
Advertise on podcast: This Old Tree
Rating
4.9from
This podcast has
38 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Doug StillExplicit
No
Date created
2022/09/07
Latest episode
2026/08/10
Average duration
61 min.
Release period
68 days
Description
Old trees are awe inspiring links to the past that fire our imagination. What are their stories? Seasoned arborist and amateur historian Doug Still interviews local experts, historians, and regular folks to celebrate the myths and uncover the real tales. If you're a tree lover, join in to look "beyond the plaque" at heritage trees and the human stories behind them. Monthly.
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Check latest episodes from This Old Tree podcast
The Washington Monument Mulberry
2026/08/10
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.
Guests
Sam Nelson
Writer, Educator, Naturalist
Tree Stories, LLC
Jonathan Pliska
Author and Landscape Historian
A Garden for the President: A History of the White House Gardens
References
Historic American Landscape Survey (HALS), National Park Service (website)
Music
"The Dying Poet," Louis Moreau Gottschalk, 1863
Played by Jim Rice
Photo credit
Sam Nelson
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This 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 King's Oak"
2026/07/13
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.
Guests
Helle Serup
Curator, Det Grønne Museum (The Green Museum)
Auning, Denmark
Anders Jensen
Vice Chairman
Dansk 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 thanks
Dansk Træplejeforening
Robb Barnard
Ed Nardell
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This 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 and Sardinia's Monumental Trees
2026/05/05
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?
Guests
Gianluca Grande, Mayor
Illorai, Sardinia
Dr. Gianluigi Bacchetta
Professor, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences
Director, Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity and Germplasm Bank of Sardinia
University of Cagliari, Sardinia
Pina Muras
Resident of Illorai, Sardinia
Carlo Poddi
Arborist, Sassari, Sardinia
Readings
"Su chercu pius bellu" (The Most Beautiful Oak) by Ignazio Camarda - read by Fulgenzio Piras
"The Sa Melabrina Oak" by Graziano Nudda
Quote by T.S. Eliot from "The Little Gidding"
Voiceover Readers
Manuela Buonanno (Pina Muras)
Jeff Taliaferro (Graziano Nudda reading)
Music
Sa Melabrina Choir
Conference hospitality provided by Proloco
Oak Species of Sardinia - Quercus pubescens group
Quercus dalechampii (Downy Oak)
Quercus ichnusae
Quercus congesta
Quercus virgiliana
Other Oak species in Sardinia
Quercus ilex (Holm Oak)
Quercus suber (Cork Oak)
Quercus calliprinos
Quercus morisi
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
On Defense: Estonia's Stadium Oak
2025/12/31
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.
Guests
Aliide Naylor
Journalist and Author
London, UK
The Shadow in the East: Vladimir Putin and the New Baltic Front
aliidenaylor.com
Heiki Hanso
Arborist
Orissaare, Estonia
Andla Rüütel
Manager, Orissaare Sports Hall
Orissaare, Estonia
Voiceover Reading for Andla Rüütel
Martha Douglas-Osmundson
LinkedIn Profile
Songs (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 Association
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
Arborists Live: Our Tree Stories
2025/11/27
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.
Guests
Heidi Shingleton
Arborist
Dirigo Tree Service
Freeport, ME
David Anderson
Arborist
Mayer Tree Service
Essex, MA
June Moulis
Student, Urban Forestry and Arboriculture Concentration
UMASS Amherst
Tom Marino
Certified Arborist
SavATree
Norwalk, CT
Lindsay Watkins
Strafford County Forester
UNH Cooperative Extension
Durham, NH
Rich Cartier
Northeast Territory Manager
Rainbow Ecoscience
Milford, MA
Stories 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," Falconer
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
The General Sherman Tree: First Encounters
2025/10/27
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.
