Save the Redwoods League Donates the World’s Oldest Juniper Tree to Mother Lode Land Trust

Photo: Save the Redwoods League

The Bennett Juniper in the Stanislaus National Forest in Tuolumne County is thought to be the oldest juniper tree in the United States. The tree is known to be over 3,000 years old, with some believing it could even be 6,000 years old. Now, it has a new organization watching over it.

 Save the Redwoods League announced that it has entrusted Mother Lode Land Trust (MLLT) with the long-term stewardship of Bennett Juniper. The League donated the 3,000-year-old tree and surrounding 3-acre property to MLLT. The Bennett Juniper property has been stewarded by the League since 1987.

“When Save the Redwoods League protects a forest, often, that’s just the beginning of the story, not the end,” said Anthony Castaños, land stewardship manager for Save the Redwoods League. “After more than 30 years of stewarding the Bennett Juniper property, we’re pleased to convey this remarkable place to Mother Lode Land Trust. The organization has the capacity and local ties to ensure its future most readily.”

Not only is Bennett the oldest juniper tree in America, it’s also the largest, sitting 78-feet-tall with an average crown spread of 56 feet. It sits in the Sardine Meadow at roughly 8,400 feet elevation, which is covered in snow most of the year. The tree doesn’t get a lot of visitors during the years since it’s on private property and protected by the Save the Redwoods League.

“The Bennett Juniper is an unrivaled specimen of western juniper. This gnarled and knotted tree has withstood drought, hard winters and lightning strikes for thousands of years,” said Ellie Routt, executive director of Mother Lode Land Trust. “MLLT’s ownership of this property ensures local oversight and permanent protection so that everyone can have the chance to see this amazing tree.”

Although we know it’s the oldest juniper tree in the U.S., its age remains a debate. It was first cored in the 1930’s where it was estimated to be roughly 3,000-years-old. It was again cored in 1989 by Peter Brown of the University of Arizone, where he counted an age of nearly 3,000. But during Brown’s coring, he found that the tree suffered from rot on the inside and was hollow about 2-feet-deep on its trunk, so the exact age will never be known.

The tree is named after naturalist Clarence Bennett, who studied western juniper trees from Oregon to Mexico. In 1932, after hearing of Bennett’s studies, Ed Burgeson, a local sheep rancher, led Bennett to the large juniper tree. It turned out to be the largest juniper that Bennett had encountered. For years thereafter, Bennett continued to advocate for the tree’s protection, and in the 1950s the USDA Forest Service named the tree after Bennett.

Other large juniper trees can also be found on the property, including a pair that looks like they’re dancing, according to locals. These trees are nicknamed Fred and Ginger for their resemblance to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Ensuring the Protection of the Bennett Juniper

Flickr/E. Howe

Nonprofit organizations have stewarded the Bennett Juniper property for more than 40 years as protected open space.

To establish formal protections for the famed tree, Joseph W. Martin, Sr. donated the 3-acre Bennett Juniper property to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in 1978. By the 1980s, increased visitation had significantly degraded the property. TNC restored and stewarded the land for about nine years before they conveyed it to Save the Redwoods League in June 1987.

Although the League is best known for protecting coast redwood and giant sequoia forests, it took on the responsibility of managing the Bennett Juniper property for 35 years. The League’s stewardship team installed protective fencing around the Bennett Juniper’s base and the boundary of the property. It has also installed interpretive panels to provide information and background about the tree and its history. Notably, the League hired Ken Brunges as caretaker in 1988. Brunges lived onsite and diligently protected the Bennett Juniper for three decades.

After Brunges’ exit, and with careful consideration and discussion between the nonprofit organizations, the League determined that MLLT, a more localized organization, would be best suited to manage the property going forward. Effective November 4, 2022, the League has donated the property, along with $40,000 in seed funding toward its long-term stewardship, to the Mother Lode Land Trust, continuing the legacy of nonprofit stewardship for this remarkable specimen.Save the Redwoods League Donates One of the Oldest Trees in the World, Bennett Juniper, to Mother Lode Land Trust

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

85 Comments

  1. Hi there, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you
    get a lot of spam comments? If so how do you
    stop it, any plugin or anything you can suggest?
    I get so much lately it’s driving me insane so any help is very
    much appreciated.

