NOVA Online | Methuselah Tree

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See the full text of the poem read in the NOVA program "Methuselah Tree." The poem is "The Oldest Tree on Earth: The Curse of Methuselah," by Roger McGough.

The Ancient Bristlecone Pine
http://www.sonic.net/bristlecone/
When was the Methuselah Tree found? How has it managed to live so long? How do scientists determine the age of a tree? Find the answers to these questions and more at this award-winning site.

A World Community of Old Trees
http://www.nyu.edu/projects/julian/
This quirky "Eco-Art" project organized by a New York University graduate student provides a unique perspective on several of the longest-living trees in the world. Peruse a photo gallery of ancient trees and tour a gallery of tree art throughout history.

Laboratory of Tree Ring Research
http://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/
Dr. Edmund Schulman, who discovered the Methuselah Tree in the 1950s, began his career in dendrochronology in 1932 at the University of Arizona's Laboratory of Tree Ring Research. At the laboratory's Web site learn more about tree ring dating, try dating a tree for yourself, update yourself on current dendrochronology research, and download dendrochronological software for your computer.

Historic Tree Nursery
http://www.historictrees.org/
The Historic Tree Nursery's mission is to identify and preserve the U.S.'s historic trees. The nursery also grows and sells offspring from seeds or cuttings from historical trees.

A Garden of Bristlecones: Tales of Change in the Great Basin by Michael P. Cohen. Reno: University of Nevada Press, 1998.
From the original discovery of Earth's oldest living thing decades ago to the latest techniques in tree dating that researchers use today, Cohen's book is the complete source on the history of humankind's relationship with the bristlecone pine.

An Introduction to Tree Ring Dating by Marvin A. Stokes and Terah L. Smiley. Phoenix: University of Arizona Press, 1996.
This volume, one of the most cited references on dendrochronology, will also appeal to readers interested in archeology, forestry, and environmental science and history. The authors' clear and concise explanations will have you sampling and dating your backyard trees in no time.

America's Famous and Historic Trees: From George Washington's Tulip Poplar to Elvis Presley's Pin Oak by Jeffrey G. Meyer. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
Jeffrey Meyer, founder of the Famous and Historic Trees Project, has devoted his life to preserving America's important trees and telling their stories. In his new book, read all about these trees and find out how to grow your own descendants of these trees by ordering and propagating their seeds.

G. Donald Bain, University of California at Berkeley
Dr. John S. Boyer, University of Delaware
Dr. Ronald M. Lanner, USDA Forest Service
Dr. Robert Mohlenbrock, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

Lauren Aguirre, Executive Editor
Katie Caldwell, Associate Designer
Rick Groleau, Managing Editor
Brenden Kootsey, Technologist
Lexi Krock, Editorial Assistant
Peter Tyson, Editor in Chief
Anya Vinokour, Senior Designer

Methuselah Tree Home—Photo: WGBH/NOVA.
Explore the Methuselah Grove—QTVRs: G. Donald Bain
A Tree's Secret to Living Long—Photos: WGBH/NOVA
Build a Tree-Ring Timeline—Photos: WGBH/NOVA

Compiled by Lexi Krock

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