"The Ghost Forest: Radicals and Real Estate in the California Redwoods,” a personal history of the ancient redwood ecosystem and the struggles to protect it, will be presented by Humboldt County author-activist Greg King at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 17, in the Kate Buchanan Room.

The event is free; donations will be accepted to help support King's speaking tour and book project. It is sponsored by the HSU Society for Conservation Biology and the HSU Environment & Community Program.

King is an award-winning and nationally published writer and photographer who is credited with discovering and naming Headwaters Forest in 1987, when he was a leader of Humboldt Earth First! and played a critical role in protecting the forest. In this presentation, King examines this intense era of ancient redwood liquidation by Maxxam Corp., the equally fervent efforts to save the last of this unparalleled ecosystem, and the current state of the forest.

In his talk, King explores the natural history of the redwood ecosystem, illustrated by his own beautiful and widely-published photos. His presentation also chronicles the redwoods' wider collision with western humanity and discusses key elements of state, federal and corporate timber policy.

King moved to Humboldt County from Sonoma County in 1987 specifically to fight Maxxam's liquidation of the last significant ancient redwood groves outside of parks, which began shortly after its hostile takeover of the Pacific Lumber Co. During the 19th century, King's family owned one of Sonoma County's largest redwood mills, the King-Starrett Mill in Monte Rio. The King Ranch in Sonoma County and the King Range Mountains in Humboldt County are named for his ancestors.