Dive into the complete episode list for This Old Tree. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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1–29 of 29
Pub. Date
Title
Duration
07 Sep 2022
Trailer
00:01:48
Join host Doug Still - each show features heritage trees and the human stories behind them.
Old trees are awe inspiring links to the past that fire our historical imagination. Each week, he’ll interview experts, historians, and regular folks to celebrate the myths and uncover the real tales. There’s also a segment called “Tree Story Shorts,” where listeners get a chance to submit and chat about the most meaningful tree in their lives.
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
15 Sep 2022
The Betsey Williams Sycamore
00:42:25
The Betsey Williams Sycamore is the most famous tree in Rhode Island. Its huge girth and spreading branches have been photographed, climbed on, and loved by generations of visitors to historic Roger Williams Park in Providence. But its history touches on the legacy of Roger Williams, Rhode Island’s founder; introduces overlooked characters, some noble and some "shady," including a forgotten tree; and features a Williams family crisis (and divorce trial) that threatened the tree and future park.
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
01 Oct 2022
The Edison Banyan
00:45:41
Why did Thomas Edison plant a banyan tree sapling at his winter residence in 1926? You guessed it, there was an experiment involved. Native to India, it is now a massive, beloved tree at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers, Florida. While this isn’t an “escape from the lab” story, it is sort of a “took over the lab” story! Debbie Hughes, the Horticultural Director, explains what happened. Also, we dig into the mythology of fig trees - specifically “strangler” figs - and their critical ecological and cultural importance with rainforest ecologist and author Mike Shanahan.
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
14 Oct 2022
Chronicling a Tree: Thoreau's Concord Elm
00:59:01
Concord, Massachusetts, 1856. Four men cut down a huge, seemingly healthy American elm tree using block and tackle, and ropes drawn by a horse. The graceful tree towered above a house whose owners heard creaking during a storm - they felt unsafe and had it removed. The event would have been long forgotten, except one of America’s greatest writers and earliest environmentalists also lived in Concord - Henry David Thoreau.
Supremely ticked-off, the removal of the stately elm inspired a flurry of journal writing by Thoreau that defined elms as symbols of virtue that looked to Concord’s past and the country’s future. Guest Thomas Campanella, Professor at Cornell University and author of Republic of Shade: New England and the American Elm, shares his work. It turns out, elm trees helped define our young nation’s sense of itself.
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
27 Oct 2022
The First 9/11 Survivor Trees
00:51:36
TheSurvivor Tree is a well known tree planted at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City that was rescued from the rubble at the World Trade Center site after the terrorist attacks. It has become a stirring symbol of resilience and survival visited by millions of people.
But few people remember there were six other trees rescued from the site and transplanted in early October of 2001. Host Doug Still was part of the City Parks Department team that found them along with his former boss Bram Gunther. Doug and Bram recount the day they visited Ground Zero, describe how these remarkable trees were saved, and discover what's become of them.
Guest Bram Gunther Native New Yorker; former Chief of Forestry, Horticulture, and Natural Resources for New York City Parks; co-founding partner of Dirt Collective, a start-up focused on re-wilding. linkedin.com/in/bram-gunther-b8346522b
Podcast Consultant Martha Douglas-Osmundson
Music "Running Circles (Instrumental)," Cody Francis
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
11 Nov 2022
The Mies van der Rohe Honeylocust of the Alfred Caldwell Grove
00:56:07
A big, old, thorny honeylocust tree on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago has a place within the history of modernist architecture and landscape design. How so? Professor and landscape architect Ron Henderson talks about the tree's relationship to Mies van der Rohe and his colleague Alfred Caldwell, and how the honeylocust became the feathery urban forest powerhouse it is today.
Guests Ron Henderson Professor and Director of Landscape Architecture, Illinois Institute of Technology Founding Principal, LIRIO Landscape Architecture lirio.work https://arch.iit.edu/study/mla/
Richard Polansky Owner, Hafs Road Orchard Genoa City, Wisconsin hafsroadorchard.com
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
26 Nov 2022
Luna Endures: A Redwood's Survival Tale
01:00:55
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 collaboration.
Guests Stuart Moskowitz Board Member and lead "Luna Covenant" monitor, Sanctuary Forest sanctuaryforest.org
Dennis Yniguez Registered Consulting Arborist (ASCA), and a Board Certified Master Arborist (ISA). He received B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and his J.D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. treedecisions.com
Tree Story Short Carol Kingsbury
Books About Luna and Redwood Trees Cook, Diane, and Len Jenshel. Wise Trees. Abrams Books. New York. 2017.
Davis, Erik. The Visionary State: A Journey Through California’s Spiritual Landscape.Chronicle Books. San Francisco. 2007.
