Chaparral Wisdom
To celebrate the magic and beauty of Nature & the chaparral
Wildness – A Crucible for Independence
Stay cool this week by relaxing with some enjoyable reading.
An interesting, new paper we just released examines the powerfully positive influence of wildness – being out in Nature for an extended period of time. It tells the story of three inspiring, independent spirits who refused to go along to get along, finding Nature as their ally.
You can download the paper here:
Iconoclastic thinkers in the mountains: How divergent spirits help us connect and preserve wildness in the eastern Peninsular Range of Southern California. Volcan Mountain Symposium. Importance and Conservation Status of the Eastern Peninsular Ranges.
Below are a few sections from the paper.
Looking south from Garnet Peak at the blue hour, along the Laguna Crest to Monument Peak, California. Photo by Alexander Kunz.
Reconnecting to Nature
Once one has been in nature three days or more… We begin to enjoy the flow of life as it is happening as Marshal South noted when he wrote, “Further, our “unnatural turning aside” has brought us peace and contentment. It has brought us to the state of consciousness where each day is a separate jewel to be lived and enjoyed for itself. Where each hour is a living thing, filled with the singing joy of fundamental life.” And we allow nature do what it does best, surprise.
Marshal South and his son, Rider at Yaquitepec, Ghost Mountain. Photo courtesy of Sunbelt Publications.
Read MoreNew Study Finds Increase in California Forest Fires Over the Past Half-century is Attributable to Human-caused Climate Change
Drying landscapes = More landscapes burn
Past fire suppression activities
or lack of “cultural burning” are not a factor
Four new observations should change the current narrative about wildfires.
- A newly released study by an international group of scientists shows that human-caused climate change is responsible for the increase in California summer forest fires. Will the new research put a halt to claims that too many trees and shrubs are the responsible parties?
- There is a direct relationship between the recent massive fires in Canada and the historic presence of a drying “heat dome” over the normally cool, wet region. Will this fact convince the public that weather and climate, not what’s burning, are the primary drivers of large wildfires?
- The mostly untouched, wild landscape of Siberia has experienced huge wildfires over the past few years, burning both peat lands and forests, due to historically high temperatures and dry conditions. Will this raise questions over the belief that large fires wouldn’t occur if we had been following Indigenous burning practices?
- The world’s oceans are suddenly experiencing a spike in temperature that has never been recorded before (see graph below). Increasing ocean temperatures are directly linked to increasing area burned during wildfires. Will this observation give pause to those who promote logging and habitat clearance as effective measures to prevent wildfires?
Will these new facts change the wildfire narrative? In the short run, we are doubtful.
Why?
Read MoreOur Day in Court – Suing Cal Fire to Protect Nature in California
– Five Reasons Why Cal Fire’s Approach to Wildfire Prevention is Wrong –
November 9, 2023 is the date (updated – the schedule was moved forward two months).
The future of wild Nature in California depends on how the courts ultimately rule.
After more than three years of waiting, we finally have our hearing with a judge to stop Cal Fire from clearing hundreds of thousands of acres of native habitat per year – from Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, along the chaparral covered hillsides of California’s beautiful coastline, throughout the Sierra Nevada foothills, to the precious Bishop pine groves at Point Reyes.
The basic Cal Fire assumption? We can control wild Nature by turning it into a managed garden, replacing rich chaparral habitats with isolated clusters of shrubs surrounded by flammable, invasive weeds and creating artificial, park-like forests with chain saws, grinding machines, and herbicides.
Here are the five reasons
we are taking Cal Fire to court:
1. The Cal Fire Vegetation Treatment Plan (VTP) will Increase Fire Risk.
2. Cal Fire Admits They are Ignoring the Real Threat.
3. Cal Fire Admits that Native Shrublands are Threatened by too much Fire, but they’re Going to Burn/Grind/Herbicide them Anyway.
Read More