Ancient Forest Society Partners with One Tree Planted to collect Giant Sequoia seeds

Ancient Forest Society, a South Lake Tahoe-based nonprofit, has announced a new partnership with One Tree Planted. The two organizations are working together to collect giant sequoia seeds throughout their range to preserve this invaluable genetic material for the future.

“Ancient Forest Society was founded to help land managers protect ancient forests in a time of rapid environmental change and our partnership with One Tree Planted to collect and bank giant sequoia seed aligns perfectly with our mission. Fostering the next generation of giants is essential to the continued survival of the world’s largest trees. Giant sequoias are powerhouses of carbon sequestration, habitat provision, and human well-being. Ensuring that intact, healthy giant sequoia forests persist is critical to our fight against climate change.” said Wendy Baxter, program manager of the Ancient Forest Society.

Climate change, drought, severe wildfires, and insects present novel threats to the health of giant sequoias. Normally considered to be highly resistant to fire, in two years alone (2020-2021) up to 19% of mature giant sequoia trees perished in severe wildfires, eliminating an important component of sequoia genetic heritage and a critical seed source for regeneration. Native bark beetles are also now emerging as a new impact on previously impervious giant sequoias weakened by severe fire and drought. Seed production is becoming less reliable due to climatic changes and wildfires.

“One Tree Planted is proud to partner with Ancient Forest Society to collect and bank giant sequoia seed.” said Kyleigh Hughes, senior project manager at One Tree Planted “In the face of increasing climate change impacts, working to secure the future of the iconic giant sequoia is critical to restoring forests in California.”

In the face of these burgeoning and interacting threats, the need for collecting seeds for genetic conservation and potential reforestation efforts is more important than ever. Ancient Forest Society, with funding provided by One Tree Planted, is collecting seeds throughout the giant sequoia range to meet this critical need. Once collected and processed, the seeds will remain safely stored until they are needed. This partnership will enable State and Federal land managers to allocate additional resources to this effort, amplifying its impact.