Goudy Old Style 84 pt.

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Save the Redwoods League protects and restores
redwood forests and connects people with their
peace and beauty so these wonders of the natural
world flourish.
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• Coast redwoods are the worlds tallest tree-
  taller than 30-floor skyscraper
• Only native in a narrow strip from central CA to
  southern OR
• Trunks can grow 24 feet wide
• Can grow for over 2,000 years
• Of the original 2 million acres of old-growth
  redwoods, 95 has been logged

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The Garden Club of America Grove

• Located in the heart of Humboldt Redwoods State
  Park
• The original 2,552 acres was purchased in 1931
  and formally dedicated as the GCA Grove in 1934
• GCA covered half the acquisition costs

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A History of Partnership

• Over the next 4 decades, SRL and GCA partnered to
  protect more priority lands for addition to the
  grove and to protect the entire Canoe Creek
  watershed
• When the last parcel was added in 1972, the grove
  was over 5,100 acres
• It is the 3rd largest dedicated grove in the
  entire CA State Park system

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A History of Partnership

• Since 1930, GCA members across the country have
  donated over 1.5 million dollars to ensure the
  protection of the lands within and around the GCA
  Grove
• As of August 1, 2013, only 270,000 remained from
  the GCA share of acquisition costs

Photo Hillsborough Garden Club Members visiting
the GCA Grove in September 2011.  In 1943, the
Hillsborough Garden Club was awarded the Garden
Club of America Founders Fund Award to establish
a separate redwood grove in honor of J. Sterling
Morton, the Founder of National Arbor Day.
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ARCATA

• The GCA Grove is located in Humboldt Redwoods
  State Park
• 40 miles south of Eureka, CA
• 215 miles north of San Francisco, CA

EUREKA
FORTUNA
HUMBOLDT REDWOODS
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The Grove is accessed from a Day Use Area just
off the scenic Avenue of the Giants Parkway
The entrance is marked by 2 wooden signs
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A New Partnership Opportunity

• Canoe Fire in 2003 and storms in 2006 obstructed
  access to the lands in and around the GCA Grove
• The fire resistant ancient redwoods survived with
  only scorched trunks, but many trails and bridges
  were completely destroyed
• CA State Parks has not been able to secure the
  funding to rehabilitate the area and access
  remains closed off

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Redwood sorrel (Oxalis oregano) carpets the floor
of the GCA Grove. This is one of the areas that
burned hottest during the Canoe Fire yet the
ancient trees remain strong and a lush green
understory of ferns and sorrel has returned.
Unfortunately, this area is currently closed to
the public. .
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Photos taken in July 2013. On the left, Canoe
Creek runs through the GCA Grove.
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A New Partnership Opportunity

• A plan has been designed to
• Restore 2.5 miles of trail
• Reroute 3.5 miles of trail to a more sustainable
  alignment
• Replace 8 bridges ranging from 18 to 42 feet
• Build 7 small retaining walls to prevent erosion

Photo Ranger Wiegman stands at one of the areas
in need of a new bridge. A wooden plank serves
as a temporary bridge for Park staff to access
this area, which is still closed to the public.
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Bridge the Gap!

• Recently announced Bridge the Gap campaign is an
  effort to raise funds to reopen public access to
  the GCA Grove
• AND donations will also be credited toward the
  remaining balance of GCAs share of the
  acquisition costs of the final land purchase in
  1972!

Photo GCA members crossing Canoe Creek.
Courtesy of the GCA Archives.
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Bridge the Gap
In 2013 and 2014 SRL will double-credit
GCA-affiliated donations to 1. The River Trail
Restoration Project, and 2. The remaining
balance of the 1972 acquisition costs
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What Clubs Are Doing

• Clubs are encouraged by GCA to donate directly to
  Save the Redwoods League
• By Mail Please reference GCA or Bridge the
  Gap
• Online at www.SaveTheRedwoods.org/GCA
• Fundraising updates are available by signing in
  to the GCA Members Area

(As of Nov. 15, 2013)
We hope to plan a celebratory field trip to the
GCA Grove to see the restored trail in 2018 when
the GCA Annual Meeting will be in San Francisco,
and when Save the Redwoods League turns 100
years!
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For more photos and information visit
www.SaveTheRedwoods.org/GCA Questions? Contact
Megan Ferreira at Save the Redwoods League at
[phone] or mferreira_at_SaveTheRedwoods.org