Revisiting a Research Natural Area in the Klamath Mountains

There’s a quiet magnetism in Research Natural Areas (RNAs)—pockets of protected wild that call to those of us who seek to understand the living mosaic of California. These places are often the last intact natural systems on our public lands—and for decades, I’ve been drawn to them, trekking into these living sanctuaries to witness nature in its most undisturbed form, to document its story, and to carry that story forward.

The Origins of California’s Research Natural Areas: Todd Keeler-Wolf’s Legacy

In the early 1980s, Todd Keeler-Wolf began defining California’s Research Natural Areas as a contractor for the U.S. Forest Service. His work helped establish a network of reference ecosystems that would serve as benchmarks for scientific study and conservation. With only topo maps, handwritten notes, and an unrelenting curiosity, Todd shaped a vision for RNAs that continues to guide vegetation science in the West.

Revisiting a Research Natural Area Four Decades Later

This spring, I returned to one of these RNAs with Todd, now a mentor and friend, as part of the Klamath Mountains Vegetation Mapping Project. Todd hadn’t set foot in the area since his original surveys over 40 years ago. Our group—composed of botanists and vegetation mappers from CDFW, CNPS, and Cal Poly Humboldt—came equipped with modern tools, but our mission remained aligned with his original vision: to document, preserve, and learn from these natural baselines.

A Forest Like No Other: Hemlocks, Cedars, and a New National Champion

This Research Natural Area, perched in the northern Klamath Mountains near the Oregon border, shelters a unique vegetation community more typical of southwestern Oregon than California. We mapped a stellar stand of Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) thriving in cool, shaded slopes. Then, tucked on the other side of the creek, we discovered something extraordinary—a new national champion Port Orford-cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana).

Measuring its diameter and height, we realized we were standing before a record-breaking tree, a hidden giant that has quietly endured for centuries.

Why Research Natural Areas Matter Today

Research Natural Areas are more than ecological preserves; they are living laboratories. These sites provide critical reference points for understanding change—climate, fire, succession, and human impact. Visiting them, especially with someone like Todd who helped define their boundaries, highlights the power of continuity in conservation science. RNAs allow us to see both the resilience of ecosystems and the long arc of ecological stewardship.

Bridging Generations Through Vegetation Mapping

To witness Todd reconnect with a place he cataloged in his youth was deeply moving. Our team—many of whom are early in their ecological careers—listened closely as he recalled plots, species, and shifts in forest character. This moment reminded me that Research Natural Areas are not just about preserving landscapes; they’re about passing knowledge forward.