Two historic giant sequoias were damaged in a prescribed burn last fall at Calaveras Big Trees State Park — and one of them may not survive, park officials and tree enthusiasts agree.
The trees, known as The Orphans, are estimated to be at least 500 years old, with one possibly twice that age, said John Buckley, executive director of the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center. The older of the two monarch sequoias, Buckley said after visiting the burn site, “has a high risk of dying.”
He added, “One of the trees has a fairly high chance of survival because it still has green canopy crown and suffered less of a loss of the needles that are so essential for the tree to be able to take in sunlight and photosynthesis.”
