The Return of Elephant

By Chris Conway

Before the fire

The prominent cliffs were skirted with dry, shaggy chaparral so dense that new seeds had nowhere to sprout. The chaparral of Southern California is a fire-dependent ecosystem and the destructive forces of nature hadn’t cleared the land for regrowth in decades. As the drought lingered and fire season extended to all times of the year, it felt as though a fire would flare up at any moment. When it happened, the firefighters did a great job protecting the community, stopping the flames at the firebreak before it got too close to any houses.

After the fire

Returning to the park after the fire felt like a visit to a different planet. The remains of burned brush stood tall and ash covered the ground. In the months after the fire you could see regrowth beginning. Fresh sprouts started to grow from the base of tall burnt shrubs and along banks of the creek below.

After the rain

In the first winter after the fire (2022) we didn’t get much rain, but there was plenty of new growth in the valley. A year after the fire, the blackened ground had turned green again, the ash acting as a fertilizer and helping the new seedlings along. With all of the rain in the past few months, the hills are full of life. Lush green vegetation is everywhere and the fire zone is full of new plants. A rainbow of colored wildflowers can be seen on a hike through