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New York City should carefully measure a new tree

81 points · 16 comments · willmeyers

  1. rvba · · focus · HN ↗
    [flagged]
    1. Razengan · · focus · HN ↗
      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Prometheus_(tree)" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Prometheus_(tree)

      &gt; The tree was at least 4,862 years old and possibly more than 5,000. It was cut down in 1964 by a graduate student and United States Forest Service personnel for research purposes. Those involved did not know of its world-record age before the cutting, and the circumstances and decision-making process remain controversial.

      I remember reading about another tree that was thousands of years old but it was cut&#x2F;burned after its age was published&#x2F;popularized..

      1. KylerAce · · focus · HN ↗
        The article at least shows it&#x27;s very plausible that the people who cut it down didn&#x27;t know that this particular tree was record breaking, only that the type of trees in that area were known to be extremely old
        1. interloxia · · focus · HN ↗
          <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Kiidk%27yaas" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Kiidk%27yaas

          Kiidk&#x27;yaas, also known as the Golden Spruce is an example.

          The article conveniently links to a list of individual trees.

          1. Razengan · · focus · HN ↗
            &gt; Kiidk&#x27;yaas was felled in January 1997 by Grant Hadwin as an act of protest against the logging industry.

            What a fucking moron

            Ah but there&#x27;s hope:

            &gt; In 1977 a group of botanists from the University of British Columbia (UBC) visited Haida Gwaii to take cuttings of Kiidk&#x27;yaas.[5] These cuttings were grafted onto ordinary Sitka spruce, resulting in two golden saplings.

            The Tree of Gondor!

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