But
Nature is wonderful. Spring is springing in La Gomera and it is all growing back. The magical ancient forest in the island's centre, consist mainly of heather trees and laurel trees. In the areas that were affected, the burnt trees, that are all black and sad, are sprouting healthy new growth from their bases.
On the lower slopes, the palm trees with burnt trunks are quite unperturbed and are growing as normal.
The ground is covered in green lush growth with beautiful flowers everywhere.
We hesitated when booking our holiday, fearing that fire damage would spoil things. This certainly has not been the case in any way at all.
In the Scottish highlands where there are large areas covered in heather, land owners will sometimes organise fires in the autumn to burn away the old leggy heather. This results in much nicer young fresh heather when spring arrives. Admittedly the Scottish heather is a small knee-high plant compared to Gomera's heather which is a tree, but perhaps the principle will be the same. Perhaps good will come from something that at the time seemed such tragic desecration.
Above shows a burnt heather tree sprouting new growth at the base
Above here is burnt palm tree with healthy new green growth above
Above shows a felled pine tree with new growth from the remaining stump
Above shows burnt trees arranged to form a terrace. La Gomera's heather trees act as sponges and soak up condensation in the air. Without their ability to do this the island would dry up. The trees also prevent soil erosion. By placing the felled burnt trees in this way erosion will be prevented and rain water retained.
Above is the summit of Garajonay, the highest peak, where beautiful wild flowers now carpet the ground under the recovering burnt trees
Above shows the beautiful carpet of wild flowers covering the slopes beneath burnt pine forest.
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