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Charting the Ecological Healing Process in Chino Hills, CA
The damage had been extensive: over 30,305 acres were burned in six cities from four southern California counties, with 381 homes lost and 40,000 people evacuated. The Freeway Complex Fire in mid-November 2008 completely destroyed a treasured recreational and environmental sanctuary: the 14,102-acre Chino Hills State Park. But even in a plant community primarily consisting of chaparral vegetation, the park is rapidly reclaiming its prior beauty. Growing from the ashes are yellow mustard, green and white-stemmed laurel sumac, toyon shrubs with bright red toxic berries, purple artichoke thistles, orange poppies, fragrant blue lupines, violet shooting stars, and popcorn-looking California buckwheat. Along with the rebirth of flowers and shrubs, birds and animals are returning in increasing numbers, too. In just a few years, nature is rapidly healing from her scars.
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- Megan Cytron (Editor) Congratulations! You won Honorable Mention in the Local Institutions Contest.
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- Trazzler Editor (Editor) Congratulations! You won Honorable Mention in the Weekly Worldwide Contest.
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- Megan Cytron (Editor) Beautiful! I love it when nature makes a comeback.
