Bixby Canyon, Big Sur, CA

This photo was taken on a pilgrimage to a place made famous by some of my favorite photographers, notably Wynn Bullock. Now, this scene may have been lost to the inferno of the Soberanes Fire, which has already engulfed nearly 40,000 acres on the Big Sur. As an ecologist, I embrace change, but, increasingly, change exceeds natural bounds as extreme heat and drying surpass conditions that previously shaped these environments. I remain hopeful that we can address climate change, but already there are many places I have documented that will not be restored in my lifetime. One can accept change and still feel the loss.