The Last Forests Project
A Story of Northern California's Kelp Forest Ecosystem Collapse & People Stepping up to Help the Kelp!
I’ve been meaning to write about the film — The Last Forests Project — for quite some time now. Having always lived near water, whether a river or along the coast, I felt an immediate connection to the story it tells.
When I moved to the Mendocino Coast, I began taking marine science classes with the legendary Greg Grantham, diving deeper into the marine ecosystems that have always fascinated me.
While exploring tidepools and learning about bathymetry and tide calculations, Greg showed us how intimately tides, water depth, and the contours of the seafloor are connected— even small differences in depth can change which animals can survive and how tides constantly reshape these tiny ecosystems. Bathymetry isn’t just for scientists—it helps us understand how underwater landscapes influence life along the shore.
Most importantly, I saw that our ocean is full of hidden worlds, and paying attention to tides and depths gives us a window into how these amazing ecosystems function and survive. After taking a break from my studies due to a family emergency, I returned to the College of the Redwoods with a different focus. I decided to switch to Environmental Sciences, specializing in Redwood Coast Ecosystems.
While I’ve always loved being on the water, I had to admit that I don’t do well on small boats in the ocean. Canoeing was what I grew up doing.
I was already a true tree hugger from the moment I first encountered the redwoods upon moving to California. I wove my passion for these magnificent giants into my environmental studies, exploring the Redwood Coast’s ecosystems and deepening my commitment to conservation and of course there is the anadromous salmon! But that… is a whole other story!
Back to film — I was lucky enough to catch the local premiere of The Last Forests Project at our beloved Coast Cinemas, thanks to a friend who treated me to the screening. Sitting in the theater, I was swept into this breathtaking visual journey through the kelp forest ecosystem, witnessing its collapse and the tireless scientific and community efforts working to bring these underwater forests back to life.
I don’t say ‘amazing’ lightly—this film really is. It’s the kind of story that sticks with you and makes you see our ocean in a whole new way.
This film is really meaningful to our community on many levels— it’s local, it touches our lives, and because it’s about the future of our ocean. Many of the people featured are neighbors and familiar faces from along the Mendocino Coast— local community members, fishermen, divers, and scientists, who care deeply about the health of our ocean.
By the end of that evening, the message was clear: these beautiful surreal like underwater forests may be out of sight, but they are not out of mind. The film helps bring their story to the surface, reminding us how important it is to care for the ocean and the living forests just beneath the waves.
I think everyone needs to see a film like this, especially in times like these—it reminds us what matters and why we need to care for our world and e have only one ocean!
Resources:
Cal Academy of Sciences: California Academy of Sciences San Francisco — Museum, Aquarium & Planetarium— Dive into science under a living roof.