Best Heritage trees and their human stories, with Doug Still Podcasts (2024)

1
The Tree That Owns Itself 1:01:58

3M ago1:01:58

1:01:58

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. Guests Mateo Fennell Community Forest…

1
The Mariner and the Mulberry 55:39

5M ago55:39

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.…

1
Tree Story Shorts III 35:34

7M ago35:34

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 wha…

1
Europe's 2023 Tree of the Year: The Fabrykant Oak 1:01:55

8M ago1:01:55

1:01:55

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. H…

1
The Emancipation Oak 1:09:59

9M ago1:09:59

1:09:59

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 mom…

1
The Autograph Tree 1:02:53

10M ago1:02:53

1:02:53

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 kn…

1
Trees in Song: Season 1 Finale 57:50

11M ago57:50

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…

1
Texas Shade: The Founders' Oak 59:14

12M ago59:14

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 …

1
Preservation is Progress: The Brontë Oak 55:31

1y ago55:31

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 nei…

1
The Moses Cleaveland Trees 54:03

1y ago54:03

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 fin…

1
The Imperial Pine Bonsai 59:13

1y ago59:13

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 Ka…

1
The Katsura at Dumbarton Oaks 47:55

1+ y ago47:55

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 traditio…

1
Tree Story Shorts II 49:33

1+ y ago49:33

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. Guests Gil Reavill Author, screenwriter, journalist en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Reavill James Voorhies…

1
The Major Oak of Sherwood Forest 59:59

1+ y ago59:59

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…

1
The Birthing Tree 48:16

1+ y ago48:16

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 pione…

1
Guarding the Cedars: Gilgamesh, and John Perlin's "A Forest Journey" 56:57

1+ y ago56:57

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…

1
The Charter Oak 59:59

1+ y ago59:59

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 tre…

1
Harlem's Tree of Hope 45:15

1+ y ago45:15

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 Ho…

1
Tree Story Shorts 31:06

1+ y ago31:06

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 Breuk…

1
Luna Endures: A Redwood's Survival Tale 1:00:55

1+ y ago1:00:55

1:00:55

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 redwo…

1
The Mies van der Rohe Honeylocust of the Alfred Caldwell Grove 56:07

1+ y ago56:07

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 honeylocus…

1
The First 9/11 Survivor Trees 51:36

1+ y ago51:36

51:36

The Survivor 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 sit…

1
Chronicling a Tree: Thoreau's Concord Elm 59:01

2y ago59:01

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 a…

1
The Edison Banyan 45:41

2y ago45:41

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,…

1
The Betsey Williams Sycamore 42:25

2y ago42:25

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 no…

1
Trailer 1:48

2y ago1:48

1:48

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 …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Heritage Trees And Their Human Stories, With Doug Still Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
This Old Tree

Doug Still

1
The Tree That Owns Itself 1:01:58

1
The Mariner and the Mulberry 55:39

1
Tree Story Shorts III 35:34

1
Europe's 2023 Tree of the Year: The Fabrykant Oak 1:01:55

1
The Emancipation Oak 1:09:59

1
The Autograph Tree 1:02:53

1
Trees in Song: Season 1 Finale 57:50

1
Texas Shade: The Founders' Oak 59:14

1
Preservation is Progress: The Brontë Oak 55:31

1
The Moses Cleaveland Trees 54:03

1
The Imperial Pine Bonsai 59:13

1
The Katsura at Dumbarton Oaks 47:55

1
Tree Story Shorts II 49:33

1
The Major Oak of Sherwood Forest 59:59

1
The Birthing Tree 48:16

1
Guarding the Cedars: Gilgamesh, and John Perlin's "A Forest Journey" 56:57

1
The Charter Oak 59:59

1
Harlem's Tree of Hope 45:15

1
Tree Story Shorts 31:06

1
Luna Endures: A Redwood's Survival Tale 1:00:55

1
The Mies van der Rohe Honeylocust of the Alfred Caldwell Grove 56:07

1
The First 9/11 Survivor Trees 51:36

1
Chronicling a Tree: Thoreau's Concord Elm 59:01

1
The Edison Banyan 45:41

1
The Betsey Williams Sycamore 42:25

1
Trailer 1:48

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