Today we applied fire mimicry treatments to several Ancestor oaks in Monterey, CA. These time-lapse videos show phase 1 were we clear the woody understory, thin the young trees, and prune the lower branches to improve the health of the oaks and remove the ladder fuels to prevent a ground fire from spreading into the canopy. Tomorrow we will implement phase 2 – Compost tea, soil minerals, and limewash. Just three of us working today, but we felt into the forces of fire and got a hella lot done! Please take the time to view these videos. To me they feel cathartic.
More time-lapse videos of fire mimicry phase 1 – clearing, thinning, and pruning
29 07 2022Comments : Leave a Comment »
Categories : Case studies, Fire mimicry, Monterey/Carmel, Oak health
Time-lapse video of fire mimicry phase one – clearing, thinning, and pruning
28 07 2022Today my dedicated crew and I implemented phase one of the fire mimicry protocol (clearing, thinning, and pruning) on an old-growth oak grove near Watsonville, CA. Below is a time lapse video of our work this morning. Notice the moment I lost my hearing aid and had to scrabble on the ground to find it …
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Categories : Fire mimicry, Oak health
Palo Alto oaks, pines, and redwoods thriving after fire mimicry
23 06 2022
Yesterday I checked on several coast live oaks, ponderosa pines, a coast redwood, and a southern magnolia in Palo Alto, CA that I’ve treated with fire mimicry in recent years. The work began at one site about 14 years ago and at the other site 6 years ago. The photos at the 14-year site were taken at different seasons (winter vs. summer), so they are not an optimal comparison. Also, there was considerable construction around the trees and some limb removal since the original photos were taken. Still, it appears that these trees are thriving after fire mimicry treatments. Enjoy!
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Categories : Case studies, Fire mimicry, Oak health, Peninsula, Redwoods, Repeat photography
Announcing the Fall 2022 Fire Mimicry & TEK Workshop
9 06 2022
The dates are set for our Fall 2022 Fire Mimicry and TEK workshop at Indian Canyon. The event will be held November 11-13 and hosted by Leo Lauchere and Ero Groski of EcoCamp Coyote in typical fossil fuel-free fashion. Fire Mimicry and TEK lessons will be conducted by myself, Lee Klinger, and Kanyon Sayer-Roods (Mutsun Ohlone). Here is the link to Early Bird tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fire-mimicry-and-tek-indian-canyon-tickets-358816077547
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Categories : Uncategorized
Upcoming talk hosted by the California Native Plant Society
3 06 2022
This coming Thursday (June 9) at 7:30 pm I will be presenting an online talk and discussion on “The Science and Practice of Fire Mimicry“, hosted by the Yerba Buena Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. The event is free and open to all. Please register for the Zoom conference at the link under my talk announcement here: http://cnps-yerbabuena.org/calendar/speaker-series/
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Categories : Announcements
Two years of fire mimicry on coast live oaks in Salinas, CA
31 05 2022
Today I inspected a grove of coast live oaks that have received fire mimicry treatments for the past two years. The results generally show improvement in canopy density and lushness, with the exception of one oak (photo below) that made a remarkable recovery last year, but ended up succumbing this year to stress and disease. Note the last photo set of this post showing the canopy of a nearby untreated oak for comparison.
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Categories : Case studies, Fire mimicry, Monterey/Carmel, Oak health, Repeat photography, Sudden Oak Death
Ancestor oaks show modest improvement after 2 years of fire mimicry protocol
23 05 2022
For the past two years I have been applying fire mimicry treatments to a grove of Ancestor oaks, ancient (300+ yr old) trees that have been pollarded and otherwise tended in the past by the Ohlone People for acorn production and other uses. Today, I inspected these oaks and see that most have made a modest, but noticeable improvement in canopy density, despite the current drought conditions. Please note the final photo set, which shows a neighboring oak that was not treated.
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Categories : Case studies, Fire mimicry, Native people, Oak health, Peninsula, Repeat photography
Images from the Spring 2022 Fire Mimicry and TEK workshop at Indian Canyon
16 05 2022
This past weekend Sudden Oak Life, EcoCamp Coyote, and Indian Canyon Nation joined efforts to choreograph the second FIre Mimicry and TEK workshop. This hands on 3-day event was attended by over 30 enthusiastic participants who took a deep dive into the ecology of fire and the practice of fire mimicry in the context of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). Our host and teacher of Indigenous knowledge was Kanyon Sayers-Roods (Mutsun Ohlone). Here are various images from the workshop. If you missed this event, please come to our Fall 2022 FIre Mimicry and TEK workshop at Indian Canyon in November.
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Categories : Fire ecology, Fire mimicry, Native people, Oak health
Happy Earth Day 2022 from Big Sur, CA
22 04 2022
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Categories : Big Sur, Case studies, Fire mimicry, Oak health, Repeat photography
Long-term recovery of a coast redwood tree following construction damage of roots
13 04 2022
I’m often asked whether trees can withstand root amputation by construction activities. Generally, I’ve found that if the trees are tended with fire mimicry beforehand, there is a better chance of their survival. Above is an example of a redwood tree in Los Altos, CA that was treated with fire mimicry before and after construction damage. While the redwood suffered some canopy loss after construction, it has recovered and is now thriving!
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Categories : Case studies, Fire mimicry, Peninsula, Redwoods
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