SPAWN’s Habitat Restoration Intern William Bone (A.K.A. the fish whisperer) has been working tirelessly to figure out how to grow thriving redwood trees. He’s been on the search for just the right mixture of sun, water, dirt, science and TLC to grow these mighty giant trees!
Together with the help of a dedicated team of volunteers and fellow interns, William kicked off the coastal redwood tree growth study in January. After countless hours in the native plant nursery, William and his team learned more about the methods and the science behind redwood germination and propagation and have grown nearly 400 new individual redwoods this year alone. Yes, you read that right!
Armed with this impressive early result, William plans to put together a scientific paper and a lecture that will discuss the success and growth rates exhibited by the varying methods and materials. He hopes to present SPAWN (and its future interns) with a step-by-step procedure for successful production and care of redwoods to ensure that these coastal giants continue to pepper native plant restoration sites and communities for centuries to come.
Redwoods play an especially important role in our region. Endangered coho salmon rely on these trees for habitat, while the redwoods rely on the trace minerals from dead and decaying salmon tissue to grow. The survival of one is affected by the presence (or lack) of the other, and vice versa. This finely honed relationship displays the major roles they both play in ecology and highlights the importance of continuing to protect our creekside habitat.
This is a fun experiment that anyone can partake in! If you’d like to help William grow redwood trees or volunteer in our native plant nursery please email preston@tirn.net to get involved.
