The Myth of the Loneliest Tree on Earth

Written By Brandt Hughes

What does it mean to exist? To be fleeting?
What if the circumstances are extraordinary? What if they're not?

CORRECTIONS
  • at 08:44, "substantiation" is misspelled as "substantion"
  • at 10:45, 16:51, and 17:10, the quote source "The 153 Club" is misspelled as "The 513 Club"
  • at 17:10, "Henry" is misspelled as "Henri" in the quote attribution
  • at 20:07, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization abbreviates to "UNESCO" (incorrectly written as "UNSECO")
    • (noticed by discord community member kate)

— Citations —

Info.

1
A
"It stands a meager 10 feet tall."
timecode 02:09
B
"A network of roots reached down 100 feet, deep enough to reach the water table. This was discovered in the 1930s when the first of two wells was dug nearby."
timecode 04:02
C
"Two caravans crossed this path per year and I assumed that this involved trucks."
timecode 08:11
The 153 Club
 Jim Mann
2
"The species could grow up to 70 feet in favorable conditions."
timecode 02:11
Agroforestree Database
 2009, Orwa, C.; Mutua, A.; Kindt, R.; Simons, A.; Jamnadass, R.
CIFOR-ICRAF
3
A
"It is the tree that is furthest from any other tree."
timecode 02:41
B
"[The Tenere Tree is] 150 km from any tree."
timecode 20:48
The Tenere Tree overview
 Wikipedia
A: § summary
4
"The Sahara cycles between a hyper-arid desert climate and a savannah grassland climate, but this change happens over tens of thousands of years."
timecode 03:11
Sahara overview
 Wikipedia
§ Desertification and prehistoric climate
5
"The Sahara cycles between a hyper-arid desert climate and a savannah grassland climate, but this change happens over tens of thousands of years."
timecode 03:11
The Greening of the Sahara: Past Changes and Future Implications
 2020, Pausata et al.
One Earth
6
"This tree might be a remnant from a Green Sahara, when there was once many Acacia."
timecode 03:23
Last Tree of Ténéré
 2008, Foer et al.
Atlas Obscura
7
"It's ... more likely that these caravans consisted of camels. Lots of camels."
timecode 08:20
T is for Tenere: the Classic Tour
 2001, Chris Scott
Sahara Overland
§ THROUGH THE ERG TO BILMA, ¶ 11, l. 4 (ctrl+f "Bilma salt caravans")
8
"It certainly wouldn't have been the only time that somebody has intentionally harmed a notable tree."
timecode 09:50
Treaty Oak overview
 Wikipedia
9, 10
"The Beliet-Tenere mission" ... "happened in 1959."
timecode 10:49
Missions Berliet-Tenere overview
 Wikipedia
L'épopée du Ténéré
 1961, Henri Lhote
Gallimard / Amazon
11
"Henri Lhote is kind of known for having outlandish theories about interpreting archaic cave drawings as being evidence for alien contact."
timecode 11:54
Paleocontact Hypothesis
 David Darling
12
A
"The article is" ... "titled The Tenere Tree is dead!"
timecode 13:25
B
"The article tells us that while we are tempted to blame human negligence for not preserving such a precious tree, it must be said that like all living beaings, a tree is born, grows, and dies."
timecode 23:48
L'arbre du Ténéré est mort (The Tenere Tree is dead)
 1974, CIRAD / Bois et Forêts des Tropiques 1974, Vol. 153
B: pp. 74, ¶ 4
13
"Dust devils and sand storms are so common in the desert."
timecode 14:09
Desert Encyclopedic Entry
 2023, National Geographic
§ Devil of a Storm / § Desert Characteristics, ¶ 5
14
... "depending on circumstances, acacia trees can live anywhere from 200 to 650 years old."
timecode 17:44
Longevity and growth of Acacia tortilis; insights from 14C content and anatomy of wood
 2007, Gidske L Andersen & Knut Krzywinski
BMC Ecology, Vol. 7, Article 4
§ Conclusion, ¶ 2
15, 16
"The then-mayor of New Zealond introduced this invasive species in the early 1900s, many thousands of miles from where these trees typically grow."
timecode 18:17
Loneliest Tree
 2013, RNZ
¶ 3
Life on Campbell Island
 1989, Raewyn Mackenzie
New Zealand Geographic
17
The Campbell Sitka Spruce "is surrounded by lots of animals; penguins, albatrosses, seals, and even the world's rarest duck."
timecode 18:30
Campbell Island, New Zealand overview
 Wikipedia
18
"They almost went extinct because of some pesky rats that had invaded the island. The Campbell Teal only survived by escaping to" [Dent Island].
timecode 18:42
Campbell Island teal
 2013 (updated 2022), M.J. Williams
New Zealand Birds Online
19
"It's growing at 5 to 10 times faster than it should because it's subjected to 325 days of rain per year and gale-force winds for nearly a 1/3 of the year."
timecode 19:33
World's Loneliest Tree (Campbell Island)
 2018, Ellen Rykers
Atlas Obscura
¶ 3
20, 21
"Climate scientists have been taking core samples to track historical samples of carbon dioxide in the air. This is then used to help analyze the Southern Ocean's ability to act as a carbon sink throughout time."
timecode 19:53
Scientists hope ‘world’s loneliest tree’ will help answer climate questions
 2022, Eva Corlett
The Guardian
How the world's loneliest tree is helping scientists advance climate change research
 2022, Maddy Morwood
ABC News
22
"Climate scientists have been taking core samples" ... "to detect the start of the Anthropocene."
timecode 20:02
'Loneliest tree' records human epoch
 2018, Jonathan Amos
BBC
23
"World Heritage Sites are landmarks or areas protected by the United Nations (UNSECO), although here they primarily defer to NZ Dep. of Conservation."
timecode 20:09
New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands
 UNESCO
§ Protection and management requirements

