DiscoverThis Old Tree
This Old Tree
Claim Ownership

This Old Tree

Author: Doug Still

Subscribed: 20Played: 178
Share

Description

Old trees are awe inspiring links to the past that fire our imagination. What are their stories? Seasoned arborist and amateur historian Doug Still interviews local experts, historians, and regular folks to celebrate the myths and uncover the real tales. If you're a tree lover, join in to look "beyond the plaque" at heritage trees and the human stories behind them. Monthly.

26 Episodes
Reverse
The Tree That Owns Itself

The Tree That Owns Itself

2024-04-2801:01:58

Legend has it that Col. William H. Jackson of Athens, Georgia loved his old white oak tree very much. So much, that he created a deed for the tree and the land immediately surrounding it, giving ownership unto itself. Could it be possible? Who owns a tree? The answers aren't always as simple as they may appear. GuestsMateo FennellCommunity Forestry CoordinatorAthens-Clarke County Unified GovernmentAthens, GAhttps://www.accgov.com/274/Community-ForestryJames KomenConsulting Arboris...
A large old mulberry tree at Truro Vineyards on Cape Cod comes with a legend. A sea captain brought it back from the South Pacific and planted it for his young wife. Or his girlfriend. Or someone named Amelia. Is this story true? Who was the captain, and what became of him? Come along to open dusty books, unfurl old maps, and decide what you think. GuestsKristen RobertsOwner Truro VineyardsTruro, MAKen MacPheeArborist RepresentativeBartlett Tree ExpertsOrleans, MAJanice PelosiManagerTruro His...
Tree Story Shorts III

Tree Story Shorts III

2024-01-0835:34

Here's the third edition of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, where guests get to tell their own tree stories! Charles Darwin, bride and groom trees, a massive American elm in Illinois, Al Capone, original tree-inspired music, a tree used for meetings at an army base, a moving story from war-torn Ukraine - this episode has it all. Listen to what people have to say about the trees that inspire them.GuestsRob McBrideThe Tree HunterEllesmere, Shropshire, U.K.InstagramGeorgia BarnhillAmherst ...
The Fabrykant Oak, translated as the "Factory Owner's Oak," received 45,000 votes to become Europe's Tree of the Year. Located in Łódź, it captures the hearts of people in its home country of Poland and around the world. Full of personality and stunningly beautiful, the story of this Quercus robur strikes deep into the city's culture and history. How does an old tree overcome the past to become a symbol of rebirth and a brighter future? GuestsAdam GolubProject Manager and Brussels Repre...
The Emancipation Oak

The Emancipation Oak

2023-11-1301:09:59

A 300 yr-old Live Oak tree on the campus of Hampton University in Virginia stuns visitors with its strength and beauty. It’s also an enduring symbol of a watershed moment in American history - the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War, which freed enslaved people in the rebel states. How could a tree play a role in that momentous event, at least locally? What did emancipation truly mean to African-Americans in 1863? How does the tree still inspire the hearts and imagi...
The Autograph Tree

The Autograph Tree

2023-10-1201:02:53

A stunning copper beech tree in Ireland’s County Galway attracts tourists from around the world. Lady Gregory was its owner, and she drew legendary writers of her day to her house and garden at Coole Park - William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, and others. If they were lucky, they were allowed to etch their names into the bark of what’s now known as the Autograph Tree. Learn the full story steeped in Irish literary history.GuestsJenni McGuireHead Guide, Coole Park Nature ReserveGort, Cou...
This season 1 recap features thematic highlights from the first 18 episodes, Doug's favorite songs about trees, and an interview with Dee Lee, arborist and songwriter!Featured Songs and ArtistsRedwood Tree, Van Morrison Saint Dominick's Preview, 1972Warner Bros, Inc.English Trees, Crowded HouseTime on Earth, 2007Parlophone & ATO RecordsTrees, Louis Armstrong & George Jenkins and His Orchestra(Lyrics from Trees by Joyce Kilmer) 1954Big Yellow Taxi, Joni MitchellLadies of the Cany...
The Founders' Oak in New Braunfels is a "Famous Tree of Texas." The 300 yr-old live oak has given shelter to a Spanish Mission, a German Prince who brought thousands of settlers, old Texas families that date back to the Alamo, and the Comanche Nation. Its cultural history is rich, and includes a new designation as a "Comanche Marker Tree." What is it about this tree's history that mirrors the founding of Texas itself?Co-HostEmily KingUrban Forester, Community Tree Preservation DivisionCity of...
The Brontë Oak is a massive white oak tree in Oakville, Ontario that has been threatened by every type of construction project imaginable. Logging, overhead power lines, a regional water conduit, highway expansion, you name it. But in the face of multi-billion dollar corporations, it still stands thanks to the collective efforts of a persuasive neighbor, two savvy arborists, an 87 yr-old schoolteacher, a tuned-in Town Councilor, and a favorite Canadian folk rock singer. GuestsJohn McNeilConsu...
In 1946, 153 "Moses Cleaveland Trees" were chosen as landmark trees to represent the City of Cleveland's 150-yr anniversary. Not only did they harken back to the pre-settlement forest - they were in fact part of it. The existence of each one became hazy over time, until a group organized by the City and the Early Settlers Association set out to find them again. Do they still survive? GuestsDr. Roy LarickRetired ArchaeologistOwner of Bluestone ConservationVice Chair of the Euclid Shade Tree Co...
The stately "Imperial Pine" is the only bonsai ever to leave the Japanese Emperor's collection, and it resides at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC. Listen to the behind-the-scenes story about how it got there during a key moment in diplomatic history between Japan and the United States.GuestsKathleen Emerson-DellCurator of ExhibitionsNational Bonsai & Penjing MuseumU.S. National Arboretumwww.usna.usda.govMichael JamesCuratorNa...
Meet the charming old katsura tree in Beatrix Farrand’s famous garden at Dumbarton Oaks. It might be the oldest katsura in North America, or maybe not, but its origins relate to the burgeoning interest in Japanese trees and plants in the second half of the 19th century when Japan opened up to the world. Listen in, as the tree receives some traditional care from Japanese Master Gardener Kurato Fujimoto.GuestsRon HendersonFounding PrincipalLirio Landscape ArchitectureProfessor of Landscape Arch...
Tree Story Shorts II

