Big Basin Redwoods State Park is recovering after fires heavily damaged California’s oldest protected natural area. Eight months ago lightning storms started more than 650 fires in Northern California. Today, Big Basin Redwoods State Park is still closed. But during a guided visit recently, life was reappearing on blackened redwood trees. Small flowers stood out on the burned land. “I think nature is finding a way,” State Parks environmental scientist Joanne Kerbavaz said. The 7,284-hectare park usually has about 1 million visitors a year. But last year, many parts of the park burned for 24 hours. More than 100 structures were destroyed, including the historic park headquarters, shelters, picnic tables and more. Many bridges are gone too. In some places, root balls are still smoking, leaving dangerous underground areas, Kerbavaz said. Since last August, damage experts have been trying to identify materials and waste that need to be removed. In many ways, the park does not look much different than it did soon after the fire. An Associated Press reporter and photographer walked on the Redwood Trail a week after the fire. They confirmed that most of the ancient redwoods had survived. The trees are about 2,000 years old and among the tallest living things on Earth. The next eight to 10 months will be spent cleaning up the park.