NEW ANCIENT TREE FORESTS CAN SAVE US!
Redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens) are the tallest livings things in Earth, growing up to 400 feet tall. Endemic to the Pacific Coast, they are among the oldest living trees on the planet. And they are hugely important. While they are in danger of extinction, there is new hope for their survival.
Since California was heavily settled in the late 1800s, almost all existing redwoods and sequoias were cut down. The survivors struggle to cope with climate change as prolonged drought, increased incidence of forest fires, and reduced fog threaten. Only 5% of original redwood forests remain.
Image: Courtesy of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive. David Milarch talking to an "old friend." Jed Smith State Park. Coast Redwood Forest.
Founded by nurseryman David Milarch, the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive (AATA) is a nonprofit organization that collects, propagates, and archives these and more of the oldest, largest, most iconic, and most important trees on Earth. It is creating a living library of tree genetics that can help to replace what humans have damaged.
AATA has already cloned thousands of trees in an effort to propagate the world’s most important old-growth trees before they are gone.
Recently, the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive (AATA), planted 40 cloned ancient redwood trees on the grounds of the Eden Project, in Cornwall, England, in partnership with One Tree Per Child. Its damp, foggy conditions mimics their native climate. It is the first time redwoods have been introduced in Europe.
Eden Project, founded by Sir Tim Smit, is an educational charity that aims to connect us with each other and the living world. Its main site houses a cluster of massive biomes that contain the largest indoor rainforest. The Eden Trust supports transformational ecological tree and plant-based projects and learning programs.
One Tree Per Child, founded by Olivia Newton John and John Dee, the original founders of Australia’s National Tree Day. Its aim is to get millions of children planting millions of trees.
The first sapling planted at Eden Project was a clone of the Fieldbrook Stump — a famous northern Californian redwood which was cut down in 1890 when it was around 3,500 years old. The cloned saplings are expect to reach a height of 80’ by 2050.
If it had not been cut down, the Fieldbrook redwood would likely be the world’s tallest tree. It left a stump 35’ in diameter, wider than any other known single trunk. Material was taken from basal shoots that grew from the stump to clone the new saplings.
AATA has some exciting new ancient tree cloning projects in the works now. It plans to clone Florida’s oldest Bald Cypress tree known as “Lady Liberty” before the iconic species dies out.
The 90’ high green Lady has a 10’ wide trunk. But despite its heft, arborists are concerned that it will soon succumb to increasing environmental stresses and other human induced threats. The cloned saplings will be ready for planting in about 2 years.
AATA will be undertaking its biggest effort yet, from May 21-31st, climbing and cloning vast numbers of Giant Sequoia and Coast Redwood trees in California. They will start in the southern Sierra Nevada's on a 3000 year old Giant Sequoia that boasts a girth of over 30 feet in diameter!
The team of 7, led by Jake Milarch will move north 700 miles to climb and clone the largest and oldest Coast Redwoods.
As with each of AATA’s cloning and reforesting efforts, trees collected and replanted on this trip will capture carbon from the atmosphere for generations.
Watch this video to see how AATA is cloning our ancient trees. And learn more about tree cloning and help to grow ancient forests here.
And read our previous BN Daily Fix post: Meet the Tree Angel Helping to Save Our Planet, about AATA and its beautiful work.
Read more about Beautiful Trees all this week on BeautifulNow. And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.
Image: Courtesy of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive. Champions Trees Are the Answer. Jake Milarch and a 2,500-year old Coast Redwood.
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