Park Postcards Podcast | Episode 1 - Muir Woods

During this period of sheltering in place and with limited park access and on-site interpretation, Park Postcards Podcast is meant to provide audio snapshots or “postcards” that visitors can enjoy from afar. Episode 1 features the voices of Ranger Fatima Colindres , Ranger Giessell Aguilar, and community group leader Manuel Raneda from Curry Senior Center, as he shares his memories of visiting Muir Woods, and encourages new park visitors to visit in the future.

During this period of sheltering in place and with limited park access and on-site interpretation, Park Postcards Podcast is meant to provide audio snapshots or “postcards” that visitors can enjoy from afar. Episode 1 features the voices of Ranger Fatima Colindres , Ranger Giessell Aguilar, and community group leader Manuel Raneda from Curry Senior Center, as he shares his memories of visiting Muir Woods, and encourages new park visitors to visit in the future.

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TRANSCRIPT:

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[Background music fades in: “Sunrise at Corn Creek” by Hooksounds.com] RANGER FATIMA: Hello everyone and welcome to Park Postcards. My name is Fatima Colindres an I'm a Park Ranger with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Community Outreach team. As part of our outreach work, we collaborate with community group leaders from Bay Area community-based organizations who help us bring diverse nontraditional visitors to their national parks. Today Manuel Raneda from Curry Senior Center will be sharing memories from his favorite National Park site: Muir Woods. MANUEL: Hello friends my name is Manuel Raneda with Curry Senior Center and I want to tell you about a trip that we took to Muir Woods National Park, and it is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited in my entire life. And there is a serenity and a peacefulness that one encounters when visiting this place that is unlike any other place you will ever see. Once you visit this park will never forget your visit for as long as you live. Now one of the things that just impressed me the most about this park is that you are surrounded by these enormous trees that have been there for hundreds of years, and you know it just makes you think, as to you know, how much history these trees have witnessed long before we were here, and how much more they will witness long after we are done on this earth. I truly recommend this park to anyone who wants to visit it, it's- I guarantee you that you will not regret a visit and you will remember it for as long as you live. RANGER FATIMA: If you have ever wondered why so many people love to visit Muir Woods and want to visit over, and over again? I have asked Park Ranger Giessell Aguilar to share some of her favorite reasons why Muir Woods is so special to her, and why she loves to work there. RANGER GIESSELL: Hello everyone, I’m Ranger Giessell. I wanna virtually welcome you to Muir Woods National Monument, the ancestral land of the Coast Miwok. There are many reasons why this place is so special. When you first walk into this Redwood forest, you'll notice you're walking into a beautiful old growth Redwood forest. Redwoods are actually the tallest living things in the world. Standing next to a Redwood is one of the most humbling experiences, you feel so small. Even more incredible, these trees can live for more than 2000 years. Some redwoods living today were alive during the Aztec empire. You might be asking yourself, “how can they live so long?” The answer is in a magical chemical called tannic acid. Redwoods are naturally resistant to insects, fungi, and fire because they are high in tannins, a chemical that gives redwoods its red color and also provides resistance to insects and fungi that might otherwise cause diseases. Their thick and fire-resistant bark also provides protection for these trees. One of the most compelling facts about redwoods is how they reproduce. Redwoods are able to clone themselves. Yes that's right! They clone themselves! They are able to sprout from knobby tissue at the base of a parent tree called a burl. A tree can have many burls sprouting and growing from the base. Eventually they will outcompete each other leaving only the most hearty. When you walk in a Redwood forest you may notice several trees growing in a circle, we call them family circles or fairy rings. This is caused by the parent tree dying and decaying leaving the sprouts that have grown, into mature Redwood trees in a circle. This forest is full of natural and cultural history and many amazing wonderful facts, but my favorite thing about working here is that this forest allows me to disconnect from the outside world and encourages me to connect to myself. It is a place where I'm able to re-center myself and think more clearly. By far, my favorite reason I love working here is to welcome and connect diverse audiences to this magical ecosystem. Thanks so much for virtually joining us today and I hope you get a chance to visit Muir Woods National Monument. RANGER FATIMA: I would like to thank Manuel Raneda and Giessell Aguilar for sharing their favorite park site of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. I would like to thank you for joining us today on this segment of Park Postcards. I hope you enjoyed today's podcast and will join us again on future programs, when we feature other park sites around the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Until then I hope to see you in your national parks soon. Bye bye. [Music fades out: “Sunrise at Corn Creek” by Hooksounds.com]