Jim Dickens March 2026
Sustainability, while top of mind for me, makes my friends fall asleep when I babble about it. Recently, I to saw the benefit of sustainability practiced on a trip with Lori down the coast of California. The warm sunny weather followed us from Mexico the previous week making the coast more pleasant than usual.
We landed in San Francisco and visited with new friends in Atherton then started our trip down the coast to Cambria and back. There is a slide show of nice pictures below. Just go look at those if you don’t want to hear some of my comments on the success of sustainability witnessed.
Lori and I hiked in Big Basin Redwood State Park. Three years ago it had a large forest fire. Because the redwoods have been protected the forest is recovering. Redwoods are pretty fire resistant and survived. They stopped bad erosion an allowed a normal quick recovery. Had the area been clear cut the land would still be as desolate as when it first was cut and the surrounding area polluted with erosion. Good sustainable forestry leads to better long term timber yields and a healthier environment.
From Big Basin, we kayaked in Elkhorn Slough, did the Pebble Beach 17 mile drive and hiked in Point Lobos State Park in Monterey Bay. We saw lots and lots of sea otters doing cute sea otter stuff. About a hundred years ago the otters got some protection and about fifty years ago they got comprehensive protection. Down to a population of 1,000 a hundred years ago to 3,000 fifty years ago to 135,000 to today. The otters have caused a come back of kelp forests along the coast. The new kelp forests have increased all marine life making a more productive fishery.
We drove further down the newly reopened sections of Pacific Coast Highway past Big Sur down to Cambria. We got to see lots of sea lions, harbor seals, and elephant seals on beach, on the rocks and bobbing in the Pacific. Protection starting about 50 years ago along with the otters has lead to big increases in populations which has caused increases above and below in the food chain.
On the way back up the coast we sailed on a whale watching trip one morning looking at humpbacks and gray whales. The humpback and grays have had big come backs from just a few thousand to ninety thousand. Their return has improved the fisheries in Alaska as well has California by speeding up the food chain cycles. With marine mammal protection and coastal marine preserves the sea has come to life. A recent study around the Channel Islands indicates that while banning fishing in the preserve the area’s overall catches have improved. They think the preserve incubates and provides abundant fishing in the surrounding area. It shows how being sustainable can increase food supply in the long term.
Its not all happy news. On the drive temperatures were 20 degrees above normal reminding us that global warming is here. Recently, the gray whale population has gone from 27,000 to 13,000 in just a few years. It is believed the lack of arctic sea ice has disrupted the food chain causing the gray whales to starve.
Thanks for reading my thoughts as we thoroughly enjoyed the California coast.
R1T Tour 