Viola has her first research project on the Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron Giganteum). Happily the forest service planted them all over town in 1998 so we could get some hands on time with a not so giant cousin of these huge trees.
Sadly, our local tree didn't have any cones. Perhaps because it likes a humid climate and we have, not that.
We did find these awesome cones on another tree near by. Everybody wanted to bring one home until they held it for a couple of minutes. Charlie left his behind.
