16th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Burnt Bush, Switzer Falls, Angeles National Forest

A burnt bush up on a trail at Switzer Falls in the Angeles Forest. The forest is in a constant cycle of death and renewal. The annual fires devastate the landscape, leaving behind blackened remains of shrubs and trees among verdant new growth. These burnt offerings bear witness that like you, they were once alive, and that like you will one day be, they are now relics of what they once were.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 05.2018
Date Uploaded: 05.2018
Photo Location: Palmdale, California, United States of America
Camera: iPhone 6s
Copyright: © Mara Sternthal