TV Tokyo Scouts the Redwoods
May 3, 2008
I just started my new job as one of our public service representatives for the Elk Meadow Cabins at Redwood Adventures’ Village. Early in the morning on my second day at the cabins I got an interesting phone call… It was from Maiko at the Robyn / Tani Media Factory in Venice. She was arranging for a television show to come film the ancient redwoods of Redwood National Park. As the head of Robyn / Tani told me, “it’s a must” for them to feature some of the amazing things that can be found here and nowhere else.
As you might imagine, I gladly and excitedly obliged! We quickly arranged for one of our expert guides, naturalist and photographer Lowell Cottle, to take them around the parks and show them some of the sights.
In order to get a bigger picture of the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, the scouting crew drove up scenic Highway 1, which winds along the California coast line on one of California’s oldest highways. They passed through Wine Country towns like Napa and Sonoma before getting to the “Redwood Curtain”, which one hits around the “Avenue of the Giants”, where you really feel like you have entered the redwood ecosystem. It is an epic drive, perhaps one of the most beautiful drives in the world. For those with time restrictions, Highway 101 is much faster and very beautiful as well, and takes you through Humboldt Redwood State Park.
We met them Friday morning at Lady Bird Johnson Grove. They were drawn to this trail due to its historical significance and popularity. The air was fresh and crisp. We took them to the dedication plaque where U.S. presidents Nixon and Johnson dedicated the grove to First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson. No event has ever brought more U.S. presidents, past and future, to one place than the dedication of Lady Bird Johnson Grove.
The Japanese Film crew appreciated the historical importance of the Lady Bird trail, but they were particularly looking for the amazing nature that can be found here. We talked about how redwoods are part of a system that perpetually creates new life from the old. For example, the “fairy rings” that redwoods make when a mother tree drops seeds onto herself. Those seeds give birth to new redwoods that fuse their root systems with the mother tree. Over time an impressive ring of trees forms. Though there are many trunks, because the root systems are all interconnected, it exists as “one tree”.
Our friends from the East were on the hunt for what we call “nursery logs”… A nursery log is a tree stump or log that is no longer living, but is providing a fertile home for new life. Trees literally growing on other trees!
After we left Lady Bird Johnson we went to Prairie Creek State Park, with some of the most amazing phenomena of the redwood ecosystem all easily accessible.
There is so much that our friends did not get to see, such as our amazing Roosevelt elk that can be found on our properties almost every day. But in just a few hours we had given them a feast for their senses. From trees so large they could hold a meeting inside, to the youngest new growth coming from an old nursery tree, we know they saw enough to make a television show!
Satisfied that there would be no problem filming an episode about the redwoods our Japanese friends hopped back in their car and headed back up the coast with hardly a moment to spare. Their next stop was the pristine waters of Crater Lake, yet another one of the wonders that can be found here in the Pacific Northwest. We are thrilled that the crew found everything they came looking for, and so much more.
Those that have been here know this is a spectacular place. But it is always a thrill to show someone new around. Special thanks to Mas and Maiko for making this happen… The crew will be back to film mid May. Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming episode of Chikyu Kaidu, TV Tokyo, 10:30 PM, for the special episode featuring a famous Japanese Pop star enjoying Redwood National park with a guided tour by Redwood Adventures!
Enjoy our photo gallery with a few of the best photos from that day…
~ Elk Meadow Joey, Signing Out ~