  2. Have you ever thought about creating an e-book or guest authoring on other websites?
    I have a blog based upon on the same information you discuss and would really like to have
    you share some stories/information. I know my audience would value your work.
    If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to send me an email.

  3. Hi, this weekend is nice designed for me, because this time i am reading this enormous
    educational paragraph here at my home.

  4. Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I’ve truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts.
    In any case I will be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!

  5. With havin so much content and articles do you ever run into any problems of plagorism or copyright violation? My website has a lot of unique
    content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced but it looks like a lot of it
    is popping it up all over the web without my authorization. Do you know any techniques to help stop content from being
    ripped off? I’d definitely appreciate it.

  6. A 2011 study that documented the property treatments of Indian grandmothers noted that sandalwood was advised for acnee and fungal infections.

  7. Molly Malm, a lawyer for Swedish law firm Lexly, points oout hat Sweden’s all round higher divorce rate compared to the rest of the EU is linked
    to itts gender equaality goals.

  8. I believe everything wrote was actually very reasonable.
    But, consider this, what if you added a little
    content? I am not suggesting your information is not solid, however suppose
    you added a post title that makes people desire more? I mean Save the Redwoods League
    Donates the World’s Oldest Juniper Tree to Mother Lode Land Trust – Active NorCal is a little plain. You could peek at Yahoo’s home page and see how they
    create post headlines to get viewers to click. You might try adding a video or a
    related pic or two to get people interested about everything’ve got to
    say. Just my opinion, it could bring your posts a little bit more interesting.

  9. Please let me know if you’re looking for a
    article writer for your site. You have some really great posts
    and I think I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some
    of the load off, I’d absolutely love to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link
    back to mine. Please shoot me an e-mail if interested. Cheers!

  10. Hello there! I know this is kinda off topic but I’d figured I’d ask.
    Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest authoring
    a blog post or vice-versa? My site addresses a lot of the same subjects as yours and I think we could greatly benefit from each other.
    If you happen to be interested feel free to shoot me an e-mail.
    I look forward to hearing from you! Wonderful blog by the way!

  11. Hi there! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with SEO?
    I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good results.
    If you know of any please share. Cheers!

  12. Attractive section of content. I just stumbled upon your weblog and in accession capital to assert that I acquire actually enjoyed account your blog
    posts. Any way I will be subscribing to your augment and even I achievement you access consistently rapidly.

  13. I’m amazed, I must say. Seldom do I come across a blog
    that’s both equally educative and engaging, and without
    a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something which
    too few people are speaking intelligently about.
    Now i’m very happy I came across this in my hunt for something concerning this.

  14. What’s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled
    upon this I have discovered It absolutely useful
    and it has helped me out loads. I am hoping to contribute & assist different
    customers like its helped me. Good job.

  15. The heightened aesthetic and haunting soundtrack add to a distorted sense of reality, nested in thee artificiality
    of club life and companionship for revenue.

  16. Nice blog here! Also your web site loads up very fast!
    What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host?
    I wish my website loaded up as quickly as yours lol

  17. The level of creativity that goes into designing
    these Lego sets is awe-inspiring. Every brick is a story just waiting
    to be told. wonderful lego sets A mega LEGO set will keep me occupied
    for hours. Lego’s diversity is astounding. From building intricate
    dungeons to constructing architectural marvels, there’s something for everyone’s imagination.

  18. Wow, amazing blog layout! How long have you ever been blogging for?
    you made running a blog look easy. The entire glance of your website is fantastic, as smartly as the content material!
    You can see similar: e-commerce and here sklep online

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top button