Giant Sequoia Forest Fellow, Save the Redwoods League
Linnea Hardlund’s role in the League’s Science and Research program takes her into the giant sequoia range frequently, often to the League’s two Sierra properties, Alder Creek and Red Hill. There she works on myriad projects, from planning prescribed burns to assessing the ecological impacts of wildfire in giant sequoia groves. As Forest Fellow, Linnea studies the health of giant sequoia forests; increasingly, this includes assessing the impacts of recent wildfires. She works with colleagues to devise strategies for the conservation of giant sequoias and helps deploy projects on the ground.
Linnea started her career as a field botanist on post-fire research in Yosemite National Park, which led her to take the Forest Fellow role with the League years later. She has experience working for the National Park Service on both fire ecology and wildland fire crews, where she led field crews and participated in prescribed burns in giant sequoia groves. This experience, along with her academic background, gives her a unique and valuable perspective on the many challenges facing giant sequoia today.
Alongside her important work with the League, Linnea is pursuing a master’s degree in forestry with a focus on fire ecology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Areas of Expertise: Fire ecology; forest ecology and botany; wildland firefighting; prescribed fire