This Old Tree

In the small town of Santa María del Tule, in the heart of Oaxaca, Mexico, stands a Montezuma Cypress more than 2,000 years old. Its trunk is considered the widest of any tree on Earth.For over a millennium, the Tule Tree has drawn visitors: the Zapotec, Mixe, and Mixtec peoples who revered it, Spanish colonizers, and traders from across Mesoamerica. Today, travelers from around the world make it a tourist destination.In this episode, host Doug Still sits down in the tree's shade with the town's mayor, members of the Tule Tree Committee, and arborists from the Mexican Association of Arboriculture. A local historian shares the town's long story, and we hear the legend of King Kondoy, the hero whose planted staff became the tree.But this giant is about more than size. How is it the guiding light of the community? What is an axis mundi? And what do the people of Tule sacrifice to keep the famous tree alive?GuestsAntonio Vásquez VásquezHistorian and Author, Santa María del Tule: Una revisión históricaSanta María del Tule, MexicoTule Tree Committee, Santa Mariá del TuleFabián Santiago Bautista, MayorRoberto Peralta Vásquez, PresidentAbel Ramírez, Chronicler of the TreeHilda Méndez IbáñezJocelyn Soto MengolGermán Miguel Martin MéndezOmar Jardin VásquezVíctor Velasco LópezArborist and PresidentAsociación Mexicana de Arboricultura (AMA)Aurora TorresArboristAsociación Mexicana de Arboricultura (AMA)Fernando Aldahir Ramírez ÁngelesOaxacan friend and Tour [email protected] City, MexicoReading"Leyenda del Rey Kondoy" or "The Legend of King Kondoy"Traditional (Mixe)Adaptation by Jessica Paolo Martínez JoséInstituto Nacional de los Pueblos IndígenasVoiceover ArtistsMarta Martínez, Rhode Island Latino ArtsAlejandra Ruelas, Casa Azul TacqueríaÁngel Vásquez GómezRobb BarnardEd NardellReferencesSanta María del Tule: Una revisión histórica, Antonio Vásquez Vásquez, 2025.Live MusicBanda Indomable de OaxacaMariachi mi PaísBand of the 28th Military ZoneSpecial thanksCandace PowningDiana Marchal Theme Music"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or InstagramThis Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here. We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 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:[email protected] episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

A lone mulberry tree stands beside the Washington Monument. It is curious, unexpected, and impossible to ignore once you notice it. Who planted it? Is it historic? Is it one tree or two? Why is it preserved, when there is no other tree on the immediate grounds?D.C. tree tour guide Sam Nelson chased down the answers, found in a 2014 government report. The author is landscape historian Jonathan Pliska, who also wrote A Garden for the President: A History of the White House Gardens. In celebration of America's 250th birthday, host Doug Still hands the mic to Sam and Jonathan for a conversation that explores the mysteries of this mulberry tree next to our iconic national monument. The story involves several early champions of 19th century horticulture, and the history of the National Mall itself.GuestsSam NelsonWriter, Educator, NaturalistTree Stories, LLCJonathan PliskaAuthor and Landscape HistorianA Garden for the President: A History of the White House GardensReferencesHistoric American Landscape Survey (HALS), National Park Service (website)Music"The Dying Poet," Louis Moreau Gottschalk, 1863Played by Jim RicePhoto creditSam NelsonTheme Music"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or InstagramThis Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here. We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 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:[email protected] episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

