Roger 0:02

Talking Trees with Lily and Jad . Welcome to this special recap episode of Talking Trees . This week we explored a variety of topics highlighting the significance of trees and plants in our lives . From the science behind how trees endure harsh winters to the rich history and cultural symbolism of Christmas trees and related traditions , we've covered a lot of ground . We delved into the mythological and religious meanings of trees across different cultures , celebrated the life and contributions of Arbora culture pioneer John Davey , and admired the botanical and cultural importance of iconic Christmas plants . Stay tuned as we revisit these captivating discussions .

Jad 0:48

Welcome back Arborists to the Deep Dive .

Lilly 0:51

Yes .

Jad 0:52

You know we love to keep you in the loop with Talking Trees , and this week was a lot . Oh yeah , we had winter tree care . Yeah , some holiday spirit with trees and their cultural significance ? Sure did , and even a little history of arboriculture .

Lilly 1:06

Always fun .

Jad 1:07

So let's get into it .

Lilly 1:08

Let's jump in .

Jad 1:09

My biggest takeaway from Monday .

Lilly 1:11

Yeah .

Jad 1:12

Was that whole glassy state ? Oh , right that trees can go into in winter .

Lilly 1:17

Right .

Jad 1:17

I mean , I knew trees had ways to deal with the cold Sure , but this was next level .

Lilly 1:22

It really was eye-opening . Sure , but this was next level . It really was eye-opening For sure that research from Purdue showed that , even in dormancy- trees are still doing all these complex biological things . And they have those three key mechanisms Changing cell membranes , producing natural antifreeze .

Jad 1:39

Like we put in our cars .

Lilly 1:40

Well sort of .

Jad 1:41

Okay .

Lilly 1:42

And , of course , that glassy state .

Jad 1:44

What does that actually even mean ? Like how does that help a tree ?

Lilly 1:47

Think about it like this as arborists , we're always dealing with harsh winter conditions .

Jad 1:53

That's true .

Lilly 1:53

Knowing about the glassy state helps us to understand .

Jad 1:56

Understand what ?

Lilly 1:57

Why some species are tougher in the cold ?

Jad 2:00

Okay .

Lilly 2:00

And then we know what to plant Right , especially in areas where it gets really cold .

Jad 2:05

You wouldn't want to plant something that can't take the cold . Exactly I hadn't even thought about it like that .

Lilly 2:09

It's one thing to know the science .

Jad 2:11

Yeah .

Lilly 2:12

And another to use it out in the field .

Jad 2:13

Totally .

Lilly 2:14

It also shows why winter care is so important .

Jad 2:17

Like what .

Lilly 2:18

Mulching .

Jad 2:19

Okay , watering Even in winter .

Lilly 2:21

Even in winter .

Jad 2:22

Seems counterintuitive .

Lilly 2:23

It does .

Jad 2:24

But it can really help with those freezing temps .

Lilly 2:26

Makes a huge difference .

Jad 2:28

So we've got to think about species selection , yes , and winter care .

Lilly 2:32

Uh-huh .

Jad 2:33

Anything else we should remember .

Lilly 2:34

Well , even though trees look dormant in winter , right , they can still get damaged .

Jad 2:40

Oh yeah .

Lilly 2:41

We need to know those early signs of stress , like what oh yeah , we need to know those early signs of stress Like what Frost cracks , okay , changes in the bark .

Jad 2:47

In the color or the texture Got it . If we catch these problems early , right , they don't become huge problems later . Good point Got to be proactive , even in winter .

Lilly 2:56

Yeah , makes sense .

Jad 2:58

Definitely .

Lilly 2:58

Speaking of winter .

Jad 3:00

Yeah .

Lilly 3:02

What about Christmas trees ? Talking Trees had a whole episode about them .

Jad 3:05

Tuesday's episode was like a history lesson .

Lilly 3:07

It was .

Jad 3:08

I knew evergreens were important for winter celebrations , but I didn't know . It went all the way back to ancient Egypt and Rome .

Lilly 3:15

Really .

Jad 3:16

It blew me away .

Lilly 3:17

It seems like evergreens have always been a symbol of hope .

Jad 3:19

Yeah .

Lilly 3:20

Especially when it's dark in winter . It's ingrained in us .

Jad 3:24

I was surprised too .

Lilly 3:25

Me too .

Jad 3:26

It makes sense , but I'd never really thought about it like that .

Lilly 3:28

Yeah .

Jad 3:29

How those traditions are connected to the Christmas trees we have today .

Lilly 3:32

It's fascinating .

Jad 3:33

And then Talking Trees talked about how Christmas trees came to America . Right , something about Queen Victoria .

Lilly 3:39

Oh yeah .

Jad 3:39

And Prince Albert . They had a Christmas tree , and everyone in America wanted one too .

