The Conservation Fund calculates that over two years, its forest has soaked up an extra 350,000 tons of carbon. That’s roughly equivalent to taking 80,000 cars off the road for a year.

Turning forests into “carbon banks” may be an economically viable proposition.  With the prospect of a climate change bill being passed this year, a carbon marketplace (where “carbon credits” can be traded) is looking very possible. When those regulations are in place, forests will have economic value beyond the price of their timber, and that’s what the Conservation Fund is banking on.

Listen to the full report on NPR.org

Researcher in the redwood forest canopy

When developing my paintings for Redwoods, I relied heavily on photographs taken by Steve Sillett and his team of researchers.  Mr. Sillett is a leading researcher of tall trees and the environments that they create.  His groundbreaking research was described in the wonderful book by Richard Preston, The Wild Trees.  Climbing tall trees is very dangerous, and since I do not possess the necessary skills to see the canopy for myself, I owe a debt to the wealth of photos published on Humboldt State University’s Institute for Redwood Ecology website.  I strongly recommend you check them out — they are unbelievable!