New England's Native Oak Trees

[@TheFriskySquid]

Incredible documentary of our native species. Thanks for uploading these for our free viewing.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Hopefully no ads were shown during the film, other than possibly at the very beginning.

[@pendlechild7516]

@@NewEnglandForests- unfortunately KZbin ads popped in at the point you were explaining the White Oak leaves - early into the presentation.

[@NewEnglandForests]

We opted for "no ads" on this channel (and we do not get any income whatsoever from these films), but KZbin chooses to show ads at any time they wish. Of course, they have the right to do that, and must get paid for their services. But I do find the ads very annoying too.

[@sherriianiro747]

I have four pin oak trees 80' tall (planted in 1968) and one morning a scarlet tanager (whom are hard to find because they like the canopy) was singing his little heart out by my bedroom window in one of them. Between that and watching the bluejays forage those acorns to plant elsewhere and the fact that they host more insects and are beneficial to wildlife than any other tree has really given me an appreciation of them.

[@mattiasdahlstrom2024]

Had to reread the sentence after you talked about a teenager ? !

[@paulbriggs3072]

If they are ever yellowish in foliage it's because they need potash in their soil, which they can be sensitive to.

[@motherlandbot6837]

Pin Oak saplings were extensively planted as street trees in parts of suburban NYC during the 1940s. No planning for their mature proportions was made, and as a result, the trunks of most of these expanded up past the edges of their sidewalk prisons decades ago, and their often horizontal lower branches are growing up against adjacent buildings and other structures. In most years, they produce abundant crops of acorns that 'decorate' adjacent paving. Pin Oaks have very tough wood, a marked contrast to the Black Oaks that are common in disturbed habitats and mixed secondary forests here. The secondary Sugar Maple and Red Maple climax forests here in the NE US are responsible for our famed autumn foliage displays, but support considerably less biodiversity than oak climax forests. Synanthropic introduced earthworms much prefer Sugar and Red Maple leaf mold to that from oaks.

[@greenspiritarts]

Phenomenal documentary film. I thought I knew a fair bit about our native forest ecosystems here in New England, but this film delivers a wealth of detailed knowledge unlike any PBS or National Geo production. Superior in every way!!! THANK YOU for making and so generously sharing this film. It deserves an Oscar!

[@NewEnglandForests]

That’s some pretty high praise, probably just a bit more than deserved. Just a bit. But thank you!

[@jodywho6696]

I was glued.to this documentary. The story teller has a beautiful voice. Thank you ✨🌳🌰🌱🐿🐀🐛🐻🐦🐹🦋🏞🐞✨

[@StoptheLie]

I once saw a saying I always remember "The greatest oak was once a little nut that held its ground." Great work!

[@markcummings6856]

I can not be more thankful for this incredible resource. Masterfully produced and presented.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Thank you Mark!

[@ericwanderweg8525]

Well done. This documentary was a work of art. You covered all the native species, naturally occurring hybrids, touched on the loss of the American Chestnut, talked about the symbiotic relationship between various insects, animals, and the oak trees…. Keep up the good work 👍

[@SamuelBolduc]

Amazing documentary once again. This has got to be one of the best ones yet. This is even better than professional documentaries we could get on the big tv channels or streaming platforms. Is there any way we can contribute / donate to support the production of these amazing videos? I would love to help if I can - watching all of these for free has been a blessing.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Thanks very much Sam, I appreciate your offer to contribute. It's not money that's the limiting factor, it's time. These projects typically have taken two to three years to gather footage and then edit it into a finished film. It has been time very well spent though. -Ray

[@adnanbinabdullah9615]

Keep it up Ray! Hello from Malaysia!

[@anarchobeaker9243]

Tremendous video as always. The gold standard for education on New England forests. Thank you greatly for your work.

[@jamesangle7]

best videos on KZbin, great way to start the new year, thank you

[@paulyounger1190]

Amazing film, thanks to all involved. I especially enjoyed the detailed photos of the key ID features across various ages of trees, great resource for anyone in New England or the Northeastern US.

[@Catsley]

Such a treat to get a new video from you after a night of partying. I did a little dance of joy

[@lotsoffish]

Thank you New England Forests for another outstanding documentary on our native forests. I look forward to each and every one of your videos. Thanks for producing something well worth watching.