Kongeegen, or the 1,500 year old “King’s Oak,” is deep inside a forest called Jægerspris Nordskov in Denmark. The tree is named after 19th century King Frederik VII, who owned a nearby castle with his wife, the Countess Danner. It is a national treasure and one of northern Europe’s oldest living oak trees.  Getting there meant a two-mile hike through the woods with guests Anders Jensen of the Danish Tree Association and forest historian Helle Serup of The Green Museum. They tell the biological story of Kongeegen, and how Denmark sees its forests. But there is also a love story - a tangled affair between the unconventional Frederik, the Countess Danner (aka Louise Rasmussen), and a wealthy newspaper publisher named Carl Berling. The Countess's own love letters embellish this true story from her point of view - scandal, romance, and all  - and how it led them to seek shelter from the rain under this ancient oak.GuestsHelle SerupCurator, Det Grønne Museum (The Green Museum)Auning, DenmarkAnders JensenVice ChairmanDansk Træplejeforening (The Danish Tree Care Association)Reading"Beneath Kongeegen" by Doug Still and Ida Zecco, read by Ida Zecco and Martha Douglas-Osmundson (Louise Rasmussen's letters)References"Din hengivnes Louise": Louise Rasmussens breve til Carl Berling og kronprins/kong Frederik VII, 1844-1850." Ved Pernille Arenfeldt og Pernille Hasselsteen. Kong Frederik VII's Stiftelse Paa Jægerspris, Forlaget Fremad, Music"La Sylphide, Music for the Bournonville ballet" by Herman Severin Løvenskiold. Royal Danish Orchestra, Chandos Records, 1991.Special thanksDansk TræplejeforeningRobb BarnardEd NardellTheme Music"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or InstagramThis Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here. We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 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:[email protected] episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

Sa Melabrina is a Downy Oak tree the size of a small church, draped in moss and ferns. Her ancient arms spread wide in the surrounding forest near Illorai, Sardinia. She's the oldest and largest of her kind in all of Europe. And she's been standing here in these mountains for nine centuries.What she symbolizes is even greater than her beauty.The town’s mayor organized a remarkable conference drawing scientists, conservationists, and community leaders from across Sardinia and beyond, all united around a single idea: that Sardinia's ancient trees, its oldest living landmarks, could form a network worth protecting, visiting, and fighting for.There is something else at stake. Sardinia's small towns are quietly shrinking. Depopulation is hollowing out villages that have survived for millennia. Saving these old trees is vital, but Sardinia's leaders ask a new type of question:Can Sa Melabrina and Sardinia’s monumental trees save its small towns?GuestsGianluca Grande, MayorIllorai, SardiniaDr. Gianluigi BacchettaProfessor, Department of Life and Environmental SciencesDirector, Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity and Germplasm Bank of SardiniaUniversity of Cagliari, SardiniaPina MurasResident of Illorai, SardiniaCarlo PoddiArborist, Sassari, SardiniaReadings"Su chercu pius bellu" (The Most Beautiful Oak) by Ignazio Camarda - read by Fulgenzio Piras"The Sa Melabrina Oak" by Graziano NuddaQuote by T.S. Eliot from "The Little Gidding"Voiceover ReadersManuela Buonanno (Pina Muras)Jeff Taliaferro (Graziano Nudda reading)MusicSa Melabrina ChoirConference hospitality provided by ProlocoOak Species of Sardinia - Quercus pubescens groupQuercus dalechampii (Downy Oak)Quercus ichnusaeQuercus congestaQuercus virgilianaOther Oak species in SardiniaQuercus ilex (Holm Oak)Quercus suber (Cork Oak)Quercus calliprinosQuercus morisiTheme Music"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or InstagramThis Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here. We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 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:[email protected] episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

In the small Estonian town of Orissaare, football players dribble around a 150-year-old oak tree standing impossibly in the middle of their soccer field or "stadium." What seems like a quirky local oddity became a symbol of national pride when this tree won the 2015 European Tree of the Year, beating much larger countries like Hungary, Spain, and the UK.How did an unknown Estonian oak outcompete all of Europe? The answer involves brilliant PR, ancient folklore, a fierce independence forged by centuries of foreign invasion, and a profound connection to forests rooted in animism. Could a tree resist the Soviets? Learn about its inspiring legend that captured the attention of tree-lovers around the world.GuestsAliide NaylorJournalist and AuthorLondon, UKThe Shadow in the East: Vladimir Putin and the New Baltic Frontaliidenaylor.comHeiki HansoArboristOrissaare, EstoniaAndla RüütelManager, Orissaare Sports HallOrissaare, EstoniaVoiceover Reading for Andla RüütelMartha Douglas-OsmundsonLinkedIn ProfileSongs (in order)"Saaremaa valss," Georg Ots"Ma vaatan paadist kiikriga," Boris Lehtlaan"Metsavendade laul (sõnadega) - Forest Brothers' Song," Untsakad"Isegi unes," Stig Rästa (permission from FAAR Music)Other References"The Favours of the Sacred Tree," Estonian Folk Tales: the Heavenly Wedding,Piret Paar and Anne Turnpu, authors, 2005.Silence of the Gods: The Untold History of Europe's Last Pagan Peoples, Francis Young, 2025.European Tree of the Year, Environmental Partnership AssociationTheme Music"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or InstagramThis Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here. We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 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:[email protected] episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

