For decades, American National Park visitors have been told that they hold the health and safety of the areas they visit in their hands. But as it turns out, stopping wildfires is simply not that easy, researchers say. And while some forest experts support plans that could greatly reduce the risk of widespread burns, they will cost billions of dollars and take decades. And even so risks will still exist.

The rapid increase in the frequency and intension(强度)of wildfires in recent years follows centuries of growing human influence on forests. We tend to put out wildfires as quickly as possible. But that instinct(本能)has allowed brush and trees that would normally die off in the occasional fire to continue growing in some areas. So when fires do strike, they can’t be controlled because these plants allow them to burn much more seriously.

Climate change has also created more favorable conditions for wildfires. Fires spread more quickly in warm temperatures caused by global warming. Conditions like climate change-related drought(干旱)also increase the likelihood of wildfires. A lack of access to water kills trees and plants and dry conditions transform the brush into a material that burns easily.

“Due to climate change and other factors, fire seasons tend to be longer and drier,” says Dong Rideout, professor of forest and rangeland stewardship at Colorado State University. “It turns out that fuel treatment programs can address both.”

Newer strategies for controlling wildfires include a number of different methods for reducing forest and plant life. government and forest protection officials have increasingly invested in programs to remove the extraneous(外来的)brush that helps fires spread quickly. Prescribed burns are one of the most effective---and controversial(引起争议的)----methods of reducing fire risk. In a prescribed burn, fire officials set fire to an area easily attacked by fire. Setting controlled fires allows forest workers to remove plant material under the conditions that they know will keep the fire from spreading too rapidly. Prescribed burns also help remove extraneous species that might destroy the native habitat, and in turn, crate more dead brush that could lead to bigger fires.

The method has grown in popularity in recent years, but still faces challenges, particularly in areas where burns might threaten local air quality.

Efforts to use these preventive methods have been increased in recent yeas, but experts say funding needs to be increased rapidly before wildfires spread across the globe. Governments have devoted billions of dollars to addressing wildfires, but the money has largely gone to putting out existing fires, as the number and intensity of wildfires increases.

I’ve been in an 18-year love-hate relationship with a black walnut tree.

It’s a unique tree. In late September or early October, falling fruits as hard as baseballs threaten the skulls (头骨) of you, your children, your neighbors and those that reside next door to them. Umbrellas in the yard are a must while dining in early August, and as for me, I wear my bike helmet while working in the garden.

The black walnut also releases a chemical substance through its roots as a competitive strategy. It’s poisonous to several common plants. There have been many new plant varieties that I brought home with hopes that maybe the black walnut would accept them, but they failed to flourish.

What does work are native plants that naturally grow in the area. Native plants are important to have around since they provide beneficial pollinators (传粉者) like birds, bees and butterflies with seeds and contribute to a healthy and biodiverse environment. Native plants for this area are generally easy to grow, so they experience less stress.

Have I thought of getting rid of this giant pain in my tiny backyard? Yes, however, getting rid of this tree standing at 50 feet with an 87-inch trunk is next to impossible. It’s also protected under the law. Rightfully so. Trees are important to the urban forest and for all of those that inhabit it.

Sometimes I think about my life without the black walnut. I can’t imagine a spring without the birds who arrive every year and loudly sing their songs before dawn. I’d miss falling asleep on lazy weekend afternoons as I look up into its leaves.

Every spring, I wonder what the season holds: What are the chances of being knocked unconscious while barbecuing? Like any good relationship, I’ll never be pleased. I’m stuck with this tree, so I’ll listen to its needs and give it the space it requires. In return, my walnut offers a habitat for wildlife and a reminder that __________.

My husband and I live near San Luis Obispo, California, close to the beach. In November 2023, during the humpback whale migration, we kayaked (划皮划艇) out to watch the wildlife. We were in awe watching these graceful whales breach and spray through their blowholes.

At the time, my friend Liz was staying with us. Initially, she refused to join us on the water, fearing the kayak would overturn among the whales. After some cajoling (劝说) she finally agreed to join me. The following morning, we set out early and had our first whale sighting just past the pier: two humpbacks swimming toward us. How amazing to be that close to a creature that size, I thought as the whales dipped under the waterline.

When whales go down after breaching, they leave what looks like an oil slick on the water. I figured if we paddled toward that spot, we’d be safe from the whales, since they’d just left. We followed them at a distance — or what I thought was a distance. I later found out that it’s recommended to keep 300 feet away. We were more like 60 feet away.

Suddenly, we were surrounded by jumping silverfish fleeing from the whales. Before we could react, our kayak was lifted out of the water about six feet, bracketed by massive jaws. Liz and I slipped out of the kayak into the whale’s mouth. As the whale’s mouth closed, I felt the creature begin to dive and had no idea how deep we’d be dragged. Still, I didn’t panic. I just kept thinking. I’ve got to fight this. I’ve got to breathe.

Whales have enormous mouths but tiny throats. Anything they can’t swallow they spit right out. That included us. As soon as the whale dipped underwater, it ejected us, and we popped back up onto the surface about a foot apart. The entire ordeal lasted only about 10 seconds.

Other kayakers rushed to our aid, shocked to see us alive. But I am much more aware of the power of nature and the ocean than I was before. Liz was shaken up, comparing the ordeal to a near-death experience, and she says her whale-watching days are over. But even she had to laugh when she got home that afternoon and realized she’d brought back a souvenir. When she pulled off her shirt, six silverfish flopped out.