Guest
William C. Tweed
Author and Retired Chief Naturalist
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, CA
King Sequoia
Challenge of the Big Trees: The History of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (co-author with Lary M. Dilsaver)
Readers
Josh Abrams (Hale Tharp)
Ewen Eadie (John Muir)
Jeff Taliaferro (Capt. Charles Young)
Music
Justin Peters
Tree Visitor Interview
Tom Allen
Emmy Riley
Alex Allen
Organizations That Support Giant Sequoias
National Park Service, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Giant Sequoias Land Coalition
Sequoia Parks Conservancy
Save the Redwoods League
Ancient Forest Society
Tule River Tribe of California
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
S'Ozzastru and the Ancient Olive Trees of Sardinia
2025/08/24
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. 🌿
Guests
Anna Maria Corda
Tour Guide, Olivastri di Millenari di Luras
Luras, Sardinia, Italy
Marco Campus
Agronomist, AGRIS
Progetto Olivi Montiferru
Oristano, Sardinia
Fabio Piras
Agronomist, AGRIS
Progetto Olivi Montiferru
Oristano, Sardinia
Gianluigi Pili
Agronomist, AGRIS
Progetto Olivi Montiferru
Oristano, Sardinia
Emanuele Cauli
Agronomist, AGRIS
Progetto Olivi Montiferru
Oristano, Sardinia
Music
Launeddas - Luigi Lai
Cantu a tenore vocals - Su Dillu
Songs from "S'arreppicu," Luigi Lai
Ripsosa pippiu
Fiorassiu in la (danza)
Goccius a Santu Idiu
S'arrepicu
Reading
Elias Portolu by Grazia Deledda
Translated by Kevan Houser
Guest Reader
Manuela Buonanno
Other References
International Olive Council website
"Why the Mediterranean is a Climate Change Hotspot," MIT News
Special thanks to
Ed Nardell
Cristiana and Valerio, B&B Archè
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
The Ginkgo at Gu Guanyin Buddhist Temple
2025/05/19
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.
Guests
Professor Ruihong Di
Northwest University
Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
Peter Del Tredici
Urban Ecologist and Botanist
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
Boston, MA
www.peterdeltredici.com
Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide
Reader
Wiley Wang
Machine Intelligence Engineer
Palm Springs, CA
"Traditional Folk Tale of Gu Guanyin Temple" edited by Doug Still
Voiceover Reading for Ruihong Di
Martha Douglas-Osmundson
LinkedIn Profile
Music
"Farewell at the Yangguan Pass," traditional, Tang Dynasty
Xiao-zhong Wu soloist
People's Association Chinese Orchestra
1992 Yellow River
Other References
The 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 Credit
FlyOverChina, Xinhua News Agency
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
Tree Story Shorts IV
2025/02/24
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.
Guests
Stephanie Carrie
Screenwriter, Sketch Writer, Comedian
Los Angeles, CA
Trees of LA @treesofla (Instagram)
https://www.stephaniecarrie.me/
Denise Lewis
Masters Student, Urban Forestry
UMASS Amherst
Amherst, MA
Devi Lakhia
Student, The Learning Center
Goa, India
Fred Breglia
Executive Director, The Landis Arboretum
Ancient Forests and Champion Trees (Facebook)
Big Tree Hunters (Instagram)
Ellen Cliggott
Freelance Content Marketing Writer and Editor
LinkedIn Profile
Barnstable, MA
Magali Duzant
Artist and Writer
Website
A Tree Grows in Queens
Nadina Galle
Ecological Engineer, Technologist, Writer, Speaker
Website
The Nature of Our Cities
The Netherlands and Canada
Mark Johnston
Arborist, Urban Forester, Consultant, Professor, Author
Website
Planting Ideas in the Urban Forest: Autobiography of a Tree Expert
Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
India's Kabirvad Banyan Tree
2025/02/05
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.
Guests
Prof. Srinivas Reddy
Guest Professor, Humanities
Indian Institute of Technology
Gandhinagar, India
Author, Illuminating Worlds: An Anthology of Classical Indian Literature
Sankalpana
Dr. Linda Hess
Professor Emerita, Stanford University
Linda-Hess.com
Bodies of Song: Kabir Oral Traditions and Performative Worlds in North India
Ronak Kevadiya
Range Forest Officer
Forest and Environment Office, Govt. of Gujarat
Bharuch, India
Dr. Vikrant Jain
Professor, Earth Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology
Gandhinagar, India
Short Kabir Interviews
Abhia Lakhia
Jayraj Bhatt
Anuja Bhatt
Dr. Sudhanshu Sharma
Kabeer Jesusa
Kabir Poems Reader
Gairik Sachdeva
Cambridge, MA
Lineages of Innovations (Substack)
Kabir poems translated and provided by Linda Hess
Music
Raga Ahiri, performed by Srinivas Reddy (sitar), Rajiv Bhatt (tabla) and Sameer Sahasrabuddhe (tabla)
Other References
Burn Down Your House: Provocations from Kabir, Shabnam Virmani
Gods, Wasps and Stranglers: The Secret History and Redemptive Future of Fig Trees, Michael Shanahan
Additional thanks to
Dr. Paula Richman and Dr. Michael Fisher for sharing their knowledge and resources on India.
