VOA慢速英语--加利福尼亚公园的红杉树开始从火灾中恢复过来

Big Basin Redwoods State Park is recovering after fires heavily damaged California's oldest protected natural area.

Eight months ago lightning storms started more than 650 fires in Northern California. Today, Big Basin Redwoods State Park is still closed. But during a guided visit recently, life was reappearing on blackened redwood trees. Small flowers stood out on the burned land.

"I think nature is finding a way," State Parks environmental scientist Joanne Kerbavaz said.

The 7,284-hectare park usually has about 1 million visitors a year. But last year, many parts of the park burned for 24 hours. More than 100 structures were destroyed, including the historic park headquarters, shelters, picnic tables and more. Many bridges are gone too. In some places, root balls are still smoking, leaving dangerous underground areas, Kerbavaz said.

Since last August, damage experts have been trying to identify materials and waste that need to be removed. In many ways, the park does not look much different than it did soon after the fire.

An Associated Press reporter and photographer walked on the Redwood Trail a week after the fire. They confirmed that most of the ancient redwoods had survived. The trees are about 2,000 years old and among the tallest living things on Earth.

The next eight to 10 months will be spent cleaning up the park. It will be up to a year before the public can safely use trails beyond a small coastal¹ area, State Parks District Superintendent² Chris Spohrer said.

But no one should expect an exact rebuilding of what was lost, he noted³.

"We need to be setting expectations for the public that when they come back, it will not look the same," Spohrer said.

Environmentalists have urged quick action because state and federal officials are currently financing wildfire recovery efforts and new building projects. This change presents a rare chance to get more taxpayer⁴ money for public lands.

"I'd hate to ever suggest we think that a fire is a good thing, but there is no question it wiped the slate⁵ clean — and that's something you just don't see in any other existing park," said Sara Barth.

Barth is executive director of Sempervirens Fund. That group started an effort in 1900 to protect 15.5 square kilometers of redwood forest that is now in the center of Big Basin.

"When Big Basin was established, it was a beacon⁶ for the state parks system," she said. Beacon is a term that means a thing that gives hope to others.

Barth added, "In this fire and rebirth, you have an opportunity again." Redwoods are naturally fire resistant⁷. In old-growth forests, most trees have burn marks dating back hundreds of years. Sam Hodder is president of Save the Redwoods League, a non-profit environmental group. Hodder used the term resilience – the ability to become strong and healthy again – to describe the healing process.

"The trees themselves will tell about resilience and recovery and the broader California landscape," he said.

Words in This Story

wipe the slate clean – expression : to forget all the things that have happened or been done and start doing something again : to start again from the very beginning

landscape – n. an area of land that has a particular quality or appearance

1 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

2 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

5 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

6 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。

7 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。