I am hard at work writing an article for a large regional magazine about the “Forest Reborn”. I had pitched the editor that while forest fires involve tragedy, these same burns equal new life in the forest … both for plants and wildlife. I am discovering that this is a subject very dear to my heart, and it is hard to keep the word count down to the required number! For years one of my favorite birding / wildlife day trips has been to visit the burned out regions from the Ham Lake (2007), Pagami Creek (2011) and Greenwood Lake (2021) Forest Fires.
Here are two images I took from the same location of the Ham Lake Burn Area near the end of the Gunflint Trail looking towards Canada. Once again obviously forest fires involve tragic consequences for many, but these fires also give new life.
Ham Lake Burn Area: 2011 (4 years post fire)
Ham Lake Burn Area: 2020 (13 years post fire)
Thank you for NOT identifying the forest fire areas as bountiful, blueberry patches! Decades ago, my parents would drag my brother and I out to northeast Minnesota burn-areas in August to pick blueberries. The fires eliminated over-growth and allowed the under-growth blueberries to flourish. Our only competitors on most outings were black bears. We just needed to (1) NOT be between sow and cubs, and (2) move in opposite direction of boars, sows and cubs.
I assume there were many great mornings of fresh blueberry pancakes!