"There is a lot of trust that goes into this work. Trust in the trees, predominantly, but also trust in the system - that I'm being sent to the right trees, at the right time, and for the right reason, not all of which are always the case."
"Keeley is part of a specialized workforce that's become the primary resistance against the rapid erasure of a Western landscape. As megafires - fueled by climate change and a century of heavy-handed forest management and fire suppression - incinerate millions of acres in the West, natural regeneration is failing."
"Cones from serotinous species, which open their scales and drop their seeds in response to low-intensity wildfires on the forest floor, are now incinerated in increasingly common crown fires - high-intensity blazes that leap into the canopy."
Dan Keeley, a freelance contractor known as a pinecone cowboy, climbs giant sequoias to collect seeds for reforestation. This work is crucial as megafires, exacerbated by climate change and poor forest management, threaten Western landscapes. Natural regeneration is failing due to high-intensity crown fires that destroy seeds and seedlings. Keeley's role involves trust in the trees and the system, as he gathers genetic material from important or threatened species to ensure the future of forests impacted by these environmental challenges.
Read at High Country News
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