This piece was originally published in High Country News and appears here as part of our Climate Desk collaboration. In September 2020, as crews outside Yosemite National Park worked to contain the oncoming Creek Fire and evacuate those in its path, archaeologist Jennie Leonard was racing to protect something that couldn’t leave: the giant sequoias in the Mariposa Grove. Leonard and her fellow resource advisors—who protect species, cultural items, and other resources from wildfire and fire-suppression activities—covered the bases of the ancient trees with structure wrap, a fire-resistant aluminum fabric….
