Not long after the fires, Sonoma filmmaker Tim Wetzel of 9 Mile Productions came to us with an idea: he’d photograph various burned locations in Sonoma Valley, then return to those same spots over time and photograph them again to record how the land was healing. The resulting images – which Tim combined into a time-lapse video – are not only beautiful, they’re a lasting example of the “citizen science” we encourage everyone to practice in their daily lives.

Tim has been back taking more pictures since this video was made, including the shot below – a familiar view of Sonoma Developmental Center land taken today, Jan. 31. “Things are really changing,” he said, noting lots of mushrooms and “new growth seven feet up an absolutely blackened oak tree.”

We love Tim’s time-lapse project and hope everyone gets a chance to see it, and watch the landscape change. Thanks Tim!