[@NewEnglandForests]

That's truly appreciated, thank you! -Ray

[@natewhelden4463]

Really great film and extremely informative even for those of us that love oaks but are not in New England. Thanks for yet another outstanding video.

[@confusedowl297]

These videos are really relaxing to watch, and it’s also interesting to see the plants and animals that live in New England, since I’ve never been to that part of the country

[@PijiPlays]

Wonderful video, love the diverse selection of information provided! Thank you so much for providing scientific names now! So awesome keep up the good work!

[@spunkytryer6658]

Another fabulous film from Ray Asselin. Thank you so much!

[@NewEnglandForests]

That's greatly appreciated, thank you!

[@crowvii]

Absolutely loving these individual tree documentaries - truly so well done 👍

[@jonathankranz2799]

Outstanding! Perhaps the best yet -- and that's saying something.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Well Jonathan, I think you might owe me a new hat, mine won’t fit my head anymore now!

[@pamleforge1461]

What a informative video, so well done, I learned so much about oak trees, acorns, gypsy moths, Leaves, mice(admit I still don’t care for them) Great job and congratulations to Geoff on his part!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

A fantastic look at Oak trees and the life they support!

[@kevinrandell5189]

🌴🌵🌳🌲Foist! 🌲🌳🌵🌴

[@418Girl]

When my sisters husband died, she wanted to put on his tombstone, “A mighty oak has fallen” - he was quite beloved in his town of red hook NY. As well as wherever he went - he was an extrovert - equally kind as he was jovial. A real partner, loved life and people.

[@reginapaluchniak986]

What a wonderful informative documentary !!

[@Bananafoo]

Always a pleasure when you upload new content. Very grateful that you take the time to create and upload all these things.

[@skyechristine]

The diversity of Eastern forests is incredible! So many different oaks in a relatively small area. I live in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California and we only have a handful of oak species here.

[@elizabethjohnson475]

I live in Redding, and the native oaks are the only tree with color for autumn. I'd call it golden, not yellow. From my kitchen window, atop our mountain, I get to look down on the oaks amid our pines here in far north California, and watch the oaks turn golden in November. I love it.

[@voterthatreads158]

Another outstanding program.

[@paulj.flatley4847]

Thank you for a wonderful educational video. I have enjoyed all of the videos you have produced. This one was equally amazing as the others.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Thank you Paul... I learned a lot in the process too.

[@Chadf838]

thanks so much for including a live audio. I love seeing the oaks and hearing that wind (& jay, nuthatch, robin). Somehow asa kid wandering (alone as usual) I found how to make a red oak cap sound a loud whistle. I try to show kids this when taking them in... Also thnx 4 da last 1/3rd or 1/4 on galls, mice the music through out, and all the other stuff. Great job, thnx so much!

[@sleepygrumpy]

We need more videos! This was an excellent production as always ofc

[@NewEnglandForests]

Working on it!

[@bendrixbailey1430]

Thanks for releasing another great informational video. I love the work you do. There is a greta book, called…. Oak, for those who want to understand the history of humanity’s dependence on and use of oak. As a hunter I spend many hours each year perched in trees. Oak is one of my favorites. By the way, its not only loggers that remove oak forests. I owned a 90 acre parcel with the most beautiful and prolific oak forest on it. Many trees more than 18” in diameter. One year we had 3 gypsy moth infestations in one summer. That was more defoliation than the oaks could handle and every single tree perished. What we could not harvest for firewood was left to rot among the many white pines that sprouted up in the newly sunlit forest. It will take more than 100 years for that forest to return to a dominant oak forest.

[@oscarflip8561]

Quercus macrocarpa amazes me that it grows all the way from Maine to Wyoming, in places that get 60” to 18” of rain yearly, and the fact it doesn’t grow in riparian areas like most very widespread trees in the U.S like populus deltoides and Acer negundo. An amazingly adaptable tree. Really great documentary, showing the minute differences between species and the role oaks play in the ecosystem. 👍🏻

[@dingdongism]

I became obsessed with _Q. macrocarpa_ when living in Illinois. There, it was a key species in the oak savanna ecosystems that are sadly dwindling. I later learned about the Red-headed Woodpecker, a specialist of midwestern oak savannas, and how it too was seeing a decline in population. As has been said before, it's all intertwined.

