Episodes
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A wooden pencil seems pretty simple — a cylinder of wood, a tube of graphite and an eraser. But pencils and trees have a history that’s been shaped by the economics and ecology of different tree species.
We know that termites eat wood, but how do they actually digest it? And, what role do these tiny insects play in forest ecosystems?
In the diverse tropical forests of Central and South America, one tree is easy to recognize — the Cecropia tree. But its who lives inside of it that makes it especially interesting.
Trees have been inspiring artists for centuries — including musicians. Host Nalini Nadkarni looks at a piece of classical music that tells the story of the generations who passed beneath a grove of Roman pine trees.
Skateboards and trees may not have an obvious connection, but many skateboard decks are made from layers of wood. So the next time you see a skater carving through a turn, keep in mind that it all starts in the forest.
The black walnut pulpit at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City has a personal history with the man who conceived of the building.
If you walk through a recently-logged forest, you might see fresh green shoots growing out from a tree’s trunk. These epicormic shoots come from dormant buds hidden beneath the bark, ready to spring to life after disturbance.
Some of our favorite trees have strange and often fascinating stories behind their names.
Redwood forests have been named one of the Seven Natural Wonders of America. Once you learn a little about them, its easy to see why.
If you've ever experienced a bamboo forest, then you know that it is serene and elegant. But what it isn't is a group of trees.
Smoky the Bear is probably the best-known animal firefighter, but the North American beaver is the one doing the heavy lifting.
A tree stump might look like the sad ending of a tree’s story. But to a sharp-eyed observer, that remnant can be the beginning of one.
When I walk through an evergreen forest, I like to keep track of which way the trees twist. Many conifers have a spiral grain in their wood, meaning the fibers run in a gentle helix around the trunk rather than straight up and down.
It's that time of year when many of our sidewalks are stained dark purple with the fruit of the Mulberry tree, whose history is long and complicated.
Fine tree roots are adventurers who hunt for ways to keep their tree watered and vibrant.
Most of us have heard that you can tell how old a tree is by looking at the rings in a cross section of its trunk. But the scientists who work at the Center for Tree-Ring Science are finding more than just a tree’s age in them — they are also learning about their future.
National Geographic Explorer Brian Buma studies trees that live at the extreme. In 2020, he set out to answer a deceptively simple question: What is the world’s southernmost tree?
A native to India and parts of Southeast Asia, the Neem tree is something of a cure-all in those parts of the world. So, why aren't its healing properties in pharmacies all over the world?
City trees get their normal share of sunlight during the day, but when night comes, many of them also are exposed to human-made lights, which can change their natural patterns.
Treehoppers, one of the insect world's most beautiful creatures, also have a remarkable way of communicating.