Harris, David. The Last Stand: The War Between Wall Street and Main Street Over California’s Ancient Redwoods. Sierra Club Books. San Francisco. 1996.
Hill, Julia Butterfly. One Makes The Difference. Harper Collins. San Francisco. 2002
Hill, Julia Butterfly. The Legacy of Luna. Harper Collins. San Francisco. 2000
Hill, Niklas. Julia räddar skogen. Trinambai. Stockholm. 2017.
Kostecki-Shaw, Jenny Sue. Luna and Me. Holt. New York. 2015.
Lyon, George Ella. Voices of Justice: Poems about People Working for a Better World. Holt. New York. 2020.
Podcast Consultant Robb Barnard
Special thanks to Scott Parsons, for suggesting this episode and introducing me to Stuart
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
08 Dec 2022
Tree Story Shorts
00:31:06
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.
Guests Tom Morra Arborist and Owner, TF Morra Tree Care tfmorra.com
Katie Breukers Arborist and Host of Tangled Trees podcast Student at University of New Brunswick anchor.fm/tangledtrees
Jean Zimmerman Author of numerous books of fiction and nonfiction, articles, and a blog Certified arborist, currently consults with New York City on tree preservation jeanzimmerman.com
Andy Hillman Retired Urban Forester City of Ithaca, NY and Davey Resource Group
Thomas Spadea Park Ranger and Host of My Favorite Trees podcast mftpodcast.com
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
13 Jan 2023
Harlem's Tree of Hope
00:45:15
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 this particular tree’s rise to fame, its demise, and its enduring legacy.
Guest Abra Lee Garden Historian, Horticulturist, Arborist Author of the forthcoming book, Conquer the Soil: Black America and the Untold Story of Our Country's Gardeners, Farmers, and Growers (2025) conquerthesoil.com
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
30 Jan 2023
The Charter Oak
00:59:59
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!
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
13 Feb 2023
Guarding the Cedars: Gilgamesh, and John Perlin's "A Forest Journey"
00:56:57
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 time, and now the fight against climate change. But what does history tell us about how we treat them?
Guest John Perlin Historian, author of A Forest Journey: The Role of Trees in the Fate of Civilization Patagonia Books john-perlin.com
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
27 Feb 2023
The Birthing Tree
00:48:16
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.
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
13 Mar 2023
The Major Oak of Sherwood Forest
00:59:59
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 Nottingham, or, that is, Richard Townsley, a tour guide and local authority on Robin Hood. There’s an aura around this tree thanks to the legend, but the allure and lasting popularity of England's arboreal icon has become about so much more.
Reader Nigel Holmes nigelholmes.com (excerpts from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle, edited by Jonathan Kelley, The Townsend Press, Inc.)
Recorder Musicians David Bor Kim Wass
Recorder Music "Light of love," Anonymous "When that I was and a little tiny boy," anonymous Shakespearean stage tune "When lo, by break of morning," Thomas Morley, 1595 "It was a lover and his lass," Thomas Morley, 1600 "Tres douce dame que j’aour," Guillaume de Machaut, 14th c. "We Be Soldiers Three," Thomas Ravenscroft, 1609
Special thanks to: Rob James, Sherwood Forest
Photo credit Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve, RSPB
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
26 Mar 2023
Tree Story Shorts II
00:49:33
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.
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
11 Apr 2023
The Katsura at Dumbarton Oaks
00:47:55
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.
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
27 Apr 2023
The Imperial Pine Bonsai
00:59:13
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.
Guests Kathleen Emerson-Dell Curator of Exhibitions National Bonsai & Penjing Museum U.S. National Arboretum www.usna.usda.gov
Michael James Curator National Bonsai & Penjing Museum U.S. National Arboretum www.usna.usda.gov
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
27 May 2023
The Moses Cleaveland Trees
00:54:03
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?
Guests Dr. Roy Larick Retired Archaeologist Owner of Bluestone Conservation Vice Chair of the Euclid Shade Tree Commission Member of the Early Settlers Association of the Western Reserve https://www.earlysettlers.org/
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
05 Jul 2023
Preservation is Progress: The Brontë Oak
00:55:31
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.
Guests John McNeil Consulting Urban Forester McNeil Urban Forestry, Inc. Burlington , Ontario LinkedIn
Pete Williams Consulting Forester Williams & Associates Forestry Consulting Rockwood, Ontario http://forestar.ca/
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
03 Aug 2023
Texas Shade: The Founders' Oak
00:59:14
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?
Featured songs by Jimmy Irby (Published by ...And More Bears, Vollersode, Germany) One Cup of Coffee and a Cigarette Don't Count Your Chickens I'm So Disgusted I've Got the Blues for Texas
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
08 Sep 2023
Trees in Song: Season 1 Finale
00:57:50
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 Artists
Redwood Tree, Van Morrison Saint Dominick's Preview, 1972 Warner Bros, Inc.
