Olivia Lawrence, Tara Naficy, Maurice Boyance Torrey Pines State

Olivia Lawrence, Tara Naficy, Maurice Boyance
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is one of San Diego’s most esteemed
possessions; the 2,000-acre stretch of land has maintained its beauty for hundreds of
years and continues to thrive today. The reserve is home to many threatened species,
varying from plants and animals to habitats and unique geological formations. Our
group’s photos depict nothing less than reserve’s well-known beauty. On a crisp Sunday
morning, we observed Torrey pine trees standing tall and verdant over a variety of
grasslands and trails while hikers enjoyed exquisite views over the Pacific Ocean. Even
though the Torrey pine will forever hold its legacy through the reserve name, the Torrey
Pines website states that the tree is a rare sighting and must be conserved to prevent
endangerment.
Unfortunately, not all hikers acknowledge the importance of conserving the area. Global
Forest Watch states that trash is often found scattered throughout the trails and even
beyond trail boundaries where areas restrict hikers in order to protect certain wildlife.
In addition, the site calls attention to pollution resulting from the close proximity of
Torrey Pines Road to the reserve. This has had an affect on the abundance of wildlife as
well as the longevity of plant life. Drought is also mentioned in the passage as a factor of
detriment to the reserve.
San Diego 6 News goes into greater depth about the effects of drought. Because of
record high temperatures, lack of water has impacted the density of the Torrey Pines
forest. A devoted volunteer to the reserve states that we have lost nearly hundreds of
Torrey pine trees within the past few years. According to Sacramento Bee states that the
dry conditions from the drought that have been weakening the trees have impaired the
trees’ abilities to fight off bark beetles that have infested and killed dozens of trees at the
Torrey Pines State Reserve.
Torrey Pines is an absolutely beautiful national park, and it had an abundance of plants
and Torrey Pine trees but sadly we have learned from many sources that there were even
more in years past. There are signs posted throughout the reserve, stressing the
importance of protecting the area. The workers and volunteers are doing the best they
can to preserve wildlife, but due to the close proximity of the main road, pollution is
inevitable. In conclusion, visitors need to be more respectful of the property to
compensate for the drought’s impact on the reserve in order to protect and continue the
beauty that remains today.
http://www.globalforestwatch.org/stories/275
http://torreypine.org
http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article39618351.html
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2014/dec/09/stringers-torrey-pines-infested100-trees-doomed/