Media

m1 - timecode 0:14
MAP: Sheet B 30-15 Abengourou (1:200,000)
 1940, U.S. Army Map Service
University of Texas
m2 - timecode 0:19
MAP: TPC J-9B Bangladesh; India (1:500,000)
 compiled 1976, revised 1991, U.S. Defense Mapping Agency Aerospace Center
University of Texas
m3 - timecode 0:23
MAP: NM 30 Parts 29 and 31 London [England and Wales, Ireland, France, Belgium], Series 1301, Edition 4-GSGS, reprinted by AMS (1:1,000,000)
 1954, U.S. Army Map Service
University of Texas
m4 - timecode 0:26
MAP: NN 32 and Part 31 Amsterdam [Holland, Denmark, West Germany, East Germany] Series 1301, Edition 7-GSGS (1:1,000,000)
 1955, U.S. Army Map Service
University of Texas
m5 - timecode 0:29
MAP: Austin, Texas (1:125,000)
 1894, U.S. Geological Survey
University of Texas
m6 - timecode 0:35
MAP: Austin and Vicinity (Travis County) (1:24,000)
 1955, U.S. Geological Survey
University of Texas
m7 - timecode 0:39
MAP: World - Ocean Currents and Sea Ice from Atlas of World Maps
 1943, United States Army Service Forces Manual M-101
University of Texas
m8 - timecode 0:41
MAP: Mexico - Climate from Atlas of Mexico
 1975, University of Texas Bureau of Business Research
University of Texas
m9 - timecode 0:46
MAP: Arctic, Alaska Color Satellite Image Map (1:250,000)
 1983, U.S. Geological Survey
University of Texas
m10 - timecode 0:48
MAP: Arctic, Alaska Satellite Image Map, Experimental Edition (1:250,000)
 1983, U.S. Geological Survey
University of Texas
m11 - timecode 0:50
MAP: Arctic, Alaska Shaded Relief and Contour Map (1:250,000)
 1983, U.S. Geological Survey
University of Texas
m12 - timecode 0:53
MAP: Arctic, Alaska Topographic Map (1:250,000)
 1983, U.S. Geological Survey
University of Texas
m13 - timecode 0:55
MAP: New York (1:250,000)
 1957, U.S. Geological Survey
University of Texas
m14 - timecode 1:00
MAP: TPC J-3C Algeria; Niger (1:500,000)
 compiled 1989, U.S. Defense Mapping Agency Aerospace Center
University of Texas
m15 - timecode 3:35
Earth's precession over thousands of years
 2012, Tfr000
Wikimedia
modifications: modified color palette
m16 - timecode 5:07
What's Inside The Forbidden Pentagon?
 2024, Vsauce
YouTube
m17 - timecode 10:10
BURNT TRUNK OF GIANT REDWOOD AND NEW YOUNG TREE
 1972, Tomas Sennett
National Archives / Environmental Protection Agency
modifications: converted to greyscale, stylized, composited
m18 - timecode 10:10
BURNT MONARCH TREE IN BIG STUMP MEADOW
 1972, Gene Daniels
National Archives / Environmental Protection Agency
modifications: converted to greyscale, stylized, composited
m19 - timecode 10:10
Mark III decontamination suit
 1980 National Archives / Department of Defense
modifications: converted to greyscale, stylized, composited
m20 - timecode 10:10
Aviator's Suit, Completely Heated Equipment
 National Archives / War Department
modifications: converted to greyscale, stylized, composited
m21 - timecode 13:47
Tenere Tree in Transit to Museum
 1973, Roger Balsom
The 153 Club
m22 - timecode 14:33
Raid Africa March 1973 Information
 1973 Raid Afrique / Citroën
m23 - timecode 14:36
Raid Africa June 1973 Information
 1973, A. Martinez
Raid Afrique / Citroën
m24 - timecode 15:54