What happens when six arborists come down from the trees to step behind the mic? Find out by listening to this special episode of stories by tree professionals told LIVE in front of an audience at the annual conference of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. Where does the adrenaline come from? What barriers have been climbed? What drives them, ropes and harness in hand? Hear what arborists say about defining moments in their careers, their struggles, and what they love about their profession.GuestsHeidi ShingletonArboristDirigo Tree ServiceFreeport, MEDavid AndersonArboristMayer Tree ServiceEssex, MAJune MoulisStudent, Urban Forestry and Arboriculture ConcentrationUMASS AmherstTom MarinoCertified ArboristSavATreeNorwalk, CTLindsay WatkinsStrafford County ForesterUNH Cooperative ExtensionDurham, NHRich CartierNortheast Territory ManagerRainbow EcoscienceMilford, MAStories told on location at "The Canopy Connection: 2025 New England Chapter ISA Annual Conference and Trade Show," Southbridge, MA, October 7, 2025. Music"Not Long Now," FalconerTheme Music"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or InstagramThis Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here. We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 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:[email protected] episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

High up in California's Sierra Nevada mountains stands the largest tree on earth by volume - the General Sherman Tree. The famous giant sequoia has captivated millions of visitors, but few know the rich tapestry of stories woven around its massive trunk.Join us as we explore the “Giant Forest” of Sequoia National Park with former park ranger and author William C. Tweed. From the indigenous Monache and Yokuts who first walked among these giants, to ambitious Euro-American explorers like John Muir, to a Black Army Captain who became the parks first true manager, discover how "first encounters" with giant sequoias become life altering events. What evolutionary secrets allow sequoias to get so big? Why do frequent fires help them to survive? And what is "sequoia time?" The General Sherman tree and its mates have changed how we view the natural world and our place within it.GuestWilliam C. TweedAuthor and Retired Chief NaturalistSequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, CAKing SequoiaChallenge of the Big Trees: The History of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (co-author with Lary M. Dilsaver)ReadersJosh Abrams (Hale Tharp)Ewen Eadie (John Muir)Jeff Taliaferro (Capt. Charles Young)MusicJustin PetersTree Visitor InterviewTom AllenEmmy RileyAlex AllenOrganizations That Support Giant SequoiasNational Park Service, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National ParksGiant Sequoias Land CoalitionSequoia Parks ConservancySave the Redwoods LeagueAncient Forest SocietyTule River Tribe of CaliforniaTheme Music"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or InstagramThis Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here. We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 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:[email protected] episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

Some trees are old — and then there's S’Ozzastru. Nestled near the village of Luras on the island of Sardinia, this ancient olive tree has stood for nearly 4,000 years. Also known as "The Great Patriarch" or "The Patriarch of Nature," the bronze age tree is a living witness to the rise and fall of civilizations.How has it endured for millennia? Who, across the centuries, has found shelter beneath its branches? And will the millennial olive trees of Sardinia continue to survive?Join us as we travel to the heart of the Mediterranean in search of secrets to one of the world’s oldest living trees. 🌿GuestsAnna Maria CordaTour Guide, Olivastri di Millenari di LurasLuras, Sardinia, ItalyMarco CampusAgronomist, AGRISProgetto Olivi MontiferruOristano, SardiniaFabio PirasAgronomist, AGRISProgetto Olivi MontiferruOristano, SardiniaGianluigi PiliAgronomist, AGRISProgetto Olivi MontiferruOristano, SardiniaEmanuele CauliAgronomist, AGRISProgetto Olivi MontiferruOristano, SardiniaMusicLauneddas - Luigi LaiCantu a tenore vocals - Su DilluSongs from "S'arreppicu," Luigi Lai    Ripsosa pippiu    Fiorassiu in la (danza)    Goccius a Santu Idiu    S'arrepicuReadingElias Portolu by Grazia DeleddaTranslated by Kevan HouserGuest Reader Manuela BuonannoOther ReferencesInternational Olive Council website"Why the Mediterranean is a Climate Change Hotspot," MIT NewsSpecial thanks toEd NardellCristiana and Valerio, B&B ArchèTheme Music"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or InstagramThis Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here. We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 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:[email protected] episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