Tree Story Shorts II

2023-03-2649:33

This is the second edition of Tree Story Shorts on This Old Tree, where listeners get to contribute and tell their own tree stories! From New York to California to China and Nepal, listen to what people have to say about the trees that inspire them. GuestsGil ReavillAuthor, screenwriter, journalisten.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_ReavillJames VoorhiesRetired grounds manager and entomologistPaul Smith College '72Georgia Silvera SeamansFounder, Local Nature LabHost, Your Bird Story podcastChi Ngai Cha...
Sherwood Forest in the County of Nottinghamshire lays claim to a world famous tree, The Major Oak. It may well have harbored Robin Hood and his merry men, or perhaps people like them. Admirers from all over the world visit the beloved English oak, drawn by the legend. Two guests from the Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve help describe why the tree is so special. One is Paul Cook, the Warden tasked with maintaining the woodland and the landscape. The other is the Sheriff of Notting...
The Birthing Tree

The Birthing Tree

2023-02-2748:16

There's a huge, spreading, 350 yr old plus white oak in McMinnville, Tennessee with a legend. It was known to the early pioneers, and it's now a state landmark tree. Listen to its story told by Warren County Historian Jimmy Haley, and former state urban forester Tom Simpson. Come along and discover the Birthing Tree through the eyes of a real pioneer family.GuestsJimmy HaleyHistorianWarren County, TNTom Simpsonformer East Tennessee Regional Urban Forester Department of Agriculture, Division o...
Gilgamesh, the Sumerian king of Uruk, threatens to cut down the sacred Cedar Forest and claim its wood for his people. First, he must kill the terrifying guardian of the forest, Humbaba. Can he do it? What will the gods think, and what will it mean for humanity? The story's message is central to John Perlin's republished book, A Forest Journey: The Role of Trees in the Fate of Civilization. Forests, and the wood they provide, have been crucial to human society since the beginning of recorded ...
The Charter Oak

The Charter Oak

2023-01-3059:59

King James II of England threatened to revoke the precious Charter of Connecticut in 1687, and sent one of his men to retrieve it. That meant an end to the colony's limited democracy and independence. But before it was exchanged during a key meeting, a hero slipped out of the room with it under his arm and hid it within the cavity of an old oak tree. That tree - the Charter Oak - is now a state icon. Get the full story here!Guest Co-Host and ResearcherJean ZimmermanArborist and authorje...
Harlem's Tree of Hope

Harlem's Tree of Hope

2023-01-1345:15

Picture yourself in Harlem in New York City, and it’s the 1920’s. There’s a cultural awakening going on - there’s jazz and dance, theater and literature, big celebrities and lots of new talent looking for a break. And of course - because this is a show about trees - there's a tree that becomes a symbol of the Harlem Renaissance. It’s the Tree of Hope, and it was a good luck charm to black performers looking to make the big time. Garden historian and storyteller Abra Lee tells the story of thi...
Tree Story Shorts

Tree Story Shorts

2022-12-0831:06

This a special episode of This Old Tree, the show that features heritage trees and the human stories behind them. This time, listeners tell their own tree stories! From Vermont to California to Hawaii, listen to what people have to say about the trees that inspire them. GuestsTom MorraArborist and Owner, TF Morra Tree Caretfmorra.comKatie BreukersArborist and Host of Tangled Trees podcastStudent at University of New Brunswickanchor.fm/tangledtreesJean ZimmermanAuthor of numerous books o...
Luna is a 200 ft tall redwood tree that towers on a ridge deep within a privately owned forest in northern California. You may remember Julia Butterfly Hill's remarkable 2-year "tree sit" in the 1990's that helped save the tree and shed light on the indiscriminate clearcutting of redwood forests. But after an agreement was reached to save the redwood and the national news media left, another crisis arose that threatened Luna's existence, introduced new heroes, and ushered in a new era of coll...
loading
Comments 
loading
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store