Aerial view near Canadian Memorial
Winter has cast its spell over the surrounding landscape. The usually vibrant, purple heather is now a deep, almost black midnight hue, accentuated by the frost clinging to the surrounding grass. The forest has shed its cloak of green and donned the blanket of sombre grey that every year defines this period of dormancy and waiting.
Across the road from the Canadian Memorial, the skeletal silhouettes of two trees stand stark against the frosty winter sky. Scarred by not one, but two lightning strikes, they stand in memorium to the power of nature and the resilience of life in the face of adversity.
Surrounding them, controlled burns, a common practice in heathland management, have left their own fiery scars, a stark blackened beauty that thankfully anticipates a period of renewal. While seemingly destructive, these burns are critical in suppressing encroaching gorse and shrubs, maintaining the delicate balance of the man-made heathland ecosystem and preventing the forest from reclaiming the land.
In time, maybe soon, these skeletal tree remains will topple and the gradual deterioration they experienced while exposed to the air will accelerate as they succumb to the more rapid forces of terrestrial decay. Fungi, invertebrates and bacteria will weave their primordial magic, breaking down the wood and returning its carbon and nutrients to the soil. Then, from the ashes and decay, new life will emerge and the cycle begin anew.
Across the road from the Canadian Memorial, the skeletal silhouettes of two trees stand stark against the frosty winter sky. Scarred by not one, but two lightning strikes, they stand in memorium to the power of nature and the resilience of life in the face of adversity.
Surrounding them, controlled burns, a common practice in heathland management, have left their own fiery scars, a stark blackened beauty that thankfully anticipates a period of renewal. While seemingly destructive, these burns are critical in suppressing encroaching gorse and shrubs, maintaining the delicate balance of the man-made heathland ecosystem and preventing the forest from reclaiming the land.
In time, maybe soon, these skeletal tree remains will topple and the gradual deterioration they experienced while exposed to the air will accelerate as they succumb to the more rapid forces of terrestrial decay. Fungi, invertebrates and bacteria will weave their primordial magic, breaking down the wood and returning its carbon and nutrients to the soil. Then, from the ashes and decay, new life will emerge and the cycle begin anew.
Photo details - DJI Mini Pro 4, Processed in Lightroom (macOS)