[@davids7799]

Literally brilliant photography. Thank you

[@notthatguy4703]

Oaks are my favorite. This level of detail and quality is incredible for such a specific niche in biology

[@caseyrobarts2701]

thank you for the video! I loved the clips of the mice and their story of interaction with the oaks

[@terrymorton7444]

Another great video the work you put in truly shows . Every time that I have watched a New England forest video I've always learned something new and interesting. I also noticed that all the trees you described have a population in Connecticut. This makes it a challenge to identify these trees with so much hibernation going on but I'm glad that you pointed out it's difficult because it is frustrating. I was hiking part of the Tunxis trail system yesterday and I came along a group of lone wolf trees they were amazing .I could hardly believe that this was a pasture at one time considering how rocky the side of the slope was but there were rock walls all around. One last thing I'm not against cutting trees down but with so much of Connecticuts forest getting so old I noticed there's a change in forest manager's attitudes .They see dollar signs all around our state looking at our beautiful oaks🍂🌳

[@essay8634]

You point out something I've been making sure not to forget: many of the regrowing forests which give me hope for the return of wildness, may ultimately turn out to have been, essentially, wood farms. We need to ensure that we're protecting their future wildness in law.

[@jdhinckley1954]

Wonderful. I learn something new with each one of these videos. Thanks so much for making and sharing! And too, the sounds of the forest that you have shared with us are poignant reminders of my youth and the woods of New England where I spent many happy days (& some nights)

[@gaetanche]

Fascinating and informative documentary. Bravo for your excellent work!

[@thelaughingtiger146]

Thank you, always a pleasure. 😃🌹

[@bparazin2392]

This was such a lovely video! Oak trees are some of my favorites here in New England and watching a video all about them is the perfect way to ring in the new year! Thank you for all the work you put together on this!

[@joes8275]

Very interesting & informative film. Wow. Just a great job.Thanks for making this available.

[@journey820]

I loved this documentary. Very well done! I am learning to differentiate oak species on my farm, and this was so helpful. The features of different leaves, acorns, bark and twigs were very well described and shown, along with the range maps per species. I'd love to see this altogether in the form of a field guide. I haven't found one quite like it yet. I also feel very relaxed and peaceful after watching this and hearing the birdsongs and the wind blowing through the leaves. :)

[@MarkOBrienmarkspage1]

You guys did a great job with this. I'm a Minnesotan boondocks kid. I spent my entire life in the woods under these trees

[@NewEnglandForests]

Likewise, my early years were spent around, under, and up in a large, spreading white oak. Loved that tree.

[@robertgraves3215]

Absolutely fantastic video. WOW!

[@NewEnglandForests]

Thank you very much!

[@eddy8828]

Thank you so much for this amazing documentary.

[@swampyankee72]

In my hometown East Haddam Connecticut I once found a monster "lone wolf" eastern white oak. I found it while hunting partridge as a young lad on top of a ridgeline. There was an ancient stone wall that stretched the entire length of the ridge beneath it. My grandfather told me it once served as a property line. That was 50 years ago, I'd love to go back today to see if it still stands.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Swamp.. I think you should do that... it might turn out to be a great trip that will trigger a lot of happy memories. I hope the tree is till there.

[@swampyankee72]

@@NewEnglandForests Fantastic video, I'm more curious now than ever. It being perched on top of a ridgeline it doesn't have to compete for room as it would if it was on flatland. I'm in Northern Maine now, if I go back for a funeral I think I need to go for a walk.

[@5x535]

DO it, Swamp! You are certain to not regret it.

[@418Girl]

I hope you have gone back, it’s these moments that make us feel alive!!!

[@Canopus68]

Great Video. We had four white oaks in the woods on our property. We had one of the oaks measured and it was with in ten points of a record white oak for NH. Sadly about 15yrs after I left home I went to check it and found it had blown over. I don't have access to the property so I'm not sure if the other oaks are still alive. It did leave an legacy. It knocked down a tree next to it. I was snow shoeing and walked around the root ball. There was a hole under tree and laying just outside the den were five coyote pups. I didn't even wake them up. I'm sure mom wasn't happy because when I went back up there with a camera they were gone. Thank you.