Have you seen those breathtaking aerial photos of a solitary ginkgo tree in a courtyard, its leaves creating a perfect golden carpet of fallen leaves? This isn't just any tree—it's a 1,400-year-old living witness to history, standing tall within the walls of China's Gu Guanyin Buddhist Temple.While its stunning autumn transformation goes viral online each year, the story behind this magnificent being remains largely unknown to Western audiences. Why was this particular tree planted at this particular temple? Could it really have been placed there by Emperor Taizong himself, one of China's most celebrated rulers? Why are ginkgo trees so special?Join us as we unravel the mysteries of this famous ginkgo tree and explore its remarkable connection to the golden age of the Tang Dynasty.GuestsProfessor Ruihong DiNorthwest UniversityXi'an, Shaanxi Province, ChinaPeter Del TrediciUrban Ecologist and BotanistArnold Arboretum of Harvard UniversityBoston, MAwww.peterdeltredici.comWild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field GuideReaderWiley WangMachine Intelligence EngineerPalm Springs, CA"Traditional Folk Tale of Gu Guanyin Temple" edited by Doug StillVoiceover Reading for Ruihong DiMartha Douglas-OsmundsonLinkedIn ProfileMusic"Farewell at the Yangguan Pass," traditional, Tang DynastyXiao-zhong Wu soloistPeople's Association Chinese Orchestra1992 Yellow RiverOther ReferencesThe Ruler's Guide: China's Greatest Emperor and His Timeless Secrets of Success, Chinghua Tang, Scribner, 2017.Ginkgo: The Tree That Time Forgot, Peter Crane, Yale University Press, 2013.Photo CreditFlyOverChina, Xinhua News AgencyTheme Music"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or InstagramThis Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here. We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 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:[email protected] episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

Welcome to the fourth edition of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, where guests get to tell their own tree stories! Salacious pepper trees, historic oaks, a tree named after a Marvel character, a beech tree's farewell at a college reunion, big tree hunters, an old growth tulip poplar in Queens, a neighborhood ash tree in Amsterdam, and the largest tree at Kew Gardens - this episode has it all. Listen to what people have to say about the trees that inspire them.GuestsStephanie CarrieScreenwriter, Sketch Writer, ComedianLos Angeles, CATrees of LA @treesofla (Instagram)https://www.stephaniecarrie.me/Denise LewisMasters Student, Urban ForestryUMASS AmherstAmherst, MADevi LakhiaStudent, The Learning CenterGoa, IndiaFred BregliaExecutive Director, The Landis ArboretumAncient Forests and Champion Trees (Facebook)Big Tree Hunters (Instagram)Ellen CliggottFreelance Content Marketing Writer and EditorLinkedIn ProfileBarnstable, MAMagali DuzantArtist and WriterWebsiteA Tree Grows in QueensNadina GalleEcological Engineer, Technologist, Writer, SpeakerWebsiteThe Nature of Our CitiesThe Netherlands and CanadaMark JohnstonArborist, Urban Forester, Consultant, Professor, AuthorWebsitePlanting Ideas in the Urban Forest: Autobiography of a Tree ExpertBelfast, Northern Ireland, UKTheme Music"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or InstagramThis Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here. We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 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:[email protected] episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org