Atlas Grove facts for kids
The Atlas Grove is a special group of giant Coast redwood trees. These amazing trees grow in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. This park is located in Humboldt County, in northern California. The Atlas Grove is home to Iluvatar, which is the third largest known Coast redwood tree.
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Discovering the Atlas Grove
The Atlas Grove was found by a naturalist named Michael Taylor. This happened in 1991. Michael Taylor is known for finding many very tall trees.
Why the Location is Secret
The exact spot of the Atlas Grove is kept a secret. This is done to protect the trees and their natural environment. Another famous group of redwoods, the Grove of Titans, is also kept secret for the same reason. Keeping these places hidden helps keep them safe from too many visitors.
Naming Giant Tree Groves
Sometimes, people who search for trees give unofficial names to special groves. But there are also over 900 Coast redwood groves that have been officially named. The Save the Redwoods League names these groves. They do this to honor a person, family, or group. It is not known if the Atlas Grove is one of these officially named memorial groves.
Studying the Trees
Scientists have studied a part of the Atlas Grove. This study was called the Atlas Project. The exact location of this study is also kept private.
How Trees are Measured
During the Atlas Project, researchers measured the trees carefully. They used tools like tapes and laser range finders. Measuring the giant Iluvatar tree was a huge job. It took five climbers more than 20 days just to measure this one tree!
What Scientists Learned
Scientists also used special sensors to learn about the grove. They measured things like moisture, light, and how sap flows in the trees. They also studied the animals living there. One animal they looked at was the Wandering salamander (Aneides vagrans).
Other Famous Trees in the Grove
Besides Iluvatar, the Atlas Grove has other very old and large Coast redwood trees. Some of these trees have special names, like:
- the Atlas Tree
- Gaia
- Pleiades
- Ballantine
- Prometheus
- the Bell Tree
Other Plants in the Grove
The Atlas Grove is home to many different kinds of plants. Besides the Coast redwoods, you can find:
- Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
- Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)
- Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)
- Cascara buckthorn (Rhamnus purshiana)
- California laurel (Umbellularia californica)
- Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
- Port Orford–cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
- Tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus)
