We post a lot about trees on Moss and Fog, and feel like there is never-ending stories and species to talk about.
When we came across this treasure trove of historical big tree photos, we were both excited and sad, knowing that many of these enormous beauties were cut down.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many people acted like nature needed to be “conquered”. That somehow natural resources were limitless, and that it was our duty to exploit the biggest trees for their timber.
Indeed, almost 95% of the Giant Redwoods were cut down by loggers before a small group of environmentalists and activists came to their rescue.
However, the damage was done, and many of the very biggest trees were destroyed. These amazing giants, many over 5000 years old were turned into timber.
Below is a gallery of amazing giant trees, mostly from the US West coast and Mexico, showing such incredible scale and age. Many of the trees were photographed with inscriptions about their size, or how many board-feet of lumber they would make.
Tragic, angering, but real, it’s good to know our history so we can avoid making those same mistakes in the future. Via DYT:
Arbol del Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico
“Giant,” Santa Cruz Big Trees
Arbol del Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico
Base of “Big Tree” Ht. 345 ft. Cir. 72 ft. Upper Bull Creek Flat on Redwood Highway
A Giant Redwood in Bull Creek Flat
A Fallen Monarch
Big Tree 127 Ft Hgt, 47 Ft Cir, 17 1/2 Ft Dia, Over 3500 Yrs. – Seminole County Park, Florida
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many people acted like nature needed to be “conquered”. That somehow natural resources were limitless, and that it was our duty to exploit the biggest trees for their timber.
At Richardson Grove State Park. Dia. 13.8 ft. Age 1250 yrs. Height 310 ft. 95000 board ft.
52 feet in circumference – Largest tree in Muir Woods Nat’l. Monument, California
California Tree – King’s Canyon National Park, California
“The Shrine Tree” at River Vista Lodge, Myers, Calif. Dia. 21 ft. Cir. 64 ft. Age 5000 years, on Redwood Highway
“The Flat Iron Tree,” Bull Creek Grove
“Chandelier Tree,” Underwood Park
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1 Comment
The Gnomemobile by Upton Sinclair written in 1936 chronicles the fragility of the trees and their importance to the biodynamic health of all living creatures, including gnomes. It is a delightful fable with a profound message that I read with my 5th grade class. It is a classic read with an ecological moral.