THESE GIANT SEQUOIA are 3200 years old:
Sequoias are the oldest living trees on earth.
THEY STAND FOR US. THEY WILL FALL WHEN WE FALL.
These Sequoia are were born in and are living in the Mariposa Grove near Yosemite National Park, California.
“Release by Fire”, is how the 3200 year old Sequoia have new Sequoia to follow in their roots for millennia to come.
The most important agent to aid in the release of sequoia seeds is fire. Whether controlled or wild, fire produces hot air, which travels up through the tree limbs and dries the cones. These dried cones eventually drop from the tree and release their seeds to the ground. The dried cones that remain on the treetops for long lengths of time often release their seeds—which are dispersed by wind—before falling go from the tree.
Giant Sequoia therefore need some fires. The disasters like they are enduring now in Mariposa grove at Yosemite may have helped dry the top cones so eventually the forest will be reseeded.
SOME OF THESE TREES HAVE BEEN ALIVE SINCE THE END OF THE BRONZE AGE, since 1185 B.C. when King Nestor’s great futuristic, advance technologically, society was destroyed cataclysmically.
So the sad part – of the current fires in the birth place of these great trees- is the potential loss of such history…loss of these trees that are 3200 years old. Trees that breathed the air of the end of the Bronze Age in 1187 B.C. Trees that inhaled the atmosphere of Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars in what is now Burgundy, France, on the other side of the world from this grove, in 51 B.C.: These trees looked at the same sky when the Normans conquered the Sazons in 1066 A.D.
If the fires destroy these oldest trees that will be a great historic loss.
The Washburn Fire burns in Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park, Friday, July 10 2022.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. AP news release:— The largest grove of giant sequoias in the world…
California’s gorgeous National Park, Yosemite, was created by the hard work of John Muir, and is home of iconic Half Dome and Bridalveil Falls as well as many trails and camping grounds like Misty Trail and like Wawona that millions of Americans and visitors from around our world enjoy each year.
Yosemite is also home of this grove called Mariposa wherein the great Sequoia live.
Many of these enormous giants of trees are so old that they were breathing the air of planet Earth when the Bronze Age of the Peloponnesos ended cataclysmically in 1187 B.C.. Their air also was the air that the founders of Rome breathed. They inhaled the same atmosphere as Julius Caesar did in the end of 51 A.D when the Gallic Wars ended, and Caesar began the plantation of the greatest vineyards this planet still knows, the vineyards of what is today Burgundy and those of what is called Champagne (or Campus Magnus in Caesar’s day.)
When in 79 A.D. Pliny the Elder was overtaken by the pyroclastic fumes from nearby Pompeii, on the other side of the world from California, surely the Sequoia of Yosemite experienced a change in their air, and it is certainly reflected in their rings.
The downfall of Rome, and that of King Arthur, the Normand Conquest, and the Dance of Death from the Plague: during all these moments in time our California Giant Sequoia were here breathing the same air. Earthquakes, storms of enormous proportions, coronations of Kings and Queens, Native tribes living among them, the hard fought for and finally won founding of our government of and by and for the people in 1776, and movements of settlers ever West, our Civil War and Little Big Horn, World Wars and Atomic Bombs: all these our Giant Sequoia have experienced in atmosphere.
Surely even before the current experience of little air to breathe, and danger of extreme heat, these silent giants have suffered from our lack of ability to work together and reverse climate change by ending our use of fossil fuels.
Maybe we have done them in, this time. Maybe we have taken it so far that this fire is the result, this time. Likely the extreme temperatures and fires and lack of clean air and suitable temperatures will finally end this grove of great treasure. Can we act in time to reverse this, this time? Can we act together in time this time to save the GIANT SEQUOIA?
There is nothing to compare this possible loss to. None of the events mentioned above compare in importance because they were all flashes in the pan of history.
Only the Giant Sequoia of Yosemite can say they have been here for all of this.
WE MUST DO ALL WE CAN. We must start with ourselves and limit and end our use of fossil fuels. Proselytize our local and State and National governments to go SOLAR.
It will never happen if it is left to individuals. Technology is ever-changing and individual solar companies are so fueled by greed now that the costs for out of date technology are prohibitive and a foolish use of so much money because what is being applied is already in need of replacement.
Only our State and Federal governments can make the technology happen and bring our states and cites solar. Edison Solar, Pacific Gas and Solar. Today’s electric companies must be transformed into solar companies.
Internationally this is happening far in advance of the USA. Norway and Romania seem to be leading the way. And NATO member nations are seriously funding Solar.
THE USA is lagging seriously as we fight and fight among ourselves. These party wars take away momentum from what we must do to survive and reverse climate change. Like with Roe vrs. Wade we must bring Climate Change to the ballot and VOTE in November.
Will we be able to make a difference in time so save the Sequoia? These giants can stand in for us, represent us: we will all fall if the Sequoia fall.
BUT perhaps those cones high up in the branches of these giants in Mariposa Grove will open and let fall seedlings to a ground waiting for them and a new forest will begin: one that will witness Earth’s rejuvenation when we do end use of fossil fuels and reverse climate change.
VOTE IN NOVEMBER. GET SOLAR ON THE BALLOTS. CLIMATE CHANGE Must be reversed.