonna do when you're so high up and can't get back down?" Dolyea challenged, fists on her hips - her tail whipping about behind her, "Or if you get stuck?" She threw up her hands, "Who cares what those other conjurer snobs think, you're already in the club!"

Sen puffed up her chest, cheeks burning, a big stomp on the ground, "You know it's not enough to just be there!" She was digging in.

Dolyea's ears perked with surprise then lowered sheepishly, usually it wasn't this hard to convince Sen to do anything. Had they really been spending that much time apart...?

Sen deflated then scooped her friend's hands, a sudden shift to worry - had she gone too far?

"Sorry! Sorry I didn't mean to yell, please don't be mad."

Dolyea huffed, decidedly, "The second you slip, or or- fall-" She stopped then squinted, levelling the threat solemnly. "I'm calling for your mom."

"Deal." She let go and stuck out her hand. They did a quick version of their 'secret' handshake.

With a little help Sen had strapped the gear onto her tiny waist, with they knotted the leather straps twice over so it fit snug on her body. Sen came prepared with a length of rope, a toothy saw, and a small leather water skin. The leather creaked against the knots, but it all felt as secure as it was going to get.

Dolyea did a quick double check, grimacing. "Don't die, please."

"I'll be fine, you'll see!" Confidence abound, Sen started the laborious climb up the tree. Two hands on the strap hugging the tree, toes spikes digging into the bark of the redwood as she climbed.

Meanwhile the keeper paced below watching, quietly praying.

Sen kept her eyes on the prize, her palms were sweaty, she leaned heavily in the belt wiping her brow with her sleeve frequently. Importantly, she didn't look down.

When she finally made it to the branch, she took a good break sipping generously from her waterskin. Peeking over her shoulder to look below, nearly losing all her nerve seeing how far up she was now. A shiver, a quick hug to the tree, a shaky prayer. The branch she came for was only ilms away.

Firstly she pulled the rope off, throwing it up a little further to another branch much thicker, and with a few tests for weight she looped the rope through her belt. Escape secured.

Carefully pulling the saw from her belt, she steadied herself to start the work. Spitting away the odd shavings of wood, shaking her head, rubbing her sweaty forehead into the crook of her elbow. Unbeknownst to her, leather slipped slowly with each pass over the branch she made.

Nearing the final passes, her hands shook with exertion, and... with a terrible snap of leather the belt that she was leaning so heavily into slipped up into her armpit throwing her off her spiked toe balance. She dropped the saw, panicked, swinging wildly - she saw the ground, the sky, her feet were far from the tree the rope carrying her far too quickly back to the ground. Screeching with terror, Dolyea screamed below with her arms open scrambling left and right trying to catch the falling lizard.

And she did, just with her whole body.

The girls wailed for help from where they laid, sobbing loudly. Mrs Urabe came first, with such speed only a mother could move at the sound of her baby's cries. Concerned neighbours appeared not long after to help. Inside they called Madame Dubois to patch up the sorry pair.

A little while later...

After crying out the story, sniffling the details, Sen and Dolyea received the scolding of a lifetime from their respective parents while Madame Dubois aetherically melded broken arms back in place, piecing together ribs. The elezen conjurer assuring Sen's parents this stunt was not in the lesson plan.

Satisfied, Madame Dubois brought her protégé back outside to the tree. Dusk settled over the woods. Sen hung her head, arm in a cotton sling. They stood for a few moments of silence before the elezen took a deep breath in and sighed.

"If you ever pull a stunt like this again, and survive you will no longer be apprenticed." Her back was to Sen, then she turned, "Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"All this trouble and for what?" She asked, her tone calm but pointed, "You aren't going to prove anything to anybody if you're dead, Sen."

Sen swallowed, her head was bowed, "Yes, ma'am."

"Did you complete the prayers? You could have risked greenwrath-"

SNAP! THUNK!

Startled, the pair jumped at the branch landing in a pile of leaves. The wind blew at the back of Sen's heels, the chime of the tiny bell. Wide eyed she stared at the pile, moments away from a grin.

Madame Dubois stared as well, but she was reading the signs. Her eyes fluttered up in an exasperated eye roll, rubbing her temple with one hand. She looked down to find Sen pleadingly looking for permission.

"Fine! Fine."

