High above California's forest floor, an innovative conservation effort is breathing new life into ancient redwood ecosystems, one fern mat at a time.

In the Van Eck Forest, where logging has dramatically reduced old-growth redwood forests to just 5% of their historic range, researchers from Pacific Forest Trust and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, are pioneering a groundbreaking restoration technique that rebuilds entire forest layers from the canopy down.

These towering coast redwood trees, which can grow over 90 meters tall and live for more than 2,000 years, are carbon storage champions. Yet their complex ecosystem has been dramatically altered by decades of timber harvesting. Enter an extraordinary solution: carefully transplanting massive fern mats back into younger trees' uppermost branches.

The project, launched in 2021, focuses on leather-leaf ferns (Polypodium scouleri), a critical keystone species that creates entire microcosms high in the forest canopy. As Laurie Wayburn, co-founder of Pacific Forest Trust, describes it, these transplanted mats are essentially 'little gardens' suspended high above the ground.

Naturally, these fern mats develop when old-growth trees shed leaves, creating organic layers where spores can germinate. Over time, these mats can grow as large as cars, hosting an incredible diversity of life including salamanders, insects, birds, and rare lichens. Botanist Marie Antoine explains that these aerial ecosystems eventually include western hemlock and huckleberry shrubs, creating complex habitats.

The restoration process is meticulous. Researchers carefully select and transplant fallen fern mats from old-growth trees into younger redwoods, studying which trees are most receptive. These mats perform remarkable ecological services, storing approximately 5,000 gallons of water per acre and releasing moisture during hot months, which helps sustain the entire forest ecosystem during drought conditions.

By prioritizing old-growth forest qualities while maintaining sustainable timber management, the Pacific Forest Trust is demonstrating how human intervention can thoughtfully restore complex natural systems. Their work not only preserves these magnificent forests but also provides a blueprint for ecosystem restoration worldwide, proving that with careful science and dedication, we can help wounded landscapes heal and flourish.