Redwoods in the Storm

Yesterday, I had the chance to visit one of my favorite places in the world: Fall Creek. I went to High School at San Lorenzo Valley, and we would run the trails in Fall Creek for Physical Education. It was also where we would go to explore and get into all kinds of mischief. There was a very brief pause in the rains, and I visited a place that holds a lot of memories for me.

Carving the Mountains

When it rains this much, the creeks turn into rivers, and the rivers turn into problems. Santa Cruz County has experienced a lot of damage already this year, and it is going to take some time to repair things. In the mountains away from things built by humans, this is a natural course of things. Huge Douglas Firs are falling, but they aren’t native to the area. They also have a much shorter lifespan, in the hundreds of years, not thousands. The redwoods remain sturdy and are shedding dead branches but for the most part are unbothered by the storms. They are adapted to floods, fires, and whatever else the mountains may experience.

Craving the Flow

California has been in a terrifying state of drought. These rains have been inconvenient and scary at times, but the trees and plants that hold together the hillsides are rejoicing in this recent hydration. What will the future hold for this region? Will climate change make it unlivable for the redwoods? Will we figure out how to curb our appetite for speed? It’s hard to say, but when you have trees that have been alive for thousands of years it is definitely worth paying attention. My bet is on the redwoods.

Creating a Balance

It seems inevitable that humans will have to change some things about how we live, whether by design or involuntarily. The nature of the world is to undergo change, but it is also to seek equilibrium. May the heavens help us to take control of our unconscious desires and focus our energy on finding a way to live in greater balance with the demands of our ecosystem.