About 75,000 Sequoia Trees Remain…

For thousands of years, the Giant Sequoia trees in California lived with fire

Not only were they able to survive, but also used fire to help grow new trees. Sequoias have thick bark that can resist lower-intensity fires, and are tall enough to be above the flames. But recent fires have become too large to handle.

Due to climate change, the Giant Sequoia is struggling to survive. Since 2020, three fires have killed nearly 20 percent of the entire population of sequoias in the southern Sierra Nevada.

Over a long weekend, we went to Sierra Nevada where Yosemite National Park is located. Knowing the area has had recent fire damage, we were expecting to see some burned areas. But once we arrived, we were shocked by the scale of the damage. Also the Red Fire, which was active at the time in Yosemite Valley, covered the entire area with heavy smoke. The air quality was at a dangerous level for humans to inhale so we were not able to walk around Yosemite Valley. The smoke made the sunrise bright orange and I felt like the skies were looking at us full of anger.

Fortunately we were able to hike around some parts of The Giant Sequoia National Monument. We knew they were partially damaged by last year’s forest fire. Still, we were amazed by the size of the trees and the strong color of the bark. They stand strong.  But, I couldn’t ignore the fact that some trees are about to end their lives. This trip left an impression of the beauty of nature. But at the same time, it left me with sadness and disappointment of what humans had done to the trees.

Drought makes trees weaker, and bugs such as bark beetles can then damage and kill the weakened trees. Hotter temperatures and dry ground makes the fires burn out of control.

We are given so many things from nature. We must give back something to nature. Nature doesn't talk but it can show feelings. And I saw nature's feelings on this trip.

Giant Sequoias can live up to 3,000 years. But now human activities are killing these ancient trees in just a few years.

Let’s coexist with nature. There are so many things we can change to make life better for nature and us.