21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Woodland after fire

This Eucalypt woodland had recently been burnt. The scene is somewhat confronting, but things are not quite as bad as they look, as most of these plants are well-adapted to survive fire. The large tree in the foreground is a Sydney red gum (Angophora costata). The blackened ‘cones’ (actually woody fruits) in the foreground are from a Heath Banksia (Banksia ericifolia).

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2023
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Stanwell Tops, Aruba
Camera: ILCE-7M3
Copyright: © Keith Horton