• The Publisher’s Notebook •

Malibu Fire Aftermath: Nature Has to Heal

BY ANNE SOBLE

The aftermath of a major disaster is fraught with the extremes of every human emotion. When the grieving has stopped, as it should, the process of recovery begins. Whether in the raised voices of the congregants of a burned-out church or the more personal realization by someone who has lost every material possession that things may be gone but memories last forever, humans have an infinite capacity to heal. Just as we reach out to help those who have been affected by the recent fire, so can we help nature heal from an event that has claimed not just acreage but wildlife habitat. Animals, large and small, have lost food and shelter, and this may result in an unfortunate increase in human interaction, not by choice but because it is unavoidable. From the deer herds of Malibu Canyon that have graced this newspaper’s cover, to the mountain lions who traverse miles in their wanderings, sightings may increase. Coyotes, raccoons and other mid-size animals may turn to human habitat as an alternative food source, but under no condition should wildlife be fed or otherwise acclimated to human contact. Extra precautions should be taken with family pets and other domestic animals.

Human patience can be sorely tested when nature is out of kilter. After the 1993 wildfire, when my ranch boundaries had been scorched by menacing flames and extensive (and extraordinarily successful) backfiring, I thought that every squirrel in the Malibu hills had sought refuge inside my gates. My livestock feed bill almost doubled because as soon as grain was put out, dozens of squirrels came out of nowhere to ravage it. New feed containers helped, but time solved the problem. Within a few months, the squirrels’ natural habitat was restored and they moved on. If rodents or other small critters become a short-term problem, there should be absolutely no consideration of using rodenticides. Be patient, and give nature a chance. There may be some inconvenience, or even some loss, but poisoning the wildlife food chain will do far more damage and ultimately create a far greater imbalance.

The shortage of water in wilderness areas during the current drought has been exacerbated by the recent fire. My personal exception to the prescriptive against wildlife interaction (frowned upon in some quarters) involves providing water sources, making certain they are not located where human encounter is likely. I have submerged horse troughs in my backcountry (well outside the fenced corrals and residential areas) that are kept filled with well water. Those who reside in more urbanized areas of Malibu might opt to fill a bird bath, or consider hanging a hummingbird feeder, as their contribution to thirsty critters. Whatever we do, we must not add to the plight of the already scarred land and prevent it from coming back on its own.