In an effort to better understand the effects the drought is having on the ancient redwoods of Northern California, professional climber Chris Sharma free climbs to the canopies of the giant redwoods using only his hands, his feet, and a rope and harness to protect him from falls. Once reaching the tree tops, Sharma collects branch samples to help two UC Berkley Tree Biologists study the redwoods by measuring the tree’s water status at different levels to use as an indicator of how they have been affected by the California’s severe drought.