Winter 2022: The100 Giants Project Update

A lot has happened over the course of Covid years, a Trump presidency, rapidly accelerating climate chaos,--all in combination with WildPlaces’ reflections of its work and, importantly its founder’s place in space. Twenty years of coordinating stewardship projects begged the question: What next?

The bottom-line is that over the past 20 years, WildPlaces took literally thousands of kids (other peoples’ children) on single and multi-day trips up into mountains, to remote, and sometimes risky places with limited communications We managed risks and challenges with expertise and experience that rendered a 100% safety record.

The kids rock climbed, white water rafted, biked, drove on sketchy gravel forest roads, used mules and horses and participated in a stewardship menu of activities that made unified school districts gasp. Yet we had a work around and managed to immerse kids into Nature in ways they may never experience again. We deepened the experience by doing restorative work on the land, and planting Giant sequoias was at the top of the list.

We collected the cones, germinated the seeds, grew them out for one year, and returned them back into the groves from which they came. One-of-a-kind project.

Fourteen or so planting events occurred over 15 years, mostly in the Long meadow Grove which includes the Trail of 100 Giants. This has been ground zero for the 100 Giants Project.

Since 2020, WildPlaces scaled down the volunteer and youth participation on these trips while scaling up its ownership/stewardship of over 45 acres of foothill oak woodlands, home originally to the Yoqut people. The homestead headquarters has worked out nicely to put it mildly. Anyone reading this update is invited and really should come check out what we affectionately call the Land or la Tierra. We built it, in part, for YOU.

We hope the kids we no longer serve will still find their way back to their home in the woods. The people of WildPlaces will always hold in its heart a strong place for those youth.

Now our focus continues for only a few stewardship efforts, the flagship program being Project 100 Giants. Volunteers are recruited from two groups that until recently have not been represented in the woods at all - the Two-Spirit comunities and culture identity groups that are rebounding like Aztec Dance and Mexica Temascal, or sweat lodge. These are the people who come to our Land with ceremony and deep appreciation and reverence for nature as seen the their dance, daily practices and prayer,.

From 2019-2021, we managed to plant about 25 trees at Belknap campground and Belknap Giant Sequoia Grove on 4/6-7 with some sturdy volunteers who had to hike and bike into the sites in the rain and snow while carrying tools and trees.

Also within those years, we planted 125 seedlings at Trail of 100 Giants in the Long Meadow Giant Sequoia Grove in addition to more than a hundred that were planted since 2008. Both sites were effected in 2021 by the catastrophic 2021 wildfire season.

Giant sequoia trees can live for up to 3,000 years, but in 2021, 10 to 14 percent of all giant sequoias in the Sierra Nevada that were at least four feet diameter were killed. The 2021 fire season included two large wildfires (both started by the same lightning storm in early September) that burned into a large number of giant sequoia groves.

The lightning-caused 97,528-acre Windy Fire just south of the Castle Fire (see map ) burned into eleven giant sequoia groves in September and October, 2021. WildPlaces is taking part to determine the impacts of the fire in the grove.

Initial assessment by USFS and a limited party of WildPlaces’ volunteers indicate the fire killed hundreds of giant sequoias. Many more were heavily torched and may or may not survive. The images here are quite startling and were taken during our April 17, 2022recon into the Cunningham and Belknap Groves along the Nelson Trail.

¡Las plantaciones de plántulas de secuoyas gigantes están de vuelta! 

Con las primeras lluvias en Long Meadow, las condiciones del suelo para plantar las plántulas de Secuoya Gigante están mejorando.  Recientes informes de exploración nos revelan están por terminar las condiciones secas y la temperatura está bajando. Ahora, podemos comenzar a plantar los 100 futuros gigantes establecidos en el Long Meadow Sequoia Grove en el Monumento Nacional Giant Sequoia.

Se está desarrollando una lista de plántulas de secoya.  Es una lista de las plántulas, todas las cuales se han registrado individualmente, que contiene o contendrá imágenes, los nombres de las plántulas, el cultivador, el sembrador, y las coordenadas GPS.  En este punto, proponemos publicar la lista aquí mientras se plantan los árboles.

Recuerde de revisar ésta página antes de los eventos para ver cambios o información al tanto.  

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The first Giant sequoia seedling has been planted !

November 12, 2019

With the first rains at Long Meadow, soil conditions for planting the Giant Sequoia seedlings are improving. Recent scouting reports dry conditions are soon over and the temperature is dropping. Now, we can begin getting the 100 future giants established in the native Long Meadow Sequoia Grove in the Giant Sequoia National Monument. The first of such seedlings were planted on November 12th (see photos right)

A Sequoia Seedling Roster is being developed. It is a list of the seedlings, all of which have been individually registered on the roster which contains or will contain pictures,  the seedlings’ names, the grower, the planter, the GPS coordinates. At this point, we propose to post the roster here as the trees are planted.

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Remember to check updates prior to events for changes

 

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Fire Forecast

Fire risk is low. Campfires are allowed and restrictions have been lifted

Weather Forecast

For Springville and WildPlaces Headquarters

For Trail of 100 Giants

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Personal Gear List

• Rain Jacket

• Warm/layered clothing for varying temperatures (No cotton, if possible). A warm jacket is essential and long underwear is recommended.

• Map of the area and of the drive to the event location including a printout of the written directions that may be provided, and have your own

• Hat, water bottle, plate and cup

• Sturdy, close-toed boots/shoes (for field activities) and sandals/tennis shoes (for around camp).

• Personal toiletries such as toothpaste, toothbrush, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a small towel or bandana, small first aid kit.

• Any medications (Indicate on medical form). 

• Day Pack  

• Personal flashlight/headlamp and extra batteries

• Camera

• Food and Special Diet Needs