In Season 4, we’re exploring the different kinds of jobs you can do in the redwood and redwoods parks. In this second episode, host Emily Harwitz chats with Francisco Saavedra about forestry, how his Yurok heritage informs his forestry practice, who the redwoods are to him, and what he hopes to accomplish as a Guardian of the Redwoods.

Francisco Antonio Saavedra Jr. is a proud, federally enrolled member of the Pit River tribe Madesi Band, with Yurok and El Salvadoran ancestry. He was born and raised in Northern California. Francisco is currently studying tribal forestry at College of the Redwoods and aspires to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Tribal Forestry and Natural Resources from Cal Poly Humboldt. He was a 2023 Redwoods Rising Forestry Apprentice and is returning to apprentice for the 2024 season. Find him on Instagram @francisco_sav

Note: Marbled murrelet calls in this episode are taken from a recording by Andrew Spencer in Redwood National and State Parks and used under the Creative Commons license. The full recording can be found here: ⁠Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus)⁠

How to stand up (like a redwood)

I’ll Go If You GoBy Save the Redwoods LeagueMay 06, 2021