Lisa Rodriguez at Osco Pharmacy, for providing all of the vaccinations I needed for my trip!
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
London's Charlton House Mulberry
2024/11/18
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.
Guests
Peter Coles
Author, Mulberry
Morus Londinium
Dr. Stella Butler
Trustee, Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust
Chair, Charlton & Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society
Jason Sylvan
Head Gardener, Charlton House & Gardens
Kathy Aitken
Volunteer, Charlton & Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society
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
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
Saving Seeds: Bartram's Franklin Tree
2024/10/07
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.
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
The Tree That Owns Itself
2024/04/28
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 Forestry Coordinator
Athens-Clarke County Unified Government
Athens, GA
https://www.accgov.com/274/Community-Forestry
James Komen
Consulting Arborist and Attorney
Los Angeles, CA
https://www.jameskomen.com/
Pat McAlexander
Author, Retired Professor, and Neighbor of The Tree That Owns Itself
University of Georgia
Athens, GA
Music
"It's Fun Being a Cat," Ziv Grinberg
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
The Mariner and the Mulberry
2024/02/28
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.
Guests
Kristen Roberts
Owner
Truro Vineyards
Truro, MA
Ken MacPhee
Arborist Representative
Bartlett Tree Experts
Orleans, MA
Janice Pelosi
Manager
Truro Historical Society
Truro, MA
Norman Pope
Volunteer
Truro Historical Society
Truro, MA
Peter Coles
Author of Mulberry
Morus londinium
London, UK
Consulting Editor
David Still II
Recorder Music
David Bor and Kimberly Wass
"The Wellerman"
"Sleep Soond I da Mornin'"
"Leave Her Johnny"
Other Music
The Hill Top Trio
"Spanish Ladies"
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
Tree Story Shorts III
2024/01/08
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
Georgia Barnhill
Amherst Historical Society
Amherst, MA
Joe Hansen
The Municipal Arborist Podcast
Instagram
Grayson Bo Guthrie
Baltimore Tree Keeper
Baltimore, MD
Instagram
Kamala Sankaram
Composer and Singer
KamalaSankaram.com
Lawarren Patterson
Retired Army Major General
San Antonio, TX
Bio
Olena Kozak
Ukrainian Ecological Club - Green Wave
Kyiv, Ukraine
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com
Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home
Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.
Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This 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]
This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org
Podcast reviews
Read This Old Tree podcast reviews
Steve Scher 2026/05/08
Brilliant Heartfelt Important
This Old Tree is one of the best podcasts. The research is superb. Doug Still is an intelligent , thoughtful and inviting host.
Focusing on one tree a...
coastalcalgal 2026/04/12
love it
wonderful stories about a wide and diverse number of trees all over the world. The host is really excellent. I hope there are plenty more podcast comi...
cdonaldtx 2026/02/15
Excellent podcast about old trees
This podcast is so well done. The research and interviews are perfectly balanced with info about a famous tree and its history. The music is fun. I re...
sitarsrini 2025/12/09
THE Tree-Lover’s Podcast!
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every episode of this thoughtfully produced, highly informative and lovingly presented podcast about old trees and the peoples...
Smokeyllama 2024/05/31
Thoughtful, interesting, well-produced
Very high quality production that makes listening a pleasure. Doug is a great host who brings in other experts to liven the history, politics, and cul...
Yuahen Zhukau 2024/03/02
Trees and history!
ChatGPT I'm totally in love with this podcast! The quality of sound and production is top-notch, making each episode a joy to listen to. It's like the...
klpny 2024/03/02
Perfect Tree Lover’s Podcast
I love trees and love giving tours about them at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, so listening to the history of these old trees is wonderful, engaging an...
DCarl84 2024/02/01
A tree guys tree guy.
Just a fellow arborist who is really enjoying your show.
I really appreciated the story of 9/11 from an arborists perspective.
Thank you very much....
PLE Cambridge 2023/10/20
Masterful Podcast!
I just listened to Doug Still’s podcast about the Autograph Tree. I loved it! First of all, Doug has such a warm, inviting voice; second, the topic co...
inathanael 2023/05/01
Bonsai episode is really great
I loved the bonsai episode: great combo of history and horticulture. Good production value and insightful host.
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