[@NewEnglandForests]

That’s one of those great unexpected moments you have every now and then in the woods. You can’t buy experiences like that. Very lucky.

[@kathleenseb8950]

Outstanding history just beautifully done Thank you❣️

[@brianconley3772]

This was a very informative and interesting documentary. Well done!

[@NewEnglandForests]

Thank you very much!

[@gravytrain73]

Thank you so much for making these incredible films.

[@NewEnglandForests]

You’re entirely welcome, and thank you for watching!

[@PlantNativeTrees]

Amazing information and video of oaks. Thank you for making this and sharing! Please continue to plant oaks, they are the most important tree in the eastern US and likely in all of North America. Thanks again!

[@bluwtrgypsy]

Excellent. So interesting and informative with wonderful detail. Thank you.

[@robdabiere651]

Another great video Thank you. Interesting facts about the mice and how they keep the insect population in check. Great attention to detail on the leaves and nuts. Keep up the good work.

[@jamobee6178]

Thank you for this fantastic documentary. I really enoyed everything about it. Especially the photo at 34:14 . :)

[@JakeDanczyk]

Really enjoying this so far, just wanted to say thank you. I'm moved by the beauty and strength of these trees. Grateful to have them with us on the Earth. My childhood bed was of Texas live oak, made by my dad.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Thanks Jake!

[@ivanvdwalt9265]

It would have been really helpful if you had included images of what each oak's wood looks like!?

[@NewEnglandForests]

The wood of trees in the white oak group can be distinguished from those in the red oak group by the end grain pore structure, as we showed, and to a lesser extent by the color. But as a woodturner, I can tell you that the wood of each species within those two groups is very difficult or impossible to distinguish from others in the same group. Showing the wood of every species would have been pointless.

[@riterra]

Beautiful work. I learned a ton.

[@toddforhetz]

Absolutely fantastic educational film !

[@animalparty8206]

👍👍👍👍Thank you so much for this amazing video! I am so inspired by your work!! I think I need to watch this a few times, there is just so much great information!!! ❤❤❤❤❤

[@notthatguy4703]

I'm 17. I love this channel, and I have fallen in love with the forests around me. I can now name every tree and many flowers and ferns here in Central NY... I'm applying to colleges and this is what I want to study. I want a career working with plants or animals, especially ones that have me outside most of the day. Any advice or recommendations? IE interesting/fitting majors and career courses?

[@NewEnglandForests]

Hi Chief. I passed your question on to a PhD biologist friend who is recently retired from a teaching position at UMass Amherst. Here is his response: “ I’d suggest that he should try to narrow down his search. He might look at colleges with a strong ecology department where he could study the interactions of organisms. Or if he is more interested in how plants function ( plant physiology, anatomy, and systematics ) he should look for schools with a strong botany program. NY has many state colleges that might be helpful. Cornell has a good ecology department. Yale has a great forestry program. If he’s Interested in forestry ( forest management) he might look at Paul Smith’s college. If he is unsure what direction he wants to take he should pursue an undergraduate program with a diversity of courses then he can focus on a particular field later.”

[@scott4259]

Good luck young man hope you find what you are looking for!

[@terrymorton7444]

Good luck to you young man the forest is filled with many mysteries that still need to be solved

[@M00Nature]

Wonderful! I had no idea of the importance of white-footed mice controlling the gypsy moth. I learned a lot from watching this video. Thank you!

[@Triplaglol]

Amazing film, more like this please!

[@trainrover]

wow 🍸 fantastic filming (and editing too, I suppose) like this, setting the most worthy of tributes to nature's awesome beauty 🍷

[@SmallGameHunter]

Better than National Geographic. I've gained more respect for the white footed mice and the oaks thanks to you. Looking forward to the next episode! School would be fun if it was taught this way. Thanks again.

[@spacecowboy2k]

I have two nice, large white oaks on my property (house built in 1895). I measured the breast height diameter (via circumference), and the bigger of the two is a bonafide old growth, with a 48" diameter. It's grown in well-drained, sandy soil, and a rough estimate of it's age via the growth factor calculation is 240 years. I marvel to think that this majestic tree sprouted just 8 years after our country's independence!