Lilly 3:44

That's pretty much how it happened .

Jad 3:46

Wow , the power of a picture .

Lilly 3:48

Powerful stuff .

Jad 3:49

It's funny how trends change .

Lilly 3:51

They do .

Jad 3:51

Even holiday traditions . Oh , and didn't Talking Trees . Talk about another tradition too .

Lilly 3:56

Yeah , what was it ?

Jad 3:57

Something about a log .

Lilly 3:59

Well , the Yule log .

Jad 4:00

They did .

Lilly 4:00

They used to burn a big log during the solstice oh wow , way before Christianity . Really , it was all about the sun coming back .

Jad 4:08

Longer days , exactly . Some traditions really stick around .

Lilly 4:11

They do .

Jad 4:12

And they change over time .

Lilly 4:13

Yeah , they take on new meanings .

Jad 4:14

Wednesday's episode was about the Christmas tree industry .

Lilly 4:17

Oh yeah .

Jad 4:18

That one really surprised me .

Lilly 4:19

What surprised you ?

Jad 4:21

I had no idea that there were .

Lilly 4:28

It's a big business .

Jad 4:30

Bigger than I thought .

Lilly 4:31

You've got plantations in North America , yeah , europe , uh-huh , and then the artificial trees made in China and Poland , and it's a global market .

Jad 4:40

It's crazy .

Lilly 4:42

And those economic models help us to understand how it all works .

Jad 4:46

Like , what kinds of things ?

Lilly 4:48

Market prices .

Jad 4:49

Okay .

Lilly 4:49

How much demand there is for trees I see , and how much money the growers are making .

Jad 4:54

You know it's funny , we think of Christmas trees as a local thing .

Lilly 4:57

Yeah , you get them from a local farm , right , but it's really global .

Jad 5:01

Like Talking Trees said .

Lilly 5:02

That's right .

Jad 5:03

It's not just about where the trees are grown either . Nope , nope . What else is there ? It matters what people want a real tree , and some want an artificial one .

Lilly 5:15

And some want a certain kind of tree .

Jad 5:16

Yeah , and some people will spend more than others .

Lilly 5:19

All of that goes into it .

Jad 5:20

So it's culture and economics and trees .

Lilly 5:23

All mixed together .

Jad 5:24

That's what Talking Trees does so well . I agree , they bring it all together .

Lilly 5:27

They really do .

Jad 5:28

But Thursday's episode ? Yeah , that one was deep . What was it about ? Trees in religion and mythology .

Lilly 5:36

Oh right .

Jad 5:37

It was a lot even for talking trees .

Lilly 5:40

It was deep .

Jad 5:41

It's amazing how many times trees show up .

Lilly 5:43

In sacred texts and that tree of life is a powerful symbol .

Jad 5:47

It really is .

Lilly 5:48

Whether it's the Bodhi tree In Buddhism Right or the tree of knowledge In Christianity , in Whether it's the Bodhi tree In Buddhism Right or the tree of knowledge .

Jad 5:52

In Christianity .

Lilly 5:53

In Judaism .

Jad 5:54

Or even that Zakwim tree .

Lilly 5:56

From Islam .

Jad 5:57

It seems like trees mean something important to all of us .

Lilly 6:00

I think you're right .

Jad 6:01

Like they're , these symbols .

Lilly 6:03

Yeah .

Jad 6:03

That connect us to something bigger . It could be religion or nature .

Lilly 6:07

Or just life in general . What stood out to you ? Well , for me it was how many different ways people see trees .

Jad 6:14

What do you ?

Lilly 6:14

mean they can be life and death , wisdom , even suffering . All of that , the simple tree .

Jad 6:20

Right , it's crazy , but it reminds us that trees are connected to our culture Absolutely and our spirituality .

Lilly 6:26

For sure .

Jad 6:27

So we've gone from winter science to Christmas trees , and then to religion and mythology .

Lilly 6:33

It's been a wild ride .

Jad 6:35

Ready for some history .

Lilly 6:36

Always .

Jad 6:36

Friday's episode was all about John Davey .

Lilly 6:39

The founder of the Davey Tree Expert Company .

Jad 6:41

That's right .

Lilly 6:42

A true pioneer . He changed the way we care for trees in America .

Jad 6:46

And it all started when he came here from England .

Lilly 6:48

It's a pretty inspiring story .

Jad 6:50

It is . He was dedicated to doing things right . Do it right or not at all ?

Lilly 6:55

That was his motto .

Jad 6:56

He really cared about trees .

Lilly 6:58

His company is still going strong .

Jad 7:00

It really is a lasting legacy , for sure , and his principles are something we can all learn from .

Lilly 7:05

Absolutely . It's really interesting how Talking Trees had this theme .

