Finding Dozens of American Chestnut Trees

I like finding all kinds of trees, but there’s one tree in particular whose presence excites me more than most.

American chestnut.

I’ll drive out of my way to find a decent-sized American chestnut. I might even interrupt a conversation to point out American chestnut.

This behavior may seem strange to some people. I consider it proper etiquette for anyone with a burning passion for North American trees.

I recently explored a remote forest in search of American chestnut trees. By the end of the day, I had found dozens of American chestnuts — one of which was the largest I had ever seen.

Fortunately, I brought my camera along to document the experience. If you’re interested in seeing several beautiful American chestnuts, check out the brand-new video!

Thanks for reading and watching. Have you seen any American chestnuts lately?

— Adam Haritan

Metaphysical Land Healing: A Druid’s Garden Guide

Metaphysical Land Healing: A Druid’s Garden Guide

How The Passenger Pigeon Changed North American Forests

In 1857, the Ohio State Legislature famously wrote:

The passenger pigeon needs no protection. Wonderfully prolific, having the vast forests of the North as its breeding grounds, traveling hundreds of miles in search of food, it is here today and elsewhere tomorrow…

Forty-five years later, the last wild passenger pigeon was shot and killed in Indiana. In 1914, the last member of the species died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo.

The passenger pigeon — a species once numbering in the billions — became extinct in a few short decades.

Barring a miracle in the field of de-extinction, no human alive today will ever see a living passenger pigeon that isn’t a biological novelty. No human alive today will stand in awe as massive flocks of passenger pigeons eclipse the sun and darken the skies.

But whether or not scientists actually figure out how to resurrect the dead, there is something many humans can experience today: the legacy left behind by the passenger pigeon on the North American landscape.

In a brand-new video, I discuss how the passenger pigeon profoundly altered North American forests.

You can watch the video here.