Meet Dr. Traci Bliss, author of Big Basin Redwood Forest: California's Oldest State Park
California was once home to over 2 million acres of ancient redwoods—today, just 5% of that original forest remains. In 1900, a groundswell of concerned citizens from Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo counties launched a bold and unprecedented effort to halt the spread of deforestation. Their statewide campaign led to the creation of California’s very first state park: Big Basin.
In this compelling talk, Dr. Traci Bliss retraces the riveting story of these early environmental visionaries—how they imagined a sustainable forest and why they believed it was urgently needed. What inspired their foresight, and would their ideals withstand the rising tide of commercialism? Bliss concludes by engaging us in a pressing conversation for our time: In the face of climate change, can public forests—especially Big Basin—truly have a sustainable future?
For all ages. In the Community Room.
Dr. Traci Bliss, an award-winning author of socially conscious books and documentaries, shares untold stories about people making a profound difference. As a trend-setting education professor, she discovered a new calling. She retired early from academia to fulfill a third-grade promise to her 98-year-old Aunt Jennie. “I will never forget your story: fighting deforestation and the most powerful elite to save the redwoods.” This vow became the foundation of her widely acclaimed book, Big Basin Redwood Forest: California’s Oldest State Park. Bliss holds BA, MA, and PhD degrees from Stanford.
This project is part of the Roots of Change: Creating A Sustainable Future Together program series, supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. With additional support from Friends of the Redwood City Public Library
More Information
Contact: Fiona Potter
Phone: (650)780-7056
Email: fpotter@redwoodcity.org