[@troyclayton]

Thank you so much. There's not a thing I'd rather do on New Years Day than spend an hour learning more about our oaks. The 'gypsy moth' stuff was interesting, I was in grade school in Mass during the 80's infestation. I'll never forget. I'm simply going to say "sponge moth", I just like it better (and they're NOT spongy).

[@rickpollard1285]

This information is absolutely fascinating I love it

[@scottjohnson6173]

I love tree, real trees I grew up in New England and we had a lot of majestic oaks thank you for the Documentary on the Majestic Oaks.

[@robbylava]

Love listening to these while I work.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Thanks Robby... but don’t let the boss find out.

[@robbylava]

@@NewEnglandForests heheheh, I work from home so hopefully they aren't monitoring my computer!

[@febyalias5920]

Man what an amazing chanel! Thank you.

[@toma5153]

A very enjoyable and informative video. Glad it showed up in my suggested list.

[@MADDCHOPER68]

I'm from the mountains of new Hampshire I've been in the woods as long as i can remember how do I know my parents are usually looking for me as a little kid I make my living from the tree industry ...im still in them mts I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS ❤❤❤ love it .thank you .very mush.

[@kdcraft89]

Wow! Great video with so many details.

[@greenmtnman7714]

We have Northern Red, Eastern White, & Chestnut Oak on our 220 acres here in Vermont.

[@joshuasmith1215]

Absolutely amazing video!

[@ccccclark2605]

Central Texas here. We have an uncommon Spanish White Oak. It has gorgeous golden orange leaves in autum. We have Live Oaks. Gorgeous, also.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Love those Live Oaks ! Very envious.

[@stumpfarm3714]

Excellent, thanks for posting.

[@GrizzlyGroundswell]

excellent video! I think I have a better grasp on oak now! Thanks to you!

[@t3dwards13]

Very cool and informative!!! Thank you!

[@riku8342]

Incredible documentary! Quercus rubra is planted quite a lot in my country (The Netherlands), but they seem to have a more smooth bark here weirdly enough.

[@verycool6022]

Jammer genoeg worden Amerikaanse eiken vaak onnodig gekapt omdat ze als invasief worden beschouwd. Recent onderzoek toont echter aan dat de biodiversiteit rondom deze eiken hoger is dan eerder gedacht (meer dan de 12 insectensoorten die door iedereen klakkeloos gekopieerd wordt). Deze informatie is soms moeilijk te vinden, maar is essentieel om te delen. Interessant is dat er in Amerika meer dan 90 eikensoorten voorkomen, tegenover ongeveer 20 in Europa, waarvan de meeste in het Middellandse Zeegebied. In Nederland zien we vooral de zomereik en zeer zelden de wintereik. Veel inheemse soorten zoals populieren, iepen, essen en kastanjes hebben het moeilijk. Natuurorganisaties volgen vaak het idee van inheemse soorten zonder de potentiële voordelen van andere soorten te overwegen. Sommige eikensoorten zouden prima kunnen integreren in Nederlandse bossen als we denken in termijnen van millennia in plaats van eeuwen. Dit is een belangrijk perspectief, vooral gezien de geologische tijdsschaal waarop bossen evolueren.

[@user-mi3pv7ql4g]

Great info Thanks!

[@FlyingYankee]

Thank you for another wonderful & educational episode ! The photography, narration theme music is superb.

[@peterlubbers5947]

What an absolute treasure trove of Tree documentaries you've created sir, i have to say the sheer quality shows dedication and a love for the subject matter that cannot be denied! I do hope a documentary about the Chestnut is in the workings..Maybe?👌🙏

[@NewEnglandForests]

Hi Peter... I've thought about doing something on the chestnut; the problem is, there aren't any around my New England region (of any size) to show. And archival images are not easy to find either. I could do a story about the restoration efforts, but it would be lacking images of mature trees, which would leave the story wanting. I'll keep it in mind though.

[@skeletalbassman1028]

Great presentation. Luckily, lots of people are still planting open-grown oaks in their backyards, homesteads, or other large properties. The idea of a "legacy tree" still has a strong pull to a committed minority, so hopefully future generations will get both the benefits of old-growth forests AND the beautiful stout oaks of pastures.

