Christa Avampato

For most species, including humans, wildfires represent a dire threat. But against all odds, fire’s fast-moving flames, smoke-filled skies, and relentless heat don’t always signal death in nature. Some species have evolved extraordinary adaptations to turn destruction into an opportunity — a gateway to survival and even proliferation. Their stories reveal how nature’s resilience and ingenuity can flourish in the face of destruction, and how following their lead can help us do the same.

1. Pyrophilous (“fire-loving”) beetles

Commonly known as fire beetles, these species have infrared sensors that detect heat, and antennae receptors that detect smoke. Together, these sensors and receptors guide them to the fires from up to 80 miles away. But why would a beetle want to fly into the fire?

Scorched forests provide them with everything they need to help create the next generation — the intense heat lifts the bark from the tree trunks where the beetles lay their eggs; without competition from other insects and free from the threat of predators, the larvae have the decaying wood as an abundant food source.

These beetles also jump start the rewilding process after a fire to help rebuild the ecosystem. As they break down the decaying wood, they speed up the recycling of nutrients into the soil and accelerate the growth of new plants and trees.

How can we put the beetle’s adaptations to work for us? Studying the structure of their sensors and receptors could help engineers and designers develop tools to help us identify fires from long-range distances, allowing us to deploy fire fighters and resources earlier and more quickly to extinguish them sooner and more effectively. These beetles also teach us that within the ashes of destruction lie opportunities for something new to grow and begin the process of rebuilding.

2. Woodpeckers

Black-backed, red-cockaded, and white-headed woodpeckers see post-fire landscapes as tasty buffets. They feast on the beetle larvae abundant in these areas. The woodpeckers keep the beetle populations under control to balance the newly forming ecosystems recovering from wildfires. The open, grassland conditions that are present in the early stages of forest recovery are perfect places for woodpeckers to nest and forage for food.

Woodpeckers show us that places that don’t look perfect can often be perfect for our needs.

3. Redwood trees

After a fire, redwood trees sprout new seedlings. This process is known as epicormic sprouting. They store energy in dormant buds under their bark. Even after centuries, these buds can sprout. They also sprout new growth from the roots of burned trees. This ability to resprout from dormant buds and from their roots, even after the tree dies, gives redwoods an advantage over tree species that reproduce through seeds alone.

Redwoods developed this adaptation to prepare for difficult times, giving them the best chance of propagating the next generation, even if the trees themselves wouldn’t live to see that future themselves.

These three species are exemplars of how to survive and thrive through difficulties and disturbances. Right now, we’re facing multiple, painful challenges in our world. Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness are understandable. Life on Earth has existed for nearly 4 billion years, and nature has faced a constant barrage of challenges throughout and adapted. Beetles, woodpeckers, and redwoods are three examples of how to rise to and overcome challenges: always seek opportunity everywhere, even and especially in the places that don’t sparkle and shine; contribute and be part of the rebuilding community; in times of plenty, prepare for times of scarcity.

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Nature has the lessons we need to learn. We can benefit from nature’s nearly 4 billion years of accumulated wisdom if we are willing to put aside our own egos. Are we ready and willing to be nature’s students?