“From redwoods come silence and awe. They are ambassadors from another time.”
–John Steinbeck
The Monterey Bay of California’s coast has seen more than its fair share of ups and downs since the days of the Gold Rush when promises of wealth drew settlers westward, harvesting California’s natural resources, giving birth to major metropolises, and scouring the oceans for a seemingly endless supply of fish. Forests fell, drought set in and fur traders all but wiped sea otters from the region.
For all those troubles, there also arose a consortium of conservation-minded people. Organizations such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Big Sur Land Trust and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
