Author and retired educator Terry Lee Marzell recently visited several of California’s redwood forests. She is pictured here at Humboldt Redwoods State Park, located along the famous Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt County. Photo credit: Hal Marzell

Educators who are creating lessons about California’s rich botanical heritage will surely want to include information about the California’s redwood forests. The majestic trees found in these forests are among the tallest and oldest in the world. Groves of redwoods can be found in redwood state and national parks along the northern coast of California. In fact, the state boasts a total of 31 such parks. I had the good fortune to visit several of them on a road trip my husband, our little dog Kurby, and I recently enjoyed.

The average height of a mature redwood is between 200 to 240 feet. Some can even grow as large as 350 feet with a diameter of over 20 feet. These amazing trees can live up to 2,000 years!

If you visit in person, you can explore these forests by walking along  easy, relatively short, well-marked, and well-maintained nature trails. Touring these trails is like venturing into a magical fairyland, complete with towering timbers, lush ferns, colorful mushrooms, spongy floors, and filtered light. I’m sure these forests would be impressive at any time of the year, but in winter, the growth is more green and lush, and because of the frequent insulating fog and the ample rain, over 300 types of mushrooms sprout up.

You and your students can also explore California’s redwood forests online. Here is a link to a six minute educational about the forests, and also a live webcam that shows a river flowing through the forest: Virtual Redwoods. To learn more about the various redwood parks along the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt County, click on this link. At this website you will find maps, photos, and information about visitor centers.