I’ve just received this photo from my wife Erin, out for a hike this afternoon in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains north of Los Angeles.
San Gabriel foothills in May 2010 (Photo:Erin Conel Jones)
Quite a breathtaking dash of color; but doubly impressive when you consider what the same area looked like back in October last year. I blogged at the time about the largest forest fire the region had seen for decades (HERE). And when I was last over in March, saw no sign of any recovery in the flora department. Here’s a reminder of what the same (or close to) patch looked like after the fire.
Scorched Earth in the San Gabriel Mountains; October 2009 (Photo:Erin Conel Jones)
Note that in the recent picture you can still see the remains of burnt out branches amongst the new growth.
Animal life too is returning, evidenced by our – as yet unidentified – friend here. He’s hard to see because he’s doing his job well.
Lizard (Photo: Erin Conel Jones)
Now, just need to keep an eye out for the return of the mountain lions……
Also of interest:
Sparks fly over study suggesting wild fires cut CO2 (The Guardian)
Since the mid 1980s, I've worked in university and industrial research, as a manager and editor in technology and environment for an international industry association, and held senior business development, strategy, and procurement posts in industry. I hold a PhD in chemical engineering from Birmingham University, an MBA from Warwick University Business School, and an MSc in Science Communication from Imperial College. In 2008, I left industry to focus full-time on my passion for science and technology, and to share that enthusiasm with others as a freelance science communicator. I live in London with my wife Erin.
Contact me at timjones(at)communicatescience.com or through the tab above.
