Last Saturday morning, I set out for the Harbison State Forest (Columbia, South Carolina) to absorb in some landscape for my next painting. There were people with kids, bikes, kayaks, and canoes and I immediately thought to myself - "I wonder what all I have been missing out on". I started on a small trail - the Firewood trail. I decided to walk in a bit in search of a good view so that I could sit and sketch.
It took me no time to realize that it had been a while since I had been surrounded by nothing but the "wilderness". The fine mulch and dried pine leaves on the floor, aroma of the pine trees, and being surrounded by the tall, majestic, silvery needled longleaf pines was an incredible experience. Needless to say, I could not make a stop for sketching as I wanted to enjoy the hike.
Amazing thing about the longleaf pine forests is that they are "fireforests". Their survival depends upon the removal of loblolly pines and others that encroach the land through annual low-intensity fires. Following germination of the seeds, the fire-resistant grass stage endures the fire. The longleafs nurse a stunning diversity of wildlife comparable to that found in the Amazon. Unfortunately, it is one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America. What once stretched from southern Virginia to East Texas covering 90 million acres of land now remains in only about 3 million acres. These forests were replaced by loblollies and other pulp producing pine for obtaining hardwood and paper. They were also hampered by the southern people who did not think of fire as a useful tool in forestry.
It took me no time to realize that it had been a while since I had been surrounded by nothing but the "wilderness". The fine mulch and dried pine leaves on the floor, aroma of the pine trees, and being surrounded by the tall, majestic, silvery needled longleaf pines was an incredible experience. Needless to say, I could not make a stop for sketching as I wanted to enjoy the hike.
Amazing thing about the longleaf pine forests is that they are "fireforests". Their survival depends upon the removal of loblolly pines and others that encroach the land through annual low-intensity fires. Following germination of the seeds, the fire-resistant grass stage endures the fire. The longleafs nurse a stunning diversity of wildlife comparable to that found in the Amazon. Unfortunately, it is one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America. What once stretched from southern Virginia to East Texas covering 90 million acres of land now remains in only about 3 million acres. These forests were replaced by loblollies and other pulp producing pine for obtaining hardwood and paper. They were also hampered by the southern people who did not think of fire as a useful tool in forestry.
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