[@TWOCOWS1]

wonderful video. thank you for making and posting.

[@NewEnglandForests]

Hello Clarence, and thank you. In your original post, you mentioned oak shipmasts, but I think you might mean pine trees for shipmasts, not oaks. Oak was used in the hulls of ships. England had been buying Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), aka "Riga Fir", from the Baltics for masts, but was forced during war time to get their masts from America's virgin forests. The white pine played a significant role in the establishment of the American colonies, and ultimately in the founding of America. You might like to watch our film "Eastern White Pine: the Tree Rooted in American History" on this channel, at kzbin.info/www/bejne/mILWaKGlq9GpqqM, which tells that story.

[@TWOCOWS1]

@@NewEnglandForests thank you very much for the input. i appreciate it. are any of those pines still arouind?

[@NewEnglandForests]

I'm not aware of any of the "King's pines" still existing (at least, not standing). But there are probably a few old-timers here and there that escaped the ax. Just a few years ago, we lost a White Pine that was well over 300 years old, so who knows?

[@TWOCOWS1]

@@NewEnglandForests thnks. but what is s King's pine, if not the white pine? do you know??

[@NewEnglandForests]

“King’s pines” were American eastern white pines that England’s king declared to be reserved exclusively for his use, during the American colonial period. He had agents ax-mark them with his “broad arrow” symbol. You can see all this in the film mentioned above.

[@porqupine-ridge]

I adore this content 💚🌳🏡🌲🌳

[@YouYou-nq8ec]

This is beautiful!

[@matthewschultz7945]

Another great video. Thank you!

[@theMusiCandMedicinE]

What a wonderful channel 💚

[@rogerhodges7656]

Great video. I didn't know about the galls.

[@richardbarry04553]

Fantastic video about those New England oaks I grew up with. I forgot about some of them and I think the only one I don’t recall ever seeing is the chinkapin oak. Even though I’ve been up in the far NW corner of Connecticut many times.

[@1misticointolerante]

Gracias por tan enorme aporte....es bueno verlos de vuelta...por favor que el 2023 sea lleno de muchos documentales como este... Como carpintero que soy... Estoy muy acagradecido por todo este conocimiento.... Por favor activar subtitulo en español y japonés....

[@NewEnglandForests]

Gracias, miraré los subtítulos. (I hope that translated properly!).

[@bonnieuptree5691]

ThankYou So Much for This !

[@elisetorello]

I love this! Thank you!!!

[@paulbourdon1236]

Thank you for these amazing videos! My house was framed in oak about 350 years ago and I have collected timber for both construction and firewood for decades. Hoping to start making some simple furniture from rived oak!

[@NewEnglandForests]

Hi Paul, I envy you.. I'd love to have an oak timber framed house. I built a timber frame workshop building, but of pine, not oak. Either way, timber frames are wonderful structures to be in. Good luck with your furniture plans, sounds like a lot of fun. Maybe at some point you'd want to build a treadle lathe and turn some of that oak into chair parts?

[@paulbourdon1236]

@@NewEnglandForests Thanks! Yes it is beautiful! In actuality it's 2 houses, one here in Wethersfield, CT (last quarter 17 c) and one originally in Ipswich, MA (ca.1685) that was added on about 20 years ago. Both frames were made to be exposed with chamfers, elaborated stops and beads. … and it has oak clapboards! ….my kids beat me to the treadle lathe with an electric one :)

[@NewEnglandForests]

Wow, now I’m REALLY envious!

[@michaelangelo7511]

The opening oak is magnificent!

[@Jona_Villa]

Top video 😍

[@headspacehiker]

Came here from the algorithm, thanks for the well done doc!

[@4224Prod.]

oh nice, i have been waiting for this video :D

[@roachant]

An absolute perfect documentary on oaks, thank you!

[@jennifermansfield9327]

Thank you this was great! Wonderful camera work. Do you have a book you would recommend to try to get some of this Oak knowledge into my head?

[@NewEnglandForests]

Hi Jennifer. Yes, two books... “The Nature of Oaks” by Doug Tallamy does a great job of describing the ecological importance of oaks. And William Bryant Logan’s “Oak: the Frame of Civilization “ gives a lengthy history of oak’s importance to humans.