This summer I was lucky to be able to go to Yosemite Park. It is amazing by itself and deserves separate reflection, but today I want to talk about sequoias that we also saw there. It was the first time I saw real sequoias, not the ones in the museums. It is very impressive the size and power, ability to grow in a very diverse climate: from snow and floods in winter to draughts and forest fires in summer.
Apparently through the time the trees have adapted so much that those climate changes are actually required for the wood to be stronger and survive longer. Fires are really needed for the seeds to grow. At some point scientists started to do “prescriptive” fires for those trees as they have noticed that too much protection harms the trees.
We as humans are similar, to an extent, aren’t we? If the environment is too welcoming and not challenging, we will make it challenging enough to be busy solving problems. If we have to overcome obstacles we learn and strive (even if we complain about it), we become stronger. So where is the balance? What should be prescriptive amount of “fire” to make it sustainable yet challenging enough?
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