By Ty Feigel
A Tree Lover 's Monument
The Muir Woods National Forest was named after John Muir. William and Elizabeth Kent had purchased the land to help preserve its beauty. When John Muir found out they were naming the redwood forest after him, he said “This is the best tree-lovers monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world”. Later, in 1908, the Kent’s donated the forest to the federal government to further protect it. President Theodore Roosevelt declared Muir Woods the 10th national monument on January 9, 1908. It was the first one that was donated by private individuals. The redwood trees in the forest range from 400 to 800 years old and they are up to 250 feet tall. Flat trails that are easy to walk loop all through the trees so that visitors can get close to them. In between the tall redwoods, there are red alders, California big leaf maples, tanoaks, and Douglas Fir trees. The floor o f the forest is covered in ferns, fungi, duff, and debris. Duff is a thick layer of the forest floor that holds a lot of moisture and acts like mulch for the forest. There are a few bridges that cross the Redwood Creek, which flows through …show more content…
The coast redwood is what you will find in Muir Woods. Though most of old coast redwoods have been logged, or cut down, some are now protected. The forest at Muir Woods was spared because it was hard to access during the time that logging was running rampant. One of these trees is 252 feet tall and 14 feet wide. The coast redwood has been able to get as old as it does and has survived fires due to the trees’ thick bark. The bark is spongy and fibrous and can be anywhere from 6 to 12 inches thick. The bark acts as insulation against fire and other erosion. The redwoods also have high levels of tannic acid, which makes them very resistant to the rot that can affect other