English Trees, Crowded House Time on Earth, 2007 Parlophone & ATO Records
Trees, Louis Armstrong & George Jenkins and His Orchestra (Lyrics from Trees by Joyce Kilmer) 1954
Big Yellow Taxi, Joni Mitchell Ladies of the Canyon, 1970 Reprise Records, Crazy Crow Music
King of Trees, Yusuf/Cat Stevens Buddha and the Chocolate Box, 1974 A&M Records, Firecat Music Ld.
Boys in the Trees, Carly Simon Boys in the Trees, 1978 Elektra Records; C'est Music; Universal Music Corp.
Mango Tree (Feat. Sara Bareilles), Zac Brown Band Jekyll + Hyde, 2015 Writers: Zac Brown, Anna Elizabeth Harwood, and Niko Moon Big Machine Records; Republic; Bettimusic
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
12 Oct 2023
The Autograph Tree
01:02:53
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.
Dr. James Pethica Senior Lecturer in English and Theatre, Williams College Williamstown, MA, USA
Dr. Anna Pilz Independent Researcher Academic Developer & Trainer, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, Scotland
Consulting Editor David Still, II
Music "Cailleach An Airgid" - traditional Arranged by Katharina Baker Performed by Sonic Strings from Coole Music & Arts in Gort, County Galway Soloist - Lilian Owens See Sonic Strings performing the piece on Inis Mór on YouTube here
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
13 Nov 2023
The Emancipation Oak
01:09:59
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 imagination of people today?
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
13 Dec 2023
Europe's 2023 Tree of the Year: The Fabrykant Oak
01:01:55
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?
Guests Adam Golub Project Manager and Brussels Representative European Tree of the Year Environmental Partnership Association treeoftheyear.org Brussels, Belgium
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
08 Jan 2024
Tree Story Shorts III
00:35:34
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.
Guests Rob McBride The Tree Hunter Ellesmere, Shropshire, U.K. Instagram
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
28 Feb 2024
The Mariner and the Mulberry
00:55:39
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.
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
28 Apr 2024
The Tree That Owns Itself
01:01:58
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.
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
07 Oct 2024
Saving Seeds: Bartram's Franklin Tree
01:02:53
John Bartram was a Quaker farmer near Philadelphia in the mid 18th century. So how did he become North America's first great botanist? And how did he and his son William find themselves in the wilds of southeastern Georgia, fighting off rain, hunger and mosquitos, in order to find the rare and beautiful Franklin Tree (Franklinia alatamaha)? Come hear the story about why this tree at Bartram's Garden symbolizes the spirit of science and discovery.
Guest Tom Reber Director of Landscape and Facilities Bartram's Garden Philadelphia, PA
Readers Nigel Holmes Mike Savard Mike Sweney Josh Abrams
Harpsichord Music performed by Miyuke Tsurutani "The Saint Catherine," John Barrett "Saraband," John Barrett "Hornpipe," Henry Purcell "Ground," John Blow
References "The Life and Travels of John Bartram: From Lake Ontario to the River St. John," by Edmund Berkeley and Dorothy Smith Berkeley. University Press of Florida, 1982.
"The Correspondence of John Bartram, 1734 - 1777," edited by Edmund Berkeley and Dorothy Smith Berkeley. University Press of Florida, 1992.
"Franklinia alatamaha, A History of That 'Very Curious' Shrub," by Joel Fry. Bartram's Broadside, Winter 2000.
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
18 Nov 2024
London's Charlton House Mulberry
01:01:18
Did you know the British are mad about mulberries? A 415 yr-old black mulberry tree stands at Charlton House & Gardens, the oldest specimen in London and highly beloved. Its story involves King James I and a courtier named Sir Adam Newton, the tutor to the King's eldest son Henry. It also involves a government decree gone awry.
Music performed by the Renaissonics "Coockow As I Me Walked," John Baldwin "The Satyrs' Masque," Robert Johnson (from Oberon) "Full Fathom Five," Robert Johnson "Strike It Up Tabor," Thomas Weelkes
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
05 Feb 2025
India's Kabirvad Banyan Tree
01:20:19
Meet Kabirvad, a 500 yr-old, 4 acre banyan tree in the heart of Gujarat, India. The spectacular tree is a national treasure associated with Saint Kabir, a 15th century mystic poet known for his timeless poetry. He challenged institutions, religions and social convention. Who was he, and how is his legend tied to a banyan tree? Journey to India to learn about Kabirvad. In understanding the tree, you may find the essence of Kabir himself.
We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~3 or 4 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to: doug@thisoldtree.net
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org
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