Spring 2026 · Interview: Tracy Cline, CLERC · Narration: Bennett Blackwood
Hi, I'm Bennett Blackwood.
Seventy-one thousand seedlings.
Eight days. One forest getting a fresh start.
This spring, crews returned to the hills above Clear
Lake, California, where the twenty eighteen Ranch Fire
had left a vast burn scar.
Before planting could begin, partners cleared
dangerous dead trees and prepared the ground.
Then a twelve-person planting crew got to work,
putting thousands of seedlings into the soil each
day.
It is a collaboration with a capital C,
and it's been amazing at building
the relationships between our teams.
The young trees came from the Forest Service nursery
in Placerville. Ponderosa pine, Douglas
fir, and incense cedar, planted as part of a larger
effort to restore the landscape.
It takes more than planting, too.
Crews preserve habitat for wildlife and encourage
trees that are growing back naturally.
These seedlings still have years of growing ahead.
But seventy-one thousand new beginnings are already
in the ground.
And for the people who live here, bringing the forest
back means bringing back a place to explore, recharge,
and connect.
If you'd like to support the local nonprofit
helping with this work,
you'll find the verified donation link
on our website.
Carpe Diem. Seize the day.