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The Jefferson Exchange

'Social Trails' Damage Redwoods

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NPS/Public Domain

We’ve all seen the beautiful pictures of ancient Redwood trees on social media. It’s almost a necessity when you visit to take a picture and share it with the world. But are those posts harming the trees?

After seeing photos on social media, some adventure to find the exact locale, where that specific tree is, even if it’s off the designated trail. Known as “social trails,” they are unmarked trails that humans create through repeated use, and they prove to be harmful to the surprisingly shallow Redwood roots.

Claudia Voigt wroteher thesis on social trials in the Redwood Forest in 2016. She joins us with the details.

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