Educators at Gifted School Discover Rare Albino Redwood Tree in Oakland Hills

Sept. 16, 2012 - PRLog -- Oakland, CA September:  During an expedition in Leona Canyon in preparation for an enrichment workshop for gifted and/or homeschooled students on Redwoods, Baywood Learning Center educators, Dennis Evanosky, local historian and Eric Folmer, arborist, discovered a rare albino redwood hidden along Horseshoe Creek.  Outside of a handful of State Parks in California and a few private estates in Monterey: very few of these ghostly mutations can be found. “I could hardly believe my eyes when I first saw it,” said Eric Folmer, an arborist and educator at Baywood Learning Center.
The albino redwood is a rare parasitic mutation that lacks chlorophyll and is incapable of surviving without being attached to the base of a normal redwood. Currently, various researchers at major universities such as Stanford are attempting to decode the albino redwood's genetic code to understand its molecular structure.  It’s believed that doing so may assist biologists in grasping mysteries about the tree’s survival that are yet to be understood.
It is estimated only 25 known specimens exist. Sworn to secrecy in deference to botanist’s age old custom of protecting rare plants, Baywood will not publicly disclose the location of this rare plant, but will use it for educational purposes and as protection for the redwood canyon whose creek they have adopted as a classroom for environmental study. “Our students want to learn one inch wide and one mile deep” said Grace Neufeld, Baywood’s director and founder. “That’s why we design enrichment workshops such as our Redwood Workshop, for students who crave in-depth and experiential learning”. www.baywoodlearningcenter.org
Headquartered in Oakland, CA, Baywood Learning Center serves the educational and emotional needs of gifted students.