Around the first day of Fall, several things happen in a usual order. The Brunsvigia josephinae and B. littoralis flower, the Haemanthus coccineus flower, and the Edward's Glassywing moths appear on our front deck.
This year, the question is: how many more years will they grace our evening lights?
Edward's Glassywing moth is the adult phase of a woolybear caterpillar that eats Oak leaves. The deaths of massive numbers of oaks is one of several factors fueling, literally, the unprecedented fires in the Coast Ranges, including our Santa Cruz Mountains.
Our own oaks are in trouble. About one third of our Tanbark Oaks (Lithocarpus densiflorus) have died of Sudden Oak Death in the past year. The forest I fell in love with is fading into the past.
The area above our driveway is shown here - this is literally on the ridgeline of the Santa Cruz Mountains at around 2300'.
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