Monitoring of the CZU Lightning Complex Fire burn area in Pescadero Creek Park began as soon as it was safe to visit. Early on, safety precautions were necessary as tree roots and the ground continued to smolder and large trees fell.
Over many months, our natural resource management team and park rangers have made numerous trips to assess the fire’s impact to the dense forest of coast redwood, Douglas fir, madrone, and tan oak. Eventually, visits were rewarded with sightings of bright green buds indicating signs of life—of resiliency. However, up until recently, the question by several rare plant specialists remained unanswered—did the rare Butano cypress survive? The answer came just a few weeks ago.
Read this story by San Jose Mercury News science writer Lisa Krieger who tagged along on a four-mile hike one early March morning: