ON THE TRAIL By Brian Brannon

Gentle Giants at Shipley

There’s no need to make a long trek to northern California to enjoy the peace and serenity of a redwoods forest. The Shipley Nature Center features a ½ acre of redwoods that provide one of the coolest and most fragrant areas to enjoy the shade during the dog days of summer.

The Nature Center grove boasts 22 adult trees and 20 young trees that have been planted by center volunteers. Some of these gentle giants are over 30 years old, and as long as they remain under the protection of Shipley volunteers they can expect to enjoy quite a long life. The oldest known Coast Redwood is about 2,200 years old while most wild redwoods live to about 600 years old.

Just as redwoods can experience amazing longevity, they can also grow very tall. The tallest known tree in existence is a coastal redwood named Hyperion. Located in Redwood National Park in northern California, it rises 379.1 feet from the forest floor and is considered the tallest living thing in the world.

Though the trees at Shipley have a ways to go before they approach such dizzying heights, they are still quite tall. The tallest tree in the Shipley grove is about 70 feet tall and the widest is about 11 feet around.

Past president Steve Engel says that having one of the few redwood forests located in southern California is another example of the magic of Shipley Nature Center’s.

“We are really lucky to have them smack dab in the middle of Surf City USA,” he said. “I especially enjoy seeing the lime green new growth on the tips of the branches.  It tells me that the redwoods feel at home in Shipley's.  We love them!”