Moving the Giants

6-29-18 Update

When are the trees coming to the Pacific Northwest?

  • Archangel Ancient Tree Archive will be shipping its collection of Coast Redwood saplings and Giant Sequoia seedlings from their nursery in Michigan to the Pacific Northwest.  The date for that shipment was moved from late June to mid-July due to the USDA inspector’s unavailability.  However, that mid-July date could slide again as I am now asking Archangel, if at all possible, to delay the shipment until cooler fall weather is here in order to prevent stressing these young trees in our hot, dry summer weather.  Consequently, the exact date of the trees’ arrival is yet to be determined.  The expected arrival date will be posted here as soon as we have been notified by Archangel.  Please stay tuned.

How many trees are coming to Pacific Northwest?  How are they getting here?

  • The shipment will include the 100 4-16-foot tall Coast Redwoods in 30 gallon containers that you read about in the Seattle Times article.  In addition, 1000 12-24” Coast Redwood saplings, and 10,000 4-6” Sequoia seedlings will be transported to the Pacific Northwest in the same truck.

What will happen to the ‘100’ 4-16-foot Redwoods described in the Seattle Times article?

  • The 100 4-16-foot tall Coast Redwoods constitute a genetic archive.  They were cloned over the last 10 years from some of the largest and oldest Coast Redwoods across their entire 500-mile California range.  The ideal solution would be to plant all 100 of these legacy trees in one preserve with arrangements to ensure their care and protection and preserving their genetic legacy in perpetuity.  At the same time, they would be available for the public to see and enjoy as well as for scientific research.  We expect to send a Request for Proposal (RFP) to all qualifying parties who have expressed an interest in creating a permanent Living Archive for these 100 trees.  If you are one of them, you’ll be receiving an RFP when all the requirements for this archive have been determined.  Please stay tuned.

Who is receiving the 10,000 Sequoia seedlings (4-6”) and 1,000 Redwood saplings (12-24”)?

  • There are many more trees besides the ‘100’ that will need homes.  Approximately half of the Sequoia seedlings and half of the Redwood saplings are destined for park departments in Bellevue Washington, Eugene Oregon and Port Orford Oregon.  The remaining half of the 4-6” Sequoia seedlings and 12-24” Redwood saplings will be made available to the public.  The exact number of these trees and information about how to obtain them will be reported here once that is determined.  Please stay tuned.

How long will it take to find a Permanent Preserve for the 100-tree Living Archive?

  • It is hoped that a host for the Permanent Preserve can be determined by Fall 2018 so the trees can be planted when the weather is cooler and wetter.  Meanwhile, we are in the process of identifying a Temporary Storage nursery where the 100-tree archive can be cared for until a Permanent Preserve is found.

If I want to acquire one or more trees for my property, what will the redwood saplings and sequoia seedlings cost?

  • Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, has been “paying it forward” for many years, propagating and archiving the genetics of the world’s most important old growth trees before they are gone.  They have been doing this solely with income from donations.  They’ve now reached a point where their expenses exceed their ability to continue their Michigan operations, which is why the trees are being moved to the Pacific Northwest.  We hope to “pay it backward” to Archangel by creating a way for you to make a charitable gift donation commensurate to the number and type of trees you receive.  We are now determining how best to do that, and will let you know here and through our mailing list when that is done. Again, please stay tuned.

Is there a concern about the trees’ survivability if they arrive in the Pacific Northwest at the beginning of a hot, dry summer?

  • Yes, there is reason for concern about this if the trees arrive in July, and many of you have shared that concern.  One responder stated it this way, “Our increasingly dry summers would severely stress these young trees who have not had a chance to establish a strong root system and adapt to their new environment.  I suspect there could be a significant die out during that time frame.  Why don’t you have Archangel ship them in October when planting in the NW is usually done?”  Given this survivability issue, we have asked Archangel to delay the tree shipment for 2-3 months so that these trees will not face heat stress after they arrive here.  However, right now it’s unclear that Archangel has the funds to keep the trees in Michigan until the Fall.

Can I make a contribution to Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, even if I don’t want to receive a tree?  Is my contribution tax-deductible?  If we raise enough money, would that allow Archangel to wait and ship the trees to the Pacific Northwest in cooler Fall weather

  • The answer to all three of those questions is a resounding “Yes!” A crowd-funding page has been established where you can make a tax-deductible charitable contribution to Archangel Ancient Tree Archive using the following link:

Please click on the Donate to Archangel box.

If you are willing, please identify yourself when filling out the online donor form so that we can acknowledge your donation to Archangel.  You will also receive email confirmation from Archangel of your tax-deductible donation.  Archangel thanks you, I thank you and the Trees thank you.

One thought on “6-29-18 Update

  1. Jim Falconer

    I have planted over 2,000 native plants on Lopez Island. The only “non-natives” which I have included are coastal and giant sequoia. I would like to meet with you to learn how I can help. Jim Falconer PS I read the book on the Michigan project a few years ago.

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