A Conversation for Julia 'Butterfly' Hill

Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 1

Güthwinë

I really get annoyed with all the people out there who consider themselves 'environmentally conscious' because they constantly talk about how we're destroying our ozone layer, climate, etc. etc. etc., yet they are content to sit and complain. THANK YOU for finally giving some credit to someone who actually went out and DID something, and what's more, did something WORTHWHILE. Nobody knows for sure whether our ozone layer or global warming is really in trouble, or even whether it has anything to do with us or is natural fluctuation, etc. But we DO know that we are destroying our forests, and that is inexcusable. Ms. Hill gave two years of her life to help increase awareness of the plight of our nation's forests, and for that she should be commended.

As always,

Güthwinë.

P.S. Like my use of the Subject as a shameless attention-getting device?


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 2

The Unmentionable Marauding Pillowcase

Yeah, that line got my attention pretty quick! Whew, I woulda been upset if it turned out we have anti-tree people here. I am an unrepentant tree hugger. What I am DOING is I am cultivating trees of species indigenous to my country and propagating them, either selling or donating . I live in South Africa where we have 25 000 plant species, but great numbers of them are in danger of extinction. Cities and towns are growing and people remove the natural plant cover and then plant "exotic" species in their place, which don't support the insects, birds and animals that live here. I want to encourage replanting of the natural plant species and make people aware of our rich plant heritage. Most people in the country can probably not name more than 10 indigenous species.

You probably know that Douglas Adams is quite nature conservation conscious; the theme pops up a number of times in the "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy" books and also in "Last Chance to See." So it would be quite fitting if we emphasize awareness about the many threatened species and habitats of the world here in h2g2.

Regards,

Case.


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 3

Güthwinë

Wow. That truly sounds like an interesting job. South Africa has an *amazing* ecology in the variety of plants and of other animals, from the limited reading I've done on the subject.

Yeah, trees rock. Right now I'm helping my Dad pick out a tree to plant to replace a Colorado spruce in our front yard that's on it's way to becoming a monster. I'm pushing for one of the newly-bred Dutch-Elm resistant American Elm trees. smiley - smiley An American icon... we almost lost it. *sigh*.


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 4

The Unmentionable Marauding Pillowcase

Do some more reading on the subject! The more people that appreciate our ecology, the better. Of course, I do a lot of reading about other countries as well. I want to know about all the plants and animals everywhere, and about the ecology of the planet as a whole.

I know a little bit about the trees of the US. You have the biggest and the oldest ones in the world: sequoias, coast redwoods, douglas firs, bristlecone pines ... do you have an idea how many tree and other flowering plant species your country has in total? What was the deal with the Dutch Elm disease, anyway? I read something about that, but I don't know a much...

We also have species of the elm family over here, but most are known by different names. I cultivate two species: the white stinkwood and the pigeonwood. The pigeonwood is the fastest growing native South African tree - one specimen grew to 25 ft. in a year. The white stinkwood also grows amazingly fast. Both are also quite handsome looking. In the southern African subregion, which is mostly desert by the way, we have 1 700 known tree species. Many of them are exceptionally weird in appearance, like the Johsua tree for instance, only very different in an endless variety of shapes and sizes. And sad to say almost completely unknown by the entire world, and on the brink of vanishing if something is not done about it.


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 5

Occasional Hieroglyphic, wanderer in search of the exoteric

In New Zealand they have a tree called the Kauri. (I believe it also grows in Malaysia) This tree grows fairly tall and extremely massive. I have seen photos of one (cut down years ago of course) which was 28 ft in diameter(8.5 metres). They will grow for over a 1000 years and they are considered almost sacred to the Maoris. Although they were cut in large numbers earlier in the century, nowadays you would need permission I believe, if they are above a certain size. Hopefully someone can enlighten us more on this......?


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 6

The Unmentionable Marauding Pillowcase

As far as I know the Kauri also grows in Australia. It is one of a group of mainly southern-hemisphere trees related to yews, pines and other conifers. These trees used to grow world-wide on the ancient continent of Pangaea, I believe from about 300 to 150 million years ago. This group includes the monkey-puzzle trees or Araucariaceae (of which the Kauri is one) and the podocarps. Here in South Africa we have four species of podocarp, and they include the biggest trees in the country, the outeniqua yellowwoods, that grow to 200 ft and can also be over a thousand years old. We have one in our garden - but so far it has only grown to about 15 ft!

