Mother of the Forest

The damage to Mother of the Forest and felling of other giant sequoias during the mid-1800s sparked public outcry and led to the conservation movement and the legal protection of these trees.

In 1931, Calaveras Grove was designated as a part of California State Parks, ensuring the preservation of these remarkable trees for future generations.

As photography wasn’t developed enough yet to satisfy people’s curiosity, trees were felled and transported to big cities to prove their existence at great costs.

[14] Hutchings’ 1886 book makes a mention of names and dates of visitors having been carved into the tree at different heights, especially at the top.

[18] In 1903, after having spent several days under the Yosemite sequoias with John Muir, president Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech saying that "As regards some of the trees, I want them preserved because they are the only things of their kind in the world.

The Yosemite protection was gradually extended to most sequoias,[2] and Calaveras Grove was joined to California State Parks in 1931.

An artist's view of the Calaveras Grove trees before 1860. The Mother of the Forest is the second one from the left.
Mother of the Forest c.1873-83
The bark of the Mother of the Forest on exhibit in London as "The Mammoth Tree from California" in 1859
1866 with empty branches and scaffolding still in place
Stereoscopic photograph of the Mother of the Forest from the top of the scaffolding