Trees

Living Carbon's modified trees on the left next to unmodified trees on the right.

Genetically Modified Trees Are Taking Root to Capture Carbon

A start-up created the plants to help combat the climate crisis, but they have so far only been tested in a lab setting

A reconstruction of a painted fresco depicting the Battle of Kadesh between the Egyptian Empire and the Hittite Empire.

Severe Drought May Have Contributed to the Decline of the Hittites

The empire abruptly vanished around 1200 B.C.E., and ancient tree rings suggest climate played a role

Dead aspen trees, shrunken by drought, wither near Grant Lake in California last October.

California Lost 36 Million Trees to Drought Last Year

The die-off is expected to continue despite this winter’s rain storms

A female (left) and male (right) golden-shouldered parrot

The Wonderful World of Birds

Australia’s Most Endangered Parrot Faces an Unusual Threat: Trees

Native vegetation blocks the birds’ ability to see approaching predators

Archaeologists studied the tree ring growth patterns of 100 timbers.

Cool Finds

Rare 16th-Century Ship Unearthed in England

Quarry workers discovered the vessel 1,000 feet from the nearest coastline

This cross section of a sequoia in Yosemite National Park in California has markers identifying the dates of tree rings.

The Science Behind the Oldest Trees on Earth

How experts have determined that bristlecone pines, sequoias and baobabs have stood for thousands of years

With one vast root system, Pando weighs more than 6,600 tons and contains approximately 47,000 genetically identical stems (or branches).

The World's Largest Tree Is Ready for Its Close-Up

Friends of Pando, a nonprofit, is in the process of creating the largest image ever recorded of this single aspen clone in Utah

The 2022 fall foliage map

This Interactive Map Will Help You Plan the Ultimate Leaf-Peeping Trip

Find the best times to admire fall colors across the country

Burls are bark-covered growths that can protrude from a tree’s trunk. They contain unsprouted bud tissue, and produce a wood that’s valued for its unique grain and smooth workability.

What Is the Financial Value of an Old-Growth Tree?

In setting fines for timber poaching, experts are looking at different ways to calculate the worth of trees

Ignacio Mundo measures one of the ship’s ribs

Can Tree Rings Solve the Mystery of a 19th-Century American Shipwreck?

A wreck off the coast of Argentina is likely a Rhode Island whaling vessel from the 1850s

Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias has reopened after the Washburn Fire.

Yosemite's Grove of Giant Sequoias Reopens After Month-Long Fire Closure

Park officials say that decades of prescribed burns helped keep the historic trees safe

Redwood National Park in California is home to Hyperion, the tallest living tree in the world.

The World's Tallest Tree Is Officially Off-Limits

Trespassing bushwhackers are causing significant damage to the surrounding forest

Forests are grappling with wildfires, insect infestations, extreme weather events, invasive species and other challenges.

U.S. Will Plant One Billion Trees to Combat Climate Change

The Forest Service plans to tackle a reforestation backlog of 4.1 million acres

A marine archaeologist examines one of the engraved Purbeck gravestones recovered from the 13th-century Mortar Wreck.

Cool Finds

England's Oldest Surviving Shipwreck Is a 13th-Century Merchant Vessel

Carrying a cargo of locally sourced limestone, the so-called Mortar Wreck likely sank off the Dorset coast during the reign of Henry III

Firefighters from the Brigadas de Refuerzo en Incendios Forestales (BRIF) tackle a forest fire in Avila, Spain, on July 18, 2022.

Our Forests Can't Handle This Much Stress

A new study suggests that climate change is making life more difficult for forests to adapt to new stresses to the environment

A woodpecker prepares to smash its beak against a tree. 

Woodpeckers Don’t Have Shock-Absorbing Skulls

The birds’ small brain size protects them from getting concussions, a new study finds

Smoke and flames rise as the forest burns at Yosemite National Park in California on July 10, 2022.

Wildfire Burns in Yosemite National Park, Threatening Giant Sequoia Trees

The Washburn Fire has scorched more than 2,000 acres since it was first reported on Thursday

Trees at Alerce Costero National Park

A New Candidate for Oldest Tree in the World Is Discovered in Chile

Environmental scientists used unorthodox methods for calculating Alerce Milenario’s age

The skydiving wandering salamanders are native to northwestern California.

Wandering Salamanders Skydive From Some of the World's Tallest Trees

The amphibians stretch their limbs and tails to glide in a smooth style

Left, luthier Reuben Forsland gazes out his studio window. Right, a close-up of the “Legacy” guitar, custom-built by Forsland, commissioned by a son to honor his father.   

Each Guitar Reuben Forsland Makes Tells a Story

The Canadian luthier builds custom instruments from unique materials that deliver impeccable sound

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