Jad 7:11

This week .

Lilly 7:11

Yeah , this week .

Jad 7:12

I didn't really notice it , did you not ? Not until you said something . It was subtle but it was there . So what was it ?

Lilly 7:18

Interconnectedness . It was everywhere , Like where , how trees adapt their role in culture and religion . The global economy .

Jad 7:28

Right .

Lilly 7:29

Even our work as arborists .

Jad 7:31

It's all connected .

Lilly 7:33

It is .

Jad 7:33

Talking . Talking Trees is reminding us that what we do matters .

Lilly 7:38

It really does .

Jad 7:38

It affects everything else .

Lilly 7:40

Like that episode about winter survival . It showed how climate change is affecting trees .

Jad 7:44

The extreme temperatures .

Lilly 7:45

Yeah , and the crazy weather patterns ?

Jad 7:47

It messes with the trees , balance it makes them vulnerable so we've got to help them adapt .

Lilly 7:52

It's our job as arborists .

Jad 7:54

How do we do that ?

Lilly 7:54

Careful species selection Right , proactive care .

Jad 7:58

Uh-huh .

Lilly 7:58

And we've got to fight for policies that protect trees .

Jad 8:01

Especially in cities .

Lilly 8:03

Absolutely .

Jad 8:04

I liked that episode about the history of the Christmas tree .

Lilly 8:06

Me too .

Jad 8:07

It reminded us how connected we are to nature .

Lilly 8:10

It goes way back .

Jad 8:11

Centuries . At least it made me think about sustainability .

Lilly 8:15

Oh yeah .

Jad 8:16

We love Christmas trees Everyone does but we don't want to harm the environment .

Lilly 8:20

Right , we don't want to cut down too many trees .

Jad 8:22

So what do we do ?

Lilly 8:23

Well , we need to make sure people know where their trees come from .

Jad 8:26

So they can make informed choices .

Lilly 8:27

Exactly .

Jad 8:28

Like maybe they could get a tree from a local farm .

Lilly 8:31

That's a good option .

Jad 8:32

Or even get a living tree .

Lilly 8:34

That you can plant afterwards .

Jad 8:35

What about artificial trees ?

Lilly 8:37

Those are okay too .

Jad 8:38

If they're good quality .

Lilly 8:39

And you can use them for years .

Jad 8:41

It's all about balance .

Lilly 8:42

Finding that balance between tradition and sustainability .

Jad 8:46

And speaking of balance , yeah . That episode about the Christmas tree industry .

Lilly 8:50

Oh wow , it's a huge business .

Jad 8:53

It really is Global .

Lilly 8:54

Growers , and retailers and consumers .

Jad 8:57

And international trade .

Lilly 8:59

It's a lot to keep track of .

Jad 9:00

That's where those economic models come in .

Lilly 9:02

They help us to understand the big picture .

Jad 9:04

So we can advocate for fair prices .

Lilly 9:06

For the growers .

Jad 9:07

And promote sustainable practices All connected . This week's episodes were like layers we kept peeling them back and what did we find ? This bigger picture .

Lilly 9:16

Interconnectedness .

Jad 9:17

Even the episode about trees in religion and mythology .

Lilly 9:21

Oh yeah .

Jad 9:22

It didn't seem like it would fit .

Lilly 9:24

But it did .

Jad 9:25

That tree of life .

Lilly 9:26

It's more than just a symbol .

Jad 9:28

What is it then ?

Lilly 9:29

It's a reminder Of what that we're all connected to nature and that our actions have consequences .

Jad 9:37

We have to take care of the environment . We do and that's what John Davey was all about .

Lilly 9:41

The guy from Friday's episode .

Jad 9:42

Yeah , he was all about doing things right For trees , for the environment .

Lilly 9:48

Do it right or not at all ?

Jad 9:49

That's a great motto .

Lilly 9:50

He was ahead of his time .

Jad 9:51

He really was .

Lilly 9:52

He left a legacy for us .

Jad 9:53

A responsibility To keep his work going .

Lilly 9:55

To protect trees To make sure they're here for future generations .

Jad 9:59

It's been a really good discussion .

Lilly 10:00

Talking trees always gives us a lot to think about .

Jad 10:03

I agree .

Lilly 10:04

Well , that's all the time we have for today .

Jad 10:06

For our deep dive .

Lilly 10:07

Thanks for joining us .

Roger 10:16

Keep learning , keep those trees thriving and we'll see you next week . Thank you for joining us on this recap episode of Talking Trees . We hope you enjoyed exploring these diverse topics that connect science , culture and the stories of trees and plants in our world . Your engagement and support means so much to us . For full episodes and additional resources , visit us at heroheroco . Slash talkingtrees . Keep celebrating the incredible world of trees and we'll see you next time .