Planting of ancient trees marks Earth Day celebrations
Posted: Apr 22, 2013 5:57 AM CDT and reprinted on North Cal Wood Products Facebook page. Monday is Earth Day, and one nonprofit group will be planting California redwoods in the U.S. and in several other countries. The 18-inch, laboratory-produced trees are genetic duplicates of three giant redwoods. The project is to promote reforestation and help counter climate change. Ceremonial plantings of two dozen clones from California's mighty coastal redwoods will take place Monday in seven nations: Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Germany and the U.S. Although measuring just 18-inches tall, the laboratory-produced trees are genetic duplicates of three giants that were cut down in northern California more than a century ago. Remarkably, shoots still emerge from the stumps, including one known as the Fieldbrook Stump near McKinleyville, which measures 35 feet in diameter. It's believed to be about 4,000 years old. The tree was about 40 stories high before it was felled. "This is a first step toward mass production," said David Milarch, co-founder of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a nonprofit group spearheading the project. "We need to reforest the planet; it's imperative. To do that, it just makes sense to use the largest, oldest, most iconic trees that ever lived." Milarch and his sons Jared and Jake, who have a family-owned nursery in the village of Copemish, Mich., became concerned about the condition of the world's forests in the 1990s. They began crisscrossing the U.S. in search of "champion" trees that have lived hundreds or even thousands of years, convinced that superior genes enabled them to outlast others of their species. Scientific opinion varies on whether that's true, with skeptics saying the survivors may simply have been lucky. The Archangel leaders say they're out to prove the doubters wrong. They've developed several methods of producing genetic copies from cuttings, including placing branch tips less than an inch long in baby food jars containing nutrients and hormones. The specimens are cultivated in labs until large enough to be planted. In recent years, they have focused on towering sequoias and redwoods, considering them best suited to absorb massive volumes of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas primarily responsible for climate change. "If we get enough of these trees out there, we'll make a difference," said Jared Milarch, the group's executive director. Archangel has an inventory of several thousand clones in various stages of growth that were taken from more than 70 redwoods and giant sequoias. NASA engineer Steve Craft, who helped arrange for David Milarch to address an agency gathering, said research shows that those species hold much more carbon than other varieties. The challenge is to find places to put the trees, people to nurture them and money to continue the project, Jared Milarch said. The group is funded through donations and doesn't charge for its clones. "A lot of trees will be planted by a lot of groups on Arbor Day, but 90 percent of them will die," David Milarch said. "It's a feel-good thing. You can't plant trees and walk away and expect them to take care of themselves." The recipients of Archangel redwoods have pledged to care for them properly, he said. The first planting of about 250 took place in December on a ranch near Port Orford, Ore. Others will be planted during Earth Day observances Monday at the College of Marin in Kentwood, Calif., and in parks and private estates in the other six countries. "I know the trees will thrive here," said Tom Burke, landscape manager at the College of Marin. "We've had redwoods in this area since God planted them." http://www.turnto10.com/story/22038707/planti...lebrations
By Associated Press and reprinted on North Cal Wood Products
Facebook page.
Monday is Earth
Day, and one nonprofit group will be planting
redwoods in the
and in several other countries.
The 18-inch,
laboratory-produced trees are genetic duplicates of three giant redwoods. The
project is to promote reforestation and help counter climate change.
Ceremonial
plantings of two dozen clones from
mighty coastal redwoods will take place Monday in seven nations:
Zealand
and the
Although
measuring just 18-inches tall, the laboratory-produced trees are genetic
duplicates of three giants that were cut down in northern
Remarkably, shoots still emerge from the stumps, including one known as the
Fieldbrook Stump near McKinleyville, which measures 35 feet in diameter. It's
believed to be about 4,000 years old. The tree was about 40 stories high before
it was felled.
"This is a
first step toward mass production," said David Milarch, co-founder of
Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a nonprofit group spearheading the project.
"We need to reforest the planet; it's imperative. To do that, it just
makes sense to use the largest, oldest, most iconic trees that ever
lived."
Milarch and his
sons Jared and Jake, who have a family-owned nursery in the
w:st="on"> village laceType> of
concerned about the condition of the world's forests in the 1990s. They began
crisscrossing the
in search of "champion" trees that have lived hundreds or even
thousands of years, convinced that superior genes enabled them to outlast
others of their species. Scientific opinion varies on whether that's true, with
skeptics saying the survivors may simply have been lucky.
The
wrong. They've developed several methods of producing genetic copies from
cuttings, including placing branch tips less than an inch long in baby food
jars containing nutrients and hormones. The specimens are cultivated in labs
until large enough to be planted.
In recent years,
they have focused on towering sequoias and redwoods, considering them best
suited to absorb massive volumes of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas
primarily responsible for climate change.
"If we get
enough of these trees out there, we'll make a difference," said Jared
Milarch, the group's executive director.
of growth that were taken from more than 70 redwoods and giant sequoias. NASA
engineer Steve Craft, who helped arrange for David Milarch to address an agency
gathering, said research shows that those species hold much more carbon than
other varieties.
The challenge is
to find places to put the trees, people to nurture them and money to continue
the project, Jared Milarch said. The group is funded through donations and
doesn't charge for its clones.
"A lot of
trees will be planted by a lot of groups on Arbor Day, but 90 percent of them
will die," David Milarch said. "It's a feel-good thing. You can't
plant trees and walk away and expect them to take care of themselves."
The recipients
of
them properly, he said. The first planting of about 250 took place in December
on a ranch near Port Orford,
Others will be planted during Earth Day observances Monday at the
w:st="on"> College laceType> of
in
the other six countries.
"I know the
trees will thrive here," said Tom Burke, landscape manager at the
w:st="on"> Marin laceName> . "We've had redwoods in this
area since God planted them."
http://www.turnto10.com/story/22038707/planti...tions
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