In this month's installment of Field Notes, Scott Bowe of Kemp Station discusses sound waves. If we listen carefully, trees have a great deal to tell us. You may have an image in your mind of someone bear hugging a tree with their ear pressed tightly to the trunk. This strategy may work if you need a hug, but you won’t likely hear anything of consequence. What I am referring to is the process of using sound waves to “see” inside the tree. The process is called Stress Wave Timing . In a