Thanking Squirrels - Questions for Rangers

Thanking Squirrels - Questions for Rangers

Noel Laflin

6-2-19

It’s not often that I can thank a squirrel, but gratitude is in order to the one who decided to burrow into a hillside in order to make a home, and in the process become a little archaeologist/geologist of sorts. I picture the furry bugger with miniature headlamp in place and pickax in paw.

I went back to the steps leading to old Lookout Point in Irvine Park the other day hoping to find chunks of charcoal lying about – like the ones I had noticed on an earlier climb to the old, abandoned picnic site. And although the water to the drinking fountain up there was turned off decades ago, and tables removed long ago as well, the view of the park below is still pretty cool.  A lone, scruffy, wind sculpted oak is the only tree in the vicinity, tenaciously clinging to the edge of the overlook. But the squirrels did not disappoint as plenty of newly unearthed chunks of blackened charcoal lay scattered about the steps leading up there. The charred remains were from a clear cut section of hillside showing dark veins of charcoal running evenly across the land, now buried under six inches of rock and topsoil.

I am no expert in the study of soil layers or horizons, as they are called, but it was clear to me that something mighty hot roared through this park long, long ago and has been buried for quite a while. Not long by geological standards, but long enough in human terms – certainly longer than I have been here, or my parents or grandparents, and so on.

The wildflowers along this hillside are abundant; most of which don’t sprout, let alone flourish, without the benefit of fires past. In order to grow some of these plants at home, gardening sites recommend that you add charcoal to your backyard soil when planting seeds like caterpillar scorpionweed, poppies, etc. Well, there is certainly an abundance of wood charcoal in this region, both old and recent, and an abundance of caterpillar scorpionweed blooms, poppies, etc.

And as grateful as I am to the industrious ground squirrel that first brought this to my attention, I am now even more curious as to just how long ago that blaze occurred and what type of former trees, the remains of which, I now held in hand.

Oaks, I imagine – probably relatives of those giants still standing down below closer to the creek – the ones that are already centuries old. You get a good view of them from Lookout Point.

I need to ask a ranger one of these days, show some pics, and get his or her opinion. They are always pretty helpful folks. I wanted to become a ranger once upon a time, but got distracted in the process of sorting out life and made other career choices.

And while I am at it, I will ask a million other questions too about this place. I have tried asking the squirrels, but they just look at me like I’m nuts. I will probably get that same reaction from the next ranger I track down.