Pine sapling in burnt heather at Strabrechtse Heide, Netherlands

© Heike Odermatt/Minden Pictures

Pine sapling in burnt heather at Strabrechtse Heide, Netherlands

In 2010, a fire broke out in the heather and juniper heathlands of Strabrechtse Heide, a preserved natural area in the southern region of the Netherlands. Hundreds of firefighters and members of the Dutch military worked for a week to fully extinguish the flames. Two years later, this photograph documents a tiny pine start growing up from the gray remnants of burnt heather in the damaged portion of Strabrechtse Heide. Eventually, the land ecosystem here will balance itself and more flora and fauna will return. In the meantime, this brave pioneer demonstrates the power of nature to heal itself.