openspace4life: (Default)
[personal profile] openspace4life
Two weeks ago, for the first time in something like two years, I actually got out into the wilderness and did some hiking. And as far as I can remember, this is the first time I've ever planted a tree. I know, I'm a terrible excuse for an environmentalist.

Specifically, I spent a morning in the San Bernardino Mountains near Lake Arrowhead, under the auspices of the Mountain Communities Releaf project, which is trying to accelerate the recovery of the forest after last October's devastating fires by having volunteers plant seedlings in the burned areas -- our group of around 40 planted hundreds in the course of less than four hours.



A typical planted seedling.


A hillside of seedlings with "shade cards" to protect them from drying out in the afternoon sun. (Color shamelessly enhanced in Photoshop.)


The team I was working with.


The slope of the hillside we were working on! The camera is not tilted at all. And many of us, myself included, were wearing sneakers that were really not up to the task.


The CalFire folks in charge of the operation.


Yes, they do tree thinning here, too. (Actually these are just the thoroughly burned, dead trees they're clearing out to make way for the new growth.) Those bleachers belong to the kids' camp where we parked.


The mountain region clearly has vast swaths of damaged or destroyed forest.


Hopefully more of it will look like this in a few decades, rather than the centuries it would normally take.


I may be doing this again next weekend (with actual boots this time!), and they're also planning trips to water the trees in the summer.

Date: 2008-03-23 05:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bdunbar.livejournal.com
It certainly looks like it's a bit warmer than Wisconsin, I envy you that much.

But, ya, boots. Man, I pity your feet!

Date: 2008-03-23 05:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] scifiben.livejournal.com
It wasn't my feet that hurt so much as my lower legs, from all the awkward maneuvering to avoid slipping in the loose dirt. Getting down a hillside of icy snow on the trail was even worse -- most people managed all right, but I had to crab-walk most of the way and my gloves got soaked through. If only I'd been carrying a planting bar (http://www.terratech.net/product.asp?specific=jpopmpg0) instead of a bag of seedlings! I aspire to be both a computer nerd and a decent outdoorsman someday, but I've got a long way to go on the latter front.

Date: 2008-03-23 06:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] plutoplex.livejournal.com
Congrats on your first tree planting! And tut-tuting on not wearing boots.

I do confess being a tad surprised that this was your first planting . . . Not that I've done particularly many. The first (and, to date, only) time I've ever planted a tree was when I still lived in New York. I must have been six or seven at the time. Basically, my mom's boss was Comptroller for the City, and she needed a kid for an Earth Day photo op. Not having any kids of her own, Boss said to my Political-Appointee mom, "Would you mind if your daughter came by after school to help plant a tree?" So after school I went to plant a tree.

And, sadly, the main reason I remember this event is not for the tree-planting, but rather because I accidently set off a car alarm in the parking lot (I leaned against a car to tie my shoe). And that was also the day I finally made the connection that my parents' anniversary happens to coincide with Earth Day. (Which really is a coincidence. But is also makes it easy for me to remember, even though 75% of the time at least one of my parents forgets -- and it's not always the same parent. Hence my traditional Anniversary gift to each of them: a reminder that it's their anniversary.)

March 2015

S M T W T F S
1234567
89101112 1314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031    

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 20th, 2025 11:11 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios