Learn About the Oldest Trees in Eastern North America

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Learn About the Oldest Trees in Eastern North America

Dr. Dave Stahle talks about old growth trees and climate change

Durham | June 13, 2011

Raleigh
When: Thursday, June 16, 4:00 PM
Where: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh NC 27601

Wilmington
When: Friday, June 17, 7:00 PM
Where: Cape Fear River Watch, 617 Surry Street, Wilmington NC 28401-5041
(RSVP to https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/cfrw/event.jsp?event=22)

When University of Arkansas Professor Dr. David Stahle came to North Carolina’s Black River in the early 1980s, he was looking for old-growth trees which could reveal clues to past climate conditions. What he discovered were the oldest trees in Eastern North America. Taking small cores with an increment borer, Stahle’s team determined several Black River bald cypress trees to be as old as the Roman Empire.

Dr. Stahle is in North Carolina this week visiting the Black River to do further research. He will talk approximately 45 minutes about the ancient Black River trees and his ongoing research into past climate patterns.

The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 14,000 acres along the Black River, which winds through Bladen, Pender and Sampson counties.

Dr. Stahle is a professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arkansas. His research interests include the many applications of dendrochronology (tree-ring dating). Dr. Stahle is currently conducting research in the United States, Mexico and Africa. He is published in scientific journals such as Science, Nature, Journal of Climate and Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.