Amy hosts Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) this week, with the theme being Earth Story. I’m double-dipping and including Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC): Earth. Most of my photos are centered around nature, earth, and how all of our ecosystems are interconnected, so when I saw Amy’s and Cee’s themes for this week, it resonated deeply with me.

Living in California, I have seen plenty of fires–unfortunately. There’s been a lot of talk about droughts and climate change.

But yet, we have neighbors who love cutting down trees and plants, all in the name of saving water–at what cost? When I was a child, I remember so many stories about “saving the rain forest” in the Amazon. It seems we have diverted from this mantra, and it puzzles me. Trees and other plants help save our environment; they’re great oxygen emitters. If we had more trees, we could potentially lower carbon dioxide in our atmosphere (because the trees take in the carbon dioxide for their photosynthesis), which in turn would help lower temperatures and stave off extreme droughts.

The world’s largest trees include redwoods, which can live up to 2,000 years. They hold more carbon dioxide than any other tree and make their own “rain” after collecting fog through their leaves that reach sometimes higher than 300 feet into the sky.

Sadly, when I visited the redwood giants up in Northern California, fires had taken their toll and burned through more than 90 percent of the Big Basin grove. I was fortunate enough that I saw the Big Basin grove a few years ago, and then recently, I was able to visit another nearby redwood grove, Portola Redwoods State Park.



Trees do more than just help with climate change. They provide shelter and food for other trees, plants, and animals.




Trees also provide excellent framing for photos–just a bonus for me.

Trees are important to Earth. They’ve been around a lot longer than any of us. If we’re not careful, we are going to outlive one of nature’s most important resources.

To learn more about redwoods, visit Save the Redwoods.
If you want to visit the redwoods, here is a link to Portola Redwoods State Park.
Check out some of my previous blogs about trees:
These tree images are magnificent, Dawn! Yes, tree provide shelter and food for other trees, plants, and animals, many more for people. I love your take on. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
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Thank you! 😊 I definitely think trees, especially the majestic and ancient redwoods, are vital to our earth. I enjoyed looking back at my tree photos. Thanks for hosting! 😎
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Wow! Absolutely stunning! Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you! 😊 Glad you enjoyed! 😎
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I am so glad you have taken trips to hike and enjoy the beauty of nature and understand how essential trees are to all living things. Your pictures capture the majesty of these trees even burned by fire. You are right to voice your concern about the diminishing Amazon, fires, and neighborhood trees. Their beauty, peacefulness, protection and food for animals, and ability to clean our air depends on man’s capability to preserve our towering friends.
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Being able to enjoy these trees definitely helps to appreciate their beauty and importance to earth. 😎
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Beautiful images Dawn! Yes, It was sad to lose Big Basin State Park. I’m hoping new growth will take over but it will take many years. I love the redwoods.
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Thank you! 😊 I guess all these fires just make me realize we should appreciate what we have while we can. 😎
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Absolutely!
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Trees are my thing too. I live right by O’Neil Park and have many oaks. One is 400 years old. It’s crazy to think I live in this beautiful place and my neighbor wants to cut my trees. I’m lucky it’s illegal. The Redwoods are incredible to. My old go tos. You picked some great places.
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O’Neil is beautiful! Lucky you live near it! There were a few fires near there in 2020. Glad the trees are still there—I had no idea that some were 400 years old.
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We were hit really bad with the fires here and now floods. It’s been a struggle. My 400 is the first one I water down when I see smoke… It’s a routine up here. 😟
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I forgot about the flooding. I am sure it was scary with the fires. I definitely didn’t like being evacuated when I lived in Irvine. At my new home, I have 100 year old trees, but am not in a fire zone. 🙄
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Oh yes, Irvine, and many were evacuated. Those winds!
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A beautiful choice for the week’s challenge Dawn. Our visit to the redwoods is one of the most magical moments of my life, honestly. It is so hard to depict their grandeur with images but you’ve done so very well. The fires are heart-breaking and we just keep disregarding the importance of these magnificent specimens – both large and small – around the world. Have you read The Overstory by Richard Powers? I suspect yes but if not it’s a must for any tree lover like you (or me🙂) Wonderful response!!
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Thank you! 😊 These trees are magnificent. I don’t even want to know how bad the fires were in the Sequoias. ☹️ I haven’t read Overstory, but now I will check it out! Thanks! 🤓
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I agree the trees are essential to our life and like you, when I wander through forests, I think how old they are. The redwoods are magnificent and I am glad you took time to showcase them along with your wise words. We have a return trip close to the fall that I look forward to. Very nice. A fellow tree hugger, Donna
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Thank you! 😊 I am sure you will get some amazing tree photos on your trip! Portola Redwoods are beautiful but even further up north, the Redwoods are older and larger. I hope to make it up to them soon. 😎
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Thank you. I will look that up. We will be traveling from Washington back to AZ. We already have our trip planned. I am wondering if The Portola area is on our route. Thank you again.
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Sounds like a fun trip. Portola isn’t that far from Santa Cruz, if you’re driving down the 1 or 101. 😎
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🤗
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Fabulous trees
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Thank you! 😊
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Dear Friend Thank you for your kind and encouraging visit. Trees are my best friends too. Your photography is amazingly beautiful, grand and majestic. You are gifted. Wish you all success in your glorious endeavors.
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Thank you! 😊 I appreciate your visit and kind words, too. 😎
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