My Favorite Trees

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As Kentucky celebrates its 230th birthday as a state, we will celebrate one of the strangest legal disputes in American history. For decades, Kentuckians fought over what should be their state tree between the Tulip-Poplar and the Kentucky Coffeetree. Find out why residents of this state became so divided over the matter and hear about how I side on the matter. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast.

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Chocolate. That's it, that's the episode. This is the tree that gives us one of my greatest joys in life--learn about where it comes from, how it was worshipped, and how it's made today. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast.

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The Longleaf Pine is a tree that once covered great expanses of the Gulf and Atlantic coastal states of the US. But now, these trees only occupy 3% of their original native range. What made this tree so incredible and why did it almost disappear? Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast.

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2022 marks 150 years since the first modern Arbor Day was celebrated in the state of Nebraska. We are honoring this occasion by looking into the history of Birdsey Northrop, the unsung hero of Arbor Day, who helped popularize the idea both in the US and internationally. And we'll learn about how tree planting holidays are celebrated in different countries around the world. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast.

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Spring is here and that means it's time to celebrate Spring flowers. One of my favorite flowers belongs to a plant known as the Rhododendron. In this episode, I'll talk about the role it has played in the history of gardening as well as in the secret language of flowers. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast.

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 Eucalyptus is a genus of around 700 trees and shrubs that call Australia and southeast Asia home. Hear about their wonderful fragrance, their vibrant colors, and their penchant for committing arson. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Find me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast. 

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 This episode covers the Oak species native to the United States. This incredibly diverse group of trees comes with an incredible history--from bourbon barrels to warships to murder mysteries, find out what makes the Oak so inherently American. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees or on Instagram @treepodcast. 

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 This episode celebrates the birthdays of two park rangers who have inspired my own path as a ranger. To make both their dreams come true, we are talking about both the Limber Pine and the Walking Palm. These two are very different trees that tend to get less time in the spotlight compared to some of their relatives. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast. 

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The Juniper is a tree that can be found from the highest peaks to the doctor's office to the...bathtub? Medicine, food, gin, and more, these trees are incredibly useful but seem to hold surprisingly little symbolism throughout history. But they do come with some interesting superstition as well as a rant from me about what we call their cones! Music is by Academy Garden. Cover art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and Instragam @treepodcast.

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In this break from format, I discuss my first broader forestry-related topic: forest fires. Fire is a part of this world that is important to both humans and forest ecology. But due to a century of strict fire suppression and the effects of climate change, wildfires have been having hugely negative effects on the American West in the last two decades. Here, I'll give a history of our relationship with fire, what decisions lead us to be in the situation we are in today, and lay out just how bad things really are. Music is by Academy Garden. Cover Art is by @boomerangbrit on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @MyFavoriteTrees and on Instagram @treepodcast.