Podocarps of many different species also occur in New Zealand, and in fact grow in the same forests as the Kauri, though they are smaller and sub-dominant.

The Kauri is a truly magnificent tree to behold. I've only seen photos, but they look quite impressive. It seems to be quite similar to our yellowwood, with which I am familiar. The Kauri has this huge, thick, straight trunk that stretches clean up to above the rest of the forest canopy before you get the first branch, and then it spreads into a huge leafy crown, each main branch the size of a large oak tree. They reach a height of 150 feet, which is not extremely tall compared to some American trees, but what it lacks in height, it makes up in girth and bulk. The tall trees of America, which include the douglas fir, the coast redwood and the giant sequoia, all have small, narrow crowns; they are mainly tall upright poles with short, thin side branches, and their trunks taper towards the tip. The kauri's trunk stays the same thickness from the ground to the first branch, and then it spreads into these huge branches and this dense, vastly broad crown. The biggest remaining kauris are enormous, but still not as big as those of the past, and the forest itself is only a tiny remnant of what it once was. But they are being protected, there are government forest reserves to conserve them, and laws against cutting them on private land. I also get the impression the New-zealanders do appreciate their native floral heritage. Which they should, as New Zealand has probably the most distinctive flora in the world. It's been seperate from all other continents and large land masses since before the extinction of the dinosaurs, and for all the ages since then the native plant and animal life has been developing independently.

There's a site about kauris at http://www.doc.govt.nz/cons/native/kauri.htm

Does that help?


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 7

Güthwinë

Talk about thorough.

I wish I could see one of these kauris you speak of.....


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 8

Occasional Hieroglyphic, wanderer in search of the exoteric

I have stood next to what is believed to be the biggest left in NZ. BIG tree.
There is constant volcanic activity there and regular earthquakes (mostly small). About 45,000 years ago there was a "bit of a disaster" and thousands of these trees were toppled into what was then a swamp. Nowadays they are disinterring them and the timber is still perfectly usable. I have a piece here beside me this minute. It is used for furniture and other "normal" things but in reality is 45,000 years old! Not many of our modern pine units are likely to be around that far in the future I suspect.


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 9

The Unmentionable Marauding Pillowcase

Wow! 45 000 year old FUNCTIONAL wood! Not bad!


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 10

The Unmentionable Marauding Pillowcase

If you like big trees, why not check out my entry about the baobab tree, A446988? There's a picture of a really nice, big one that I took myself in a nature reserve not far from where I live. What do you think?


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 11

The Unmentionable Marauding Pillowcase

Let me activate that link: http://www.h2g2.com/A446988


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 12

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

Very interesting. Have you offered it up for Peer Review?

JTG


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 13

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

Speaking of Kauris... I came across this site some time ago, after a Kauri-related chat with me mate Loonytunes...smiley - smiley

http://www.hmu.auckland.ac.nz:8001/gilchrist/matakohe/

JTG


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 14

The Unmentionable Marauding Pillowcase

After I wrote it I discovered there already is an entry about baobab trees - A295472. What I'll do is I'll delete the redundant bits from my entry and personalize it, so it's just a "personal" entry. Maybe I'll put in some more pictures, as I have many pics of baobab trees and one of the great things about them is that every one is an individual and looks different from the others - often VERY different.

I also did an entry on the nyala tree, which is not yet in the official guide. I'll be doing lots of trees as well as mammals and birds.


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 15

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

Great! I'll look forward to reading them. I don't know anything about the nyala tree.

JTG


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 16

ZapTomBeetleLocks

just want to say yes save the trees! someone said we don't know if global warming really exists etc but as I'm sure you all agree, this shouldn't stop us from acting responsibly by conserving the earths rich tapestry of flora, fauna et al
Zap


Damn Eco-Freaks.

Post 17

John the gardener says, "Free Tibet!"

Well said, Zap. After all, it shouldn't take a crisis to make us behave responsibly and start taking better care of the planet.

JTG smiley - peacedove


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