Living in Extreme Drought by Annie Wright

Living in Extreme Drought

Southern California is a beautiful place to live, I have been here since early 2000 and remember one of my first encounters traveling here from Brooklyn NY in February 1999. It was a rainy winter but warm and green and lush, flowers were blooming in February! My husband and I decided to make the the move and live in California. Now 15 years later we are in an extreme drought, you may not notice that the land is starved for water when you are driving around though. We moved to the Santa Clarita Valley a few years ago and live right on the edge of Los Angeles among 100 year old Oak trees, they are beautiful and now they are dying. Do we owe it to the surrounding environment to water these majestic beauties? I think so. The drought is extreme and we are all hoping for the el Nino storms to bring lots of water to the Southern climate, but if they do not come then what. Another year of little or no water could be upon us. The following images posted in this story are from the local trees that I pass every day as I drive home, the fallen bodies of these ancient trees is what exists now. It can be a sign that the land can use some help. I have even noticed that the wildlife around us has habituated to our presence and is asking for help as well. Leaving water out for deer to drink, the road runner that pecks at my back door asking for food. There is very little left in the environment to sustain the wildlife, everything is dried up. I hope the rains come in time to relieve us from this drought, but till then maybe we can help out in a small way. Water a native tree, throw out some seed for the wild birds, (the road runner likes dog kibble small enough to eat) If we listen nature will tell us what is needed and I feel it is telling me that I can help and I want to help.