On this day in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared 554 acres in Marin County, California, a national monument. William and Elizabeth Kent, who donated the land, insisted the monument be named after naturalist John Muir, the environmentalist known as the "father of the national parks." Part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods is best known for its old-growth coastal redwood forests, which make up more than half its land. The redwoods in the monument are 600-800 years old, on average, with the oldest being at least 1,200. The tallest tree is about 258 feet, though redwoods grow as high as 379 feet farther north. Redwoods are an important part of the forest ecosystem. They absorb and "strip" moisture from fog, which then drips into the ground, supporting the trees as well as other forest life.
Into the woods
Today in History
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Yosemite National Park turns 132
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From garden to table?
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Aqueduct, Arkadia Park, Poland
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It’s oh so quiet
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Happy Hobbit Day
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Bear Hole Brook, Catskill Mountains, New York
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Happy Mother s Day
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Pining for spring
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Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona
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Mute swan
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Native American Heritage Month
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International Tiger Day
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Okefenokee Swamp
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Russell lupines, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
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The Bahamas
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A spectacle unlike any other
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World Numbat Day
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Go climb a tree
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International Day for Monuments and Sites
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White Sands National Park turns 90
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Presidents Day in America’s front yard
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Roques de Benet, Els Ports Natural Park, Catalonia, Spain
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Juneteenth
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Everglades National Park turns 75
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Go with the rainbow flow
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Beware the Ides of March
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Apple Tree Day
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Wind horses carry wishes for a new year
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Wandering Watkins Glen
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Bow Bridge in Central Park, New York City