Jared Farmer | Chronodiversity: Thinking about Time with Trees

Big trees, old trees, and especially big old trees have always been objects of reverence. From Athena’s sacred olive on the Acropolis to the unmistakable ginkgo leaf prevalent in Japanese art and fashion during the Edo period, our profound admiration for slow plants spans time and place as well as cultures and religions. At the same time, the utilization and indeed the desecration of ancient trees is a common feature of history. In the modern period, the American West, more than any other region, witnessed contradictory efforts to destroy and protect ancient conifers. Historian Jared Farmer reflects on our long-term relationships with long-lived trees, and considers the future of oldness on a rapidly changing planet.
Jared Farmer is a geohumanist and place-based historian. His latest book is Elderflora: A Modern History of Ancient Trees.

[@goodnatureart]

Thank you Jared!

[@viletacozy7331]

At the end when he asked if there was a town keeping a tree alive I remembered mine 426 West High Street Peoria, Illinois 61606 At one acre, Giant Oak Park is one of the District’s smallest parks, with a single tree and a giant name. It contains a small parking and picnic area, and is home to a large burr oak tree, believed to be at least 300 years old. Its branches span at least 100 feet and the trunk is 13 feet in circumference. This park features the Historic Easton Fountain as a part of its landscape.

[@CBShep]

What a brilliant talk! So interesting in terms of ecological history... I would beg to differ about communicating with trees however. I've had many a "conversation" with a few trees in my life and I think they do have feelings too - not like human feelings, but feelings about things nonetheless. They "care" in a way that's palpable. It's more like they seem to be able to empathize. The way trees communicate with humans is similar to the way we communicate with animals. We have to tune into their frequency in order to understand their way of doing so, but it's definitley there.