Changemaker
Leonel Arguello
TL;DR
Leonel Arguello has spent his whole career at Redwood National and State Parks, from starting as the grass guy to running the restoration work that stitches fragmented redwood forest back together.
Leonel Arguello has worked at Redwood National and State Parks since 1988. He holds a bachelor’s degree in ecology and a master’s in botany, both from Cal Poly Humboldt, which he has said was a training ground for critical thinking and writing. He began as what he calls the grass guy for the park, and has gone on to oversee Redwoods Rising and the Redwood Creek estuary restoration project, working with California State Parks, Save the Redwoods League and the Yurok Tribe. Of the job he has said that he gets to make decisions that affect the trajectory of the park and its operations, in consultation with staff. Giants Rising describes him as working for four decades to reconnect and restore fragmented redwood landscapes. His job title has changed several times in official sources during 2025 and 2026, so no title is stated here.
Leonel Arguello has worked at Redwood National and State Parks since 1988 and oversees Redwoods Rising and the Redwood Creek estuary restoration project.
Why OGSP Recommends It
Leonel started at Redwood National and State Parks in 1988 as, in his own words, the grass guy, and he is still there running the restoration work almost forty years later. Redwoods Rising is the project that restores an over harvested forest back into a healthy ecosystem, and it works because California State Parks, Save the Redwoods League and the Yurok Tribe are all working together. Working together for positive change makes Leonel a perfect candidate as a One Good Story Project Change Maker.
Related Resources
Key Takeaways
- He started at Redwood National and State Parks in 1988 and has been there since.
- He oversees Redwoods Rising and the Redwood Creek estuary restoration project.
- That work is done in partnership with California State Parks, Save the Redwoods League and the Yurok Tribe.
- Both his degrees, in ecology and in botany, are from Cal Poly Humboldt.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has Leonel Arguello worked in the redwoods?
He began at Redwood National and State Parks in 1988.
What is Redwoods Rising?
A restoration project at Redwood National and State Parks that Leonel Arguello oversees, run in partnership with California State Parks, Save the Redwoods League and the Yurok Tribe.
What did Leonel Arguello study?
A bachelor’s degree in ecology and a master’s in botany, both at Cal Poly Humboldt.
What does Leonel Arguello do at the park?
In his own words, he makes decisions that affect the trajectory of the park and its operations, in consultation with staff.