It’s late fall and a squirrel rummages around in the top of an oak tree, pulling acorns off and sending them hurtling to earth. That same squirrel later gathers the acorns for his winter stash,  ..except for the one he missed as it rolled under a rock. The acorn hides under the rock through the fall and winter, unnoticed by all the woodland creatures. Come spring, it thaws out and gets soaked with moisture from the melting snow and spring rains. At some point in May it cracks open and takes root forming a tiny trunk and one tiny leaf. …

Like people, trees have a limited life-span, but many factors can play into the age they actually live to. Gray birch, Hornbeam and Striped Maple, for example are short-lived trees. They may live 30 years at the most. Redwood, Cypress and Sequoia trees, on the other hand, may live for thousands of years. Here in Maine, the average lifespan of the average tree would probably be about 100 to 120 years, although I have seen some rare cases of up to 400 years of age, which takes us back to the days of the Pilgrims (if only those trees could…

As important as all trees are, a few have risen to a status of fame. Take for example, General Sherman, a Giant Sequoia in California, is the world's largest tree. A little-known Coastal Redwood, also in California, called the Hyperion Tree, is considered the tallest tree in the world, at just under 380 feet. The Liberty Tree, an Elm, located in Boston, was a gathering place for the Sons of Liberty as they staged acts of defiance against the British, which eventually led to the American Revolution in 1776. Speaking for Britain, their favorite tree, Major Oak of Sherwood Forest,…

If you go outside and look around, chances are you will see trees. Trees in all directions, as far as you can see. Cut one down, which lets in more sunlight, and new trees will sprout or nearby remaining trees will grow even faster. Trees are actually solar batteries. They absorb energy from the sun and store it there until it is released (by us or by nature). Trees can be utilized as energy in numerous ways. In forestry, trees are chipped and burned to create heat and generate electricity for the grid. In lumber manufacturing, sawdust is burned to…