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“What we live today may not repeat itself. I’m not sure which direction we’re headed now. We may not be able to restore ancient sequoias to areas that have been burned. You may not have the generation of seedlings we had a thousand or even 200 years ago. We don’t have fog, we have different temperatures now, we have people walking through these groves … ”That means that after millions of years, sequoia trees have been around here (sequoia trees have been around for about 240 million years and in California for at least 20 million Years), through all the natural “catastrophes”, even through the massive deforestation in the 1800s to 1900s, the sequoias have regenerated again and again. And we could now reach a tipping point where this may not happen anymore.
But for now, the good news is that the fire was good for Armstrong Redwoods. “Fire is really just the reverse of photosynthesis. These two things are like yin and yang – and they belong together. The fire was good. A lot has been thinned out, we now have more important nutrients fed into the system. There are certain types of vegetation that require fire and we will get more regeneration. There is more water in the streams because less vegetation soaks it up – in fact, we had better water flow for the Steelhead and Coho in the burned areas than in the unburned areas of the county.
And Michele made it clear that the parks have deep support. “The funding that came through was wonderful. There’s a lot of money to be spent fighting fires, and it wasn’t a problem for state parks to be able to do the work that needs to be done. “And for visitors returning to the park,” We have developed a new brochure on fire ecology that we’re going to be handing out to the people, and there’s a new map showing people where they can go and where they can’t go right now because it’s going to be a while before we open the upper trails. “
Another change you’ll notice is that Armstrong’s front parking lot has a parking fee that used to be free. Last year, stewards and state parks met with members of the community in support of this change to raise much-needed funds to support major infrastructure projects in Armstrong Redwoods and Austin Creek. The $ 10 that you invest in your park (or $ 9 for seniors) is well spent. And for those who can’t afford the fee, the Stewards’ Board has set up a fund to help you out. Here you can apply for a one-day fee waiver. You can also visit the website for information on additional special passes available, including a Disabled Discount Pass, Respected Veterans Pass, Annual Golden Bear Pass, and a new Fourth Grad Adventure Pass.
And there’s more good news … Maya Khosla is a poet, wildlife biologist and filmmaker and one of the organizers of the Sonoma Climate Summit 2021. Maya also received the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award 2020 for her book All The Fires of Wind and Light, which she wrote accompanied by Paul Robeson, Norman Mailer, Stephanie McCurry, Tongo Eisen-Martin, JP Dancing Bear and Gary Snyder, Rebecca Solnit, Juan Felipe Herrera, Li-Young Lee, Joy Harjo and Gerald Stern, to name but a few. In 2018 she made a beautiful short film with her poem “Rejuvenation” about the rebirth of our forests after the fire – and she is currently working on a film documenting the rebirth of Armstrong Redwoods and Austin Creek. “If the first glance tells you that these forests are lifeless – wait one more time! This summer and fall, my friends and I made our way through private and public land that witnessed the 2020 Walbridge Fire. The robins and various thrushes, bobcats, deer and foxes are back in the burned forests. Horsetails and ferns multiply along the streams, and sequoias that are charred from top to bottom are alive – new sprouts grow from the ground and leaves grow from the charred bark of the trunk and branches (what scientists call epicormic branching). Burned oaks and majestic madrons give way to new leaves. Woodpeckers and thrushes have nested in the tree stumps – the standing dead trees. We look forward to documenting the return of life in Armstrong Redwoods and Austin Creek. “
Like the forest itself, there are so many wonderful people connected to Armstrong who make a living from the possibilities.
At the end of our time together, I asked Brendan how he felt about working on the fire, cleaning it up, and the restoration work in progress. “You are complicated. There have been moments with real highs and real lows. Above all, I’m happy that it turned out well. And it’s not over yet, but I also look at this in the context of my peer group, as some of my friends worked downstairs at Big Basin Redwoods (which was created at the same time as Walbridge, but 97% of the park was devastated) – an area that three times the size of San Francisco). I have been here for 20 years and have dedicated my life to managing the beautiful landscapes of California. I think most of my co-workers share these thoughts – I don’t want to sound too cheesy – but it is an honor and a privilege to do our job. And we’ve all put a lot of effort into the work we’ve done, and seeing something that’s so important to you threatened is incredible, it’s emotional. I raised my children in this park. I am disappointed in our society that we are reactive and not proactive as always. I’m just glad it wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be. And I hope we can do better in the future. At the end of the day, Mother Earth will be fine. She will take care of her business. It’s humanity, it’s my children that I worry about, it’s my grandchildren … That’s the bigger emotion that it triggers in me. “
I could see that this was an emotional conversation for him – and I knew then that we were in very good hands with someone who cared so much.
DAVID ROSEN is a West County musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. His debut album Ordinary Miracles is a retrospective of 35 years of songwriting and shows the legendary Joe Vitale on drums. “An exciting collection of 17 original songs and 2 classic covers that cover an eclectic range of styles. Great songs about real things! ”You can read about the project here: Ordinary Miracles.com and watch new music videos on his YouTube channel: bit.ly/37V3D3Z. You can reach David at: David@OrdinaryMiracles.com.
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