When Senior Park Ranger Maureen Beckman started patrolling Carbon Canyon Regional Park about five years ago, there was one thing she heard most often: Don’t be the ranger who kills the redwoods.
Tucked into the south end of the park about a mile’s hike from the nearest parking lot is a three-acre grove of 242 coastal redwood trees – the tallest standing about 100 feet.
Nearly two years ago, with California in a severe drought and water rationed by local governments, the thirsty redwood trees were in peril.
You don’t want to be the ranger that kills the redwoods,” Beckman said.
Making sure that this was our priority and that we were out here and checking on them.” Besides the additional watering, the park has taken other steps to help the redwoods thrive, Beckman said.
Beckman even had informational panels installed along the trail to show people in the grove how the massive trees are cared for and why the trees might not look like the evergreen ones they’ve seen in photos along the coast who are in their natural climate.
The latest sapling was donated about three years ago.
The park is not in the business of taking in more redwood trees, Beckman said, and has turned away others offered.
It could be that one of the trees is now dying and we don’t know it yet,” Beckman said.
There are trails for hiking, including to the redwood grove.