Sen shot for the branch, scooping it up awkwardly in one arm, saying many thank you's to her mentor, to the tree, to the Elementals. The redwood leaned with the same breeze, leaves rustling contentedly.

[coffeebooksandmore]

A few beautiful moments from my walk

tanbirkaurr

[procrastinahman]

Kinda want to stay here forever Kinda like a big redwood tree

[xlntwtch2]

photo by @xlntwtch2 ... december 2023

"the days will get longer now, more light on everything"

[nordinor]

Redwood National Park, California

Prints of my travel photography are available for purchase at my Etsy store.

[originalgravity]

[emthewordenthusiast]

Poem: The Redwood Seed

I wonderif the redwood seedknows before he’s tallthat one day in the foresthe’ll rise above them all I wonderif the redwood seedever cowers in the shadeas he stares up at the giantsthat make him feel afraid I wonderhow the redwood seedwould feel if he could knowthat one day he’ll be one of themhe only needs to grow I wonderif the redwood seedwould doubt if he could seebut most of all I…

[anakahaia]

Inktober 2023

Day 29: Massive

The redwood tree stretches into the heavens

[clunge]

Cam - Redwood Tree

[total-derangement-of-the-senses]

Song of the Day

5 Aug., ‘23

[reasonsforhope]

"The Yurok will be the first Tribal nation to co-manage land with the National Park Service under a historic memorandum of understanding signed on Tuesday [March 19, 2024] by the tribe, Redwood national and state parks, and the non-profit Save the Redwoods League, according to news reports.

The Yurok tribe has seen a wave of successes in recent years, successfully campaigning for the removal of a series of dams on the Klamath River, where salmon once ran up to their territory, and with the signing of a new memorandum of understanding, the Yurok are set to reclaim more of what was theirs.

Save the Redwoods League bought a property containing these remarkable trees in 2013, and began working with the tribe to restore it, planting 50,000 native plants in the process. The location was within lands the Yurok once owned but were taken during the Gold Rush period.

Centuries passed, and by the time it was purchased it had been used as a lumber operation for 50 years, and the nearby Prairie Creek where the Yurok once harvested salmon had been buried.

Currently located on the fringe of Redwoods National and State Parks which receive over 1 million visitors every year and is a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site, the property has been renamed ‘O Rew, a Yurok word for the area.

“Today we acknowledge and celebrate the opportunity to return Indigenous guardianship to ‘O Rew and reimagine how millions of visitors from around the world experience the redwoods,” said Sam Hodder, president and CEO of Save the Redwoods League.

Having restored Prarie Creek and filled it with chinook and coho salmon, red-legged frogs, northwestern salamanders, waterfowl, and other species, the tribe has said they will build a traditional village site to showcase their culture, including redwood-plank huts, a sweat house, and a museum to contain many of the tribal artifacts they’ve recovered from museum collections.

Believing the giant trees sacred, they only use fallen trees to build their lodges.

“As the original stewards of this land, we look forward to working together with the Redwood national and state parks to manage it,” said Rosie Clayburn, the tribe’s cultural resources director.

It will add an additional mile of trails to the park system, and connect them with popular redwood groves as well as new interactive exhibits.

“This is a first-of-its-kind arrangement, where Tribal land is co-stewarded with a national park as its gateway to millions of visitors. This action will deepen the relationship between Tribes and the National Park Service,” said Redwoods National Park Superintendent Steve Mietz, adding that it would “heal the land while healing the relationships among all the people who inhabit this magnificent forest.”"

-via Good News Network, March 25, 2024

[wachinyeya]

CA Redwoods to Be First National Park Co-Managed with a Native American Tribe That Used to Own it https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/ca-redwoods-to-be-the-first-national-park-co-managed-with-a-native-american-tribe-that-used-to-own-it/

questionable headline aside this is good news

The Yurok will be the first Tribal nation to co-manage land with the National Park Service under a historic memorandum of understanding signed on Tuesday by the tribe, Redwood national and state parks, and the non-profit Save the Redwoods League, according to news reports.

The Yurok tribe has seen a wave of successes in recent years, successfully campaigning for the removal of a series of dams on the Klamath River, where salmon once ran up to their territory, and with the signing of a new memorandum of understanding, the Yurok are set to reclaim more of what was theirs.