Sciences et Voyages No. 139 - July 1957 Cover
 1957 Gloubik Sciences / Sciences et Voyages
m25 - timecode 16:39
Construction of the Tenere Tree's First Well
 1939, Commandant N. Lesourd (presumed)
Club Des Voyages
m26 - timecode 16:58
Arbre du Ténéré in 1961
 1961, Michel Mazeau
Wikimedia
m27 - timecode 18:08
Sitka Spruce from afar
 Ellen Rykers
Atlas Obscura
m28 - timecode 18:23
Sitka Spruce up close
 Ellen Rykers
Atlas Obscura
m29 - timecode 18:28
Yellow-Eyed Penguin Crying
 2008, Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl
Wikimedia
m30 - timecode 18:30
Southern Royal Albatross
 2011, JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/)
Wikimedia
m31 - timecode 18:32
Momoa Southern Elephant Seal
 2019, User:Air55
Wikimedia
m32 - timecode 18:34
Campbell Island Teal
 2006, Stomac
Wikimedia
m33 - timecode 18:41
Campbell Island teal standing on the ground
 2021, Pseudopanax
Wikimedia
m34 - timecode 18:48
Campbell Island from ISS
 2002 / 2013, Mosaic created by Szczureq
Wikimedia / Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center
m35 - timecode 18:50
Dent Island
 2007, twiddleblat
Flickr
m36 - timecode 19:28
The World's Loneliest Tree
 2018, Intrepid Science
YouTube
m37 - timecode 20:08
Campbell Island Landscape
 2006, user: Albatross2147
Wikimedia
m38 - timecode 20:08
World Heritage logo
 Designer: Michel Olyff
UNESCO
m39 - timecode 21:08
Map of Niger
 2024, imagery: TerraMetrics / map data: Google
Google
m40 - timecode 21:20
Oasis Bilma
 1989, Holger Reineccius
Wikimedia
m41 - timecode 21:53
Timia Valley
 2006, user: Denvermaxwell
Wikimedia
m42 - timecode 22:25
Map of Auckland Islands to Campbell Islands
 2024, imagery: NASA, TerraMetrics / map data: Google
Google
m43 - timecode 23:10
Plan for the Metal Tenere Tree p. 1
 1974, Josyane Teresa
Club Des Voyages
modifications: increased contrast, corrected perspective, cropped
m44 - timecode 23:13
Plan for the Metal Tenere Tree p. 2
 1974, Josyane Teresa
Club Des Voyages
modifications: increased contrast, corrected perspective, cropped
m45 - timecode 23:15
The Metal Tree of Ténéré
 1975, Charles Teresa
Club Des Voyages
m46 - timecode 23:22
The Ténéré Tree in 2002
 2002, Nazia Parvez
Club Des Voyages
m47 - timecode 23:27
The Ténéré Tree Restored (1)
 2005, G. Saltari, A.Ghiringhelli, M. Fiaschi.
Club Des Voyages
m48 - timecode 23:30
The Ténéré Tree Restored (5)
 2005, G. Saltari, A.Ghiringhelli, M. Fiaschi.
Club Des Voyages
m49 - timecode 23:33
Arbre-neu1
 1985, Holger Reineccius
Wikimedia

CREDITS

Brandt Hughes
research, writing, host, camera operator,
editor, colorist, 3D modeling, 2D animation,
audio engineer, music production, sound design,
caption writer

MUSIC

"Legend"
"Wind on the Sand"
"Relenting to the Dunes"
"Spindled and Thorned"
"Camel Hoofprints and Tire Tracks"
"Road Trip to the Tree"
"Tell Me Something Scary"
"Island All to Myself"
"Stuck in a Changing World"
"Map Is Out-Of-Date"

all produced by Brandt Hughes
available to download on
patreon bandcamp

Transcript

EN Captions EN Subtitles Info

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21:34
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