1,700 giant sequoia, redwood seedlings distributed at Elma event

By Dan Hammock • March 31, 2021 5:15 pm
TYLER RENZ | ELMA FFA ADVISOR Elma FFA members helped distribute 1,700 California redwood and giant sequoia seedlings at a PropagationNation giveaway at the Elma Fairgrounds March 20 and 21. Pictured from left are Alyssa Pearson, Skyler Putt and Sam Gillis.
TYLER RENZ | ELMA FFA ADVISOR Elma FFA members helped distribute 1,700 California redwood and giant sequoia seedlings at a PropagationNation giveaway at the Elma Fairgrounds March 20 and 21. Pictured from left are Alyssa Pearson, Skyler Putt and Sam Gillis.

The giant sequoia and California redwoods seedling giveaway announced Feb. 5 in The Daily World drew more than 100 people to the Elma fairgrounds March 20-21 to pick up 1,700 seedlings to be planted in Western Washington.

“We had an amazing response to our seedling giveaway event… Of the 128 people invited to pick up the 1,850 trees they requested, 111 showed up to receive the 1,700 redwood and sequoia seedlings, in spite of the fact that both days were pretty rainy,” said Philip Stielstra of PropagationNation.

Browse protection tubes and stakes were also provided to those receiving seedlings to protect their seedlings from deer, elk and other herbivores.

The nonprofit PropagationNation purchased 2,870 seedlings to be offered free to those who signed up for the giveaway. A similar event was held in Sequim March 27.

In Elma, “Most of those picking up trees were from Grays Harbor County, having read your Feb. 5 article in The Daily World. Some people came from as far away as Winlock, Quinault, Ocean Shores and Raymond. Others came from places outside the county, such as Vashon Island, Gig Harbor, Yelm, Stanwood and Bellingham,” said Stielstra. “All were given a handout which provided a little background on why PropagationNation is giving away free redwoods and sequoias and hopes to scale up such giveaways in the future, based on the hugely positive response received this time.”

Volunteers from the Elma FFA were there to hand out the trees as those who had emailed seedling requests picked them up drive-through style on a soaking wet weekend.

“The FFA volunteers were amazing!” said Stielstra. “They helped get the right number of the right kind of tree to the right driver, as well as all the browse protection material. We couldn’t have delivered 1,700 trees to 111 drivers during the two days without their help.”

Demand was greater than the supply of trees. “It is unfortunate that so many who emailed us will not be able to receive trees because the demand for these trees was double the supply,” said Stielstra. “However, we hope to scale up and do this again, so hopefully they will have another chance.”

One of the objectives of the tree giveaway is to demonstrate to government, forestry professionals and philanthropic organizations the high level of landowner acceptance and feasibility of the approach, and a number of benefits to it, said Stielstra, including:

Sequoias and redwoods are a potent force in combating climate change, sequestering carbon at 2-3 times the absorption rate of Pacific Northwest conifers according to a study by scientists at Humboldt State University and the University of Washington.

Pacific Northwest species are vulnerable to climate change. Northwest native conifers like Douglas fir, western hemlock and Sitka spruce are under attack. Sitka spruce is getting hit hard by an invasive aphid in the southern part of the range. Western hemlock are struggling, seemingly from drought stress. Douglas firs are projected to be slowly disappearing from the Olympic Peninsula over the next several years according to research foresters who do climate modeling.

Coast redwoods and giant sequoias add diversity to Pacific Northwest forests.

Currently PropagationNation relies solely on donations from visitors to their website at https://propagationnation.us/donate in their mission of creating millions of redwoods and sequoias in the Pacific Northwest.

TYLER RENZ / ELMA FFA ADVISOR Elma FFA members Taylor Kershaw, left, and Sam Gillis hold two of the 1,700 giant sequoia and California redwood trees given away to 111 people at the Elma Fairgrounds March 20 and 21.

TYLER RENZ / ELMA FFA ADVISOR Elma FFA members Taylor Kershaw, left, and Sam Gillis hold two of the 1,700 giant sequoia and California redwood trees given away to 111 people at the Elma Fairgrounds March 20 and 21.

TYLER RENZ | ELMA FFA ADVISOR Elma FFA members helped distribute 1,700 California redwood and giant sequoia seedlings at a PropagationNation giveaway at the Elma Fairgrounds March 20 and 21. Pictured from left are Alyssa Pearson, Skyler Putt and Sam Gillis.

TYLER RENZ | ELMA FFA ADVISOR Elma FFA members helped distribute 1,700 California redwood and giant sequoia seedlings at a PropagationNation giveaway at the Elma Fairgrounds March 20 and 21. Pictured from left are Alyssa Pearson, Skyler Putt and Sam Gillis.

TYLER RENZ | ELMA FFA ADVISOR Elma FFA volunteer Sam Gillis preps seedlings for distribution during the California redwood and giant sequoia giveaway in Elma March 20 and 21.

TYLER RENZ | ELMA FFA ADVISOR Elma FFA volunteer Sam Gillis preps seedlings for distribution during the California redwood and giant sequoia giveaway in Elma March 20 and 21.

COURTESY PHILIP STIELSTRA Some of the 111 cars that came through the Elma Fairgrounds March 20-21 to pick up 1,700 California redwood and giant sequoia seedlings.

COURTESY PHILIP STIELSTRA Some of the 111 cars that came through the Elma Fairgrounds March 20-21 to pick up 1,700 California redwood and giant sequoia seedlings.

COURTESY PHILIP STIELSTRA Some of the 111 cars that came through the Elma Fairgrounds March 20-21 to pick up 1,700 California redwood and giant sequoia seedlings.

COURTESY PHILIP STIELSTRA Some of the 111 cars that came through the Elma Fairgrounds March 20-21 to pick up 1,700 California redwood and giant sequoia seedlings.