A Picture Painted by Nature
Thursday, April 30th, 2009Wildfires are known to be one of nature’s most destructive forces but is the charred and lifeless vegetation that remains a poignant ending or a fascinating new beginning?
Miraculously, a brilliant spectrum of colours can be seen from afar within weeks. Hundreds of species of wild flowers and plants have reappeared on Mount Kenya dispersed by wildlife and birds, one dazzling colour fading into another.
Deep-blue Gentians compete with rocket-shaped Red-Hot Poker. The pale yellow flowers of the Sugar Bush shake hands with red-coloured African Gladiola. Erica, radiant in pink, add yet another shade, and dwarf shrubs and tussock grasses have made a home in gaps neglected by pole-like Giant Lobelia.
The recent fires have swept across the grasslands so rapidly that many deeper running plant roots have been left undamaged. Exposed to sunlight interrupted by periods of rain, the mineral-rich soil now offers ideal conditions for dormant seeds to germinate and grow.
A new floral generation has painted an incredible picture that truly tells a thousand words.
Did you know that magnificent Mount Kenya is a World Heritage Site?
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