The following is a press release issued by the Redwood Forest Foundation:
The Redwood Forest Foundation (RFFI) invites community members to participate in UC Berkeley’s “Sudden Oak Death Blitz” at Usal Redwood Forest on Sunday, June 11, from 10am-2pm. Sudden Oak Death (SOD), or Phytophthora ramorum, is a fungus-like pathogen that is threatening the survival of Tanoak and several oak species in California. UC Berkeley documents the presence and spread of the devastating disease throughout California, hosting annual “Blitzes” in communities around the state to collect samples for testing in their Forest and Mycology Lab.
Blitz participants will learn to identify evidence of Sudden Oak Death (SOD), and work with RFFI staff to collect affected leaves from Tanoak and California Bay Laurel trees at the Usal Redwood Forest. Attendees should bring a sack lunch, sturdy hiking boots, and a water bottle. Water and snacks will be provided, and there no previous experience is required.
RFFI owns and manages the 50,000-acre Usal Redwood Forest as a Community Forest, for the benefit of the local ecology and people. The URF is located in Northern Mendocino County, east of the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, and accessed by the WRP Road at Mile Marker 100.2 on Hwy 1, approximately 5 miles west of Leggett.
On the day of the Blitz, a carpool from the coast will meet at 8:45am at the RFFI Office at 90 W. Redwood Avenue in Fort Bragg. Inland folks will gather at the Leggett Fire Department at 67001 CA-271 in Leggett at 9:30am. Participants can also meet directly at the WRP Road gate at 10am.
RFFI will offer a free webinar on SOD and the Blitz on Wednesday, June 7th at 4pm, hosted by Forest Technician Cristina Winters. The webinar is an opportunity to learn about SOD symptoms, spread, and practical solutions, in preparation for the Blitz on June 11. Local landowners who want to participate in the Blitz on their own property can attend the webinar to learn how to identify SOD and gather specimens for testing.
The SOD Blitz on June 11 is an opportunity for community members to explore URF and become citizen scientists, tracking SOD to help researchers stop the spread of this devastating pathogen. To register, please email RFFI Program Director Alicia Bales at alicia@rffi.org or call 707-813-1704.
For More information about the Sudden Oak Death Blitz program, check out this link from UC Berkeley: https://nature.berkeley.edu/matteolab/?page_id=2495
