Severe forest fires can turn a dense forest into a barren, charred landscape. And to restore the forest, landowners may need to plant a lot of seedlings of trees.

“Over the past two years, due to the intense and huge fires, demand has skyrocketed,” says Kuldeep Singh, the nursery manager at LA Moran Reforestation Center in California.

The state-run nursery grows pines, redwoods and other native trees from seeds collected from across the state.

The nursery plans to distribute around 250,000 tree seedlings this year, mainly to private landowners. Now, to expand her operations, she is building a new greenhouse.

“Hopefully if the greenhouse is ready next year, we can take it to half a million,” Singh said.

As the climate warms and forest fires become more extreme, the need for seedlings will continue to grow.

And in addition to the demand, many companies and organizations have pledged to plant trees as a way to reduce carbon pollution and meet climate goals.

So, to support tree planting efforts across the country, public and private nurseries will likely need to grow many more seedlings.

Reporting Credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media