With apologies to Monty Python for the title.
Walking through my nearby arboretum, I noticed a a small backhoe parked along a trail. Once I reached it, it was clear a tree had been dug out, and there were piles of branches nearby, along with this sign:
The fire passed through this area, burning most of the homes along the south edge of the arboretum. Some trees were obviously destroyed at the time of the fire, and for others, the extent of their injury is less clear, so as this note from the city forester states, they’ve been following the trees and their progress or lack thereof. Some tees are gone, others are trimmed, and I imagine that this process may continue for a while. All the trees I noticed work on today are evergreens. For the deciduous trees, some of these decisions will have to wait until leafing out is well underway. This really underscores the process nature of fire recovery. It’s not only rebuilding homes that takes time, but we are still learning what is damaged beyond recovery and what is not.
While trees being harshly trimmed or removed is not particularly an upbeat topic, that healing is continuing from this devastating fire is upbeat, if bittersweet. Nature is demonstrating resilience, recovery and regrowth despite the losses. More lessons for me.
Written for today’s Ragtag Daily Prompt of Upbeat and the Blogging from A to Z Challenge: K
Curious Steph 
It’s kind of a wonderful thing to witness the recovery. I hated “my” fire but to be on the west side of Cuyamaca peak the following summer and see the “forests” of fireweed in bloom? I honestly would not have liked to have missed that. The sign posted by the tree guys is great. People react less when they’re informed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree. The information is helpful and somehow I then feel included in the process
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly. I hate it when the people who KNOW figure no one needs to know. That’s a bigger problem than they might realize.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes, forest fire remnants rejuvenate the soil and it comes back with a vengeance.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Several years ago, there was a fire that burned across the back hills from Santa Paula, through Ventura and Ojai, to Montecito. California. I was fascinated, about six months later, to see the natural renewal occurring in the segment between Montecito and Ojai. It was very clear that there had been a fire which had damaged or destroyed many of the trees in that area, but there were new bushes, and new tree growth throughout the area. What was especially impressive was the amount of new growth in an area that not long before hadlooked completely devastated.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, fire can be an important part of an ecosystem s renewal process. Unfortunately human homes aren’t set up that way
LikeLike
I’ve never witnessed forest fire
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was terrifying, propelled by hurricane force winds.
LikeLiked by 1 person