The Lookout Fire, as with the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire before it, triggers a rush of emotions and a deep sense of loss – maybe even a sense of guilt when we drop into thoughts of science opportunities when so much seems gone and never to “recover” in our lifetime. What will we find when we get to experience our favorite places in their newly burned state? How will the ecosystem respond over the coming few years? The on-going Following Fire: A Resilient Forest | An Uncertain Future project in the Holiday Farm Fire area of McKenzie River Trust land by photographer David Bayles and Fred Swanson gives some hints. The new 4-minute video and the Chronosequence photographs reveal the blackened forest and the emergence of life over the past few years. The chronosequence approach gives everyone a chance to find their own stories – both technical and emotional. David and Fred plan a similar project in the Lookout Fire area in sites of long-term research in collaboration with scientists and writers. This is all part of the Long-Term Ecological Reflections program that has been underway for over 20 years.
First posted September 11, 2023