A piece of America in Poio
The Bosque de Colón (Columbus Forest) is a unique natural environment and is a small piece of America planted in 1992 to mark the Columbus’s arrival in America. It consists of a plantation of 500 Californian redwood trees (Sequoia sempevirens) growing on the southern slope of Monte do Castro, which is owned by the San Xoán Communal Woodland.
The forest is the fruit of a collaborative project between the United States and the Spanish government. The Columbus Grove Gift Corporation and the 4-H Youth Organisation organised a trip for 24 American schoolchildren aged between 15 and 18, who, together with other young people from Poio chosen by the municipality and the communal woodland entity, planted the trees.
The Dedication of a Researcher
The mastermind behind this forest was the University of Arizona professor John Harmon McElroy, who, in the 1960s was in Galicia researching the Galician origins of Christopher Columbus. The legislative proposal that eventually led to the creation of this park was born out of his tireless efforts and dedication.
An Ancient Tree
Redwood trees are the tallest conifer trees in the world. They can grow up to a height of 155 metres with a diameter of almost 8 metres. They can live for hundreds of years, and some trees can even survive for up to 2000 years.
