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Before and After Photos Show California’s Super Bloom From Space
Due to a little extra rain, California’s “super bloom” has been especially vibrant this year. Places like Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Los Padres National Forest have seen a huge explosion of colorful wildflowers this spring compared to years past. The effect is even visible from space. These photos from Planet, a satellite imagery service, show just how dramatic the growth has been. They were first posted by KQED.
The satellite photo above, taken in late March, is an image of the Los Padres National Forest, which stretches along the mountains of southern and central California for almost 3000 square miles. Below is what the exact same area looked like before December 3, 2016. The difference is stark:
The grasslands of Carrizo Plain near San Luis Obispo looked about the same around that time in December, as you can see:
Flash forward to March 31, and the wildflowers and grasses had almost completely taken over.
There’s still a little more time to see the super bloom this year, but if you are in California to look at flowers, take care: Some park and nature reserves are reporting that some visitors are destroying wildlife in their quest for a great super bloom selfie. Stay on the marked paths, guys!
[h/t KQED]