Yosemite, CA – The Grizzly Giant, one of the oldest known and most iconic trees in Yosemite National Park, got a checkup this summer to look for any possible issues.
Part of the Mariposa Grove, the Grizzly Giant is a 3,000-year-old giant sequoia. According to park officials, “This tree is older than the Roman Empire, taller than the Statue of Liberty, and has a massive branch that makes it visually stand out from any other tree in Yosemite. This tree has been climbed by people only three times in recorded history.”
To perform the checkup, the National Park Service partnered with the Ancient Forest Society to search for evidence of potential sequoia bark beetles in the canopy of the Grizzly Giant and collect canopy foliage to do further studies on the tree’s overall health by testing how stressed the tree might be from competition over water from nearby trees.
Park officials are pleased to report that the Grizzly Giant is doing well and showing signs of continued good health. It is especially important in light of the losses in the Mariposa Grove caused by the Washburn Fire in 2022, as the park seeks to minimize future losses. Additionally, sharing, “This is being done through regular monitoring and inspections of the trees, while also conducting prescribed burn and restorative thinning work in the grove. In addition to checking the overall health of the tree, we also learned one of the most interesting findings was confirmation that a sugar pine is growing out of the canopy of the Grizzly Giant!”
Park officials also thanked Yosemite’s workers, scientists, and seven traditionally linked tribes for their careful human guardianship of the trees and for making this historic research smooth and safe.
