Today’s posted photo was taken during my recent visit to Marble Canyon in Kootenay NP. As mentioned in the prior blog, this area was devastated by fire in 2003. The forest is renewing, albeit slowly. Fires are a natural process (although not always attributable to natural causes). It’s nature’s way of regenerating the forests and it’s been going on forever. The scenery can look a little bleak at first glance but there is a beauty in the renewal. We also know that the area will return to its original, lush appearance (but not likely in my lifetime). The most regrettable aspect of these fires is not the damage done to the appearance of the forest itself but the impact on the wildlife and their habitat. In nature’s way however, the wildlife does recover and adapt, and more quickly than the forest. Here’s a photo I took of a burned area.
This photo is chock full of imagery. If I were poetic, I would note the lush green growth emerging from the ash on the forest floor amidst the fallen trees. I would also note the parting of the clouds to reveal a new, blue sky day. And lastly, I couldn’t help but observe the dead trees still standing, remnants of the old forest; sentinels awaiting their replacement by the new growth. On the other hand, it could be just a pile of dead wood!