The state of California has always been associated with towering trees. It is also one of the few places where majestic redwood trees are still abundant.
The 730-acre Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve located in Sonoma Country is considered as the biggest old-growth redwood forest in the world that is still owned privately, up until this week.
New Acquisition
Save the Redwoods League recently acquired the vast property filled with colossal trees for $9.6 million with the intention of turning it into a public park complete with hiking trails, a true nature lover's haven, within the next three years.
The said reserve is larger by 30 percent than Muir Woods National Monument, considered as one of the most famous spots to see the trees.
The newly acquired property serves as home to many species of fish, bird, and other animals. One particular tree in the property is estimated to be 1,640 years old.
About Harold Richardson Redwoods Reserve
The home to the large redwood trees was named after Harold Richardson, whose father, Herbert Archer Richardson, bought the forest in 1918. The namesake's family has owned the land since the 1920s.
Despite being a logger, Richardson conserved the oldest trees in the area and only selected the younger trees to cut down. This method left hundreds of trees in the pristine forest that can be enjoyed by many generations to come.
The land was handed down to the young Richardson, who gave importance to the redwood trees more than he valued the money that they would get from it. According to his family, he protected the land for generations until he died at age 96 in 2016.
Dan Falk, his great-nephew and the president of Richardson Ranch LLC, said that Harold was a conservationist all his life. He also added that his great-grandfather was a harvested timber, but he knew that he had to preserve and give protection to the forest because he considered it as his legacy.
CEO of Save the Redwoods League said that it's as if the organization has found an ancient civilization, which served an oasis of redwood trees that was kept secret to the public for more than a century.
He added that Save the Redwoods League is immensely thankful to the Richardson family for taking care of the forest and allowing the organization to save the property.
The league has transferred the Richardson family to one of its properties, an 870-acre land nearby known as Stewarts Point Ranch.
The redwood haven is the second major acquisition of the League in the last few months. It is also celebrating its centennial this 2018.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
