This Old Tree

In the small Estonian town of Orissaare, football players dribble around a 150-year-old oak tree standing impossibly in the middle of their soccer field or "stadium." What seems like a quirky local oddity became a symbol of national pride when this tree won the 2015 European Tree of the Year, beating much larger countries like Hungary, Spain, and the UK.

How did an unknown Estonian oak outcompete all of Europe? The answer involves brilliant PR, ancient folklore, a fierce independence forged by centuries of foreign invasion, and a profound connection to forests rooted in animism. Could a tree resist the Soviets? Learn about its inspiring legend that captured the attention of tree-lovers around the world.
Guests
Aliide Naylor
Journalist and Author
London, UK
The Shadow in the East: Vladimir Putin and the New Baltic Front
aliidenaylor.com
Heiki Hanso
Arborist
Orissaare, Estonia
Andla Rüütel
Manager, Orissaare Sports Hall
Orissaare, Estonia
Voiceover Reading for Andla Rüütel
Martha Douglas-Osmundson
LinkedIn Profile
Songs (in order)
"Saaremaa valss," Georg Ots
"Ma vaatan paadist kiikriga," Boris Lehtlaan
"Metsavendade laul (sõnadega) - Forest Brothers' Song," Untsakad
"Isegi unes," Stig Rästa (permission from FAAR Music)
Other References
"The Favours of the Sacred Tree," Estonian Folk Tales: the Heavenly Wedding,
Piret Paar and Anne Turnpu, authors, 2005.
Silence of the Gods: The Untold History of Europe's Last Pagan Peoples, Francis Young, 2025.
European Tree of the Year, Environmental Partnership Association
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com

Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home

Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.

Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here.

We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to:
[email protected]

This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org

What happens when six arborists come down from the trees to step behind the mic? Find out by listening to this special episode of stories by tree professionals told LIVE in front of an audience at the annual conference of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. 

Where does the adrenaline come from? What barriers have been climbed? What drives them, ropes and harness in hand? Hear what arborists say about defining moments in their careers, their struggles, and what they love about their profession.
Guests
Heidi Shingleton
Arborist
Dirigo Tree Service
Freeport, ME
David Anderson
Arborist
Mayer Tree Service
Essex, MA
June Moulis
Student, Urban Forestry and Arboriculture Concentration
UMASS Amherst
Tom Marino
Certified Arborist
SavATree
Norwalk, CT
Lindsay Watkins
Strafford County Forester
UNH Cooperative Extension
Durham, NH
Rich Cartier
Northeast Territory Manager
Rainbow Ecoscience
Milford, MA
Stories told on location at "The Canopy Connection: 2025 New England Chapter ISA Annual Conference and Trade Show," Southbridge, MA, October 7, 2025. 
Music
"Not Long Now," Falconer
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com

Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home

Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.

Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here.

We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to:
[email protected]

This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org

High up in California's Sierra Nevada mountains stands the largest tree on earth by volume - the General Sherman Tree. The famous giant sequoia has captivated millions of visitors, but few know the rich tapestry of stories woven around its massive trunk.
Join us as we explore the “Giant Forest” of Sequoia National Park with former park ranger and author William C. Tweed. From the indigenous Monache and Yokuts who first walked among these giants, to ambitious Euro-American explorers like John Muir, to a Black Army Captain who became the parks first true manager, discover how "first encounters" with giant sequoias become life altering events. 
What evolutionary secrets allow sequoias to get so big? Why do frequent fires help them to survive? And what is "sequoia time?" The General Sherman tree and its mates have changed how we view the natural world and our place within it.
Guest
William C. Tweed
Author and Retired Chief Naturalist
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, CA
King Sequoia
Challenge of the Big Trees: The History of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (co-author with Lary M. Dilsaver)
Readers
Josh Abrams (Hale Tharp)
Ewen Eadie (John Muir)
Jeff Taliaferro (Capt. Charles Young)
Music
Justin Peters
Tree Visitor Interview
Tom Allen
Emmy Riley
Alex Allen
Organizations That Support Giant Sequoias
National Park Service, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Giant Sequoias Land Coalition
Sequoia Parks Conservancy
Save the Redwoods League
Ancient Forest Society
Tule River Tribe of California
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com

Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home

Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.

Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here.

We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to:
[email protected]

This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org

Some trees are old — and then there's S’Ozzastru. Nestled near the village of Luras on the island of Sardinia, this ancient olive tree has stood for nearly 4,000 years. Also known as "The Great Patriarch" or "The Patriarch of Nature," the bronze age tree is a living witness to the rise and fall of civilizations.
How has it endured for millennia? Who, across the centuries, has found shelter beneath its branches? And will the millennial olive trees of Sardinia continue to survive?
Join us as we travel to the heart of the Mediterranean in search of secrets to one of the world’s oldest living trees. 🌿
Guests
Anna Maria Corda
Tour Guide, Olivastri di Millenari di Luras
Luras, Sardinia, Italy
Marco Campus
Agronomist, AGRIS
Progetto Olivi Montiferru
Oristano, Sardinia
Fabio Piras
Agronomist, AGRIS
Progetto Olivi Montiferru
Oristano, Sardinia
Gianluigi Pili
Agronomist, AGRIS
Progetto Olivi Montiferru
Oristano, Sardinia
Emanuele Cauli
Agronomist, AGRIS
Progetto Olivi Montiferru
Oristano, Sardinia
Music
Launeddas - Luigi Lai
Cantu a tenore vocals - Su Dillu
Songs from "S'arreppicu," Luigi Lai
    Ripsosa pippiu
    Fiorassiu in la (danza)
    Goccius a Santu Idiu
    S'arrepicu
Reading
Elias Portolu by Grazia Deledda
Translated by Kevan Houser

Guest Reader
Manuela Buonanno
Other References
International Olive Council website
"Why the Mediterranean is a Climate Change Hotspot," MIT News
Special thanks to
Ed Nardell
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com

Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home

Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.

Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here.

We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to:
[email protected]

This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org

Have you seen those breathtaking aerial photos of a solitary ginkgo tree in a courtyard, its leaves creating a perfect golden carpet of fallen leaves? This isn't just any tree—it's a 1,400-year-old living witness to history, standing tall within the walls of China's Gu Guanyin Buddhist Temple.
While its stunning autumn transformation goes viral online each year, the story behind this magnificent being remains largely unknown to Western audiences. Why was this particular tree planted at this particular temple? Could it really have been placed there by Emperor Taizong himself, one of China's most celebrated rulers? Why are ginkgo trees so special?
Join us as we unravel the mysteries of this famous ginkgo tree and explore its remarkable connection to the golden age of the Tang Dynasty.
Guests
Professor Ruihong Di
Northwest University
Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
Peter Del Tredici
Urban Ecologist and Botanist
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
Boston, MA
www.peterdeltredici.com
Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide
Reader
Wiley Wang
Machine Intelligence Engineer
Palm Springs, CA
"Traditional Folk Tale of Gu Guanyin Temple" edited by Doug Still
Voiceover Reading for Ruihong Di
Martha Douglas-Osmundson
LinkedIn Profile
Music
"Farewell at the Yangguan Pass," traditional, Tang Dynasty
Xiao-zhong Wu soloist
People's Association Chinese Orchestra
1992 Yellow River
Other References
The Ruler's Guide: China's Greatest Emperor and His Timeless Secrets of Success, Chinghua Tang, Scribner, 2017.
Ginkgo: The Tree That Time Forgot, Peter Crane, Yale University Press, 2013.
Photo Credit
FlyOverChina, Xinhua News Agency
Theme Music
"This Old Tree," Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com

Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home

Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.

Follow on
Facebook or Instagram
This Old Tree podcast is a sponsored project of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. To support This Old Tree and New England ISA, click here.

We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to:
[email protected]

This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org