Pine Tree Conference
By Gus Kilthau
@Ceerios (4698)
Goodfellow, Texas
March 24, 2017 1:52pm CST
Pine Tree Conference -
My life's work, such as it was, combined much of what many people might consider to be "mysterious" stuff, such as medical things, some "aerospace" connections, lots of radiation efforts, photography, and a sufficiency of forestry - quite a mix of things.
This morning, a bright and happy morning in the midst of the pine and oak forests and fields here in the Montgomery County, Texas, countryside, I spotted a group of trees that were in conference close by the pathway I had chosen for a fun ride atop my little mobility scooter. So, I stopped the scooter and tried to listen in to their conversation.
Even though I strained my ears, I heard nothing but the wind blowing through their branches. From what I saw of the birds and the squirrels that were flying around and scampering about close by, they, too, could not hear the talk of the trees.
But I had long ago been told that trees and other kinds of vegetation do converse. But how?
Later in the day, when I had the opportunity, I obtained a copy of an interesting presentation by a forester lady from Canada, Suzanne Simard. She retold to me some things that I had heard of many years ago - all about her experiments and discoveries of how trees and other plants "talk to each other." Scientist and forester Simard did not just conjecture about this back and forth communication between trees, she provided the details of how her many experiments proceeded over the years during which she conducted those studies - not in a cold science laboratory, but out there in the forests of Canada.
I really lapped up Simard's descriptions and explanations, because she talked my kind of talk - radioisotopes, Geiger counters, Carbon-14, and things like those.
When I finished reviewing some of her work, it was right then that I understood why I could not hear that group of trees speaking to each other alongside my scootering pathway, but I could understand that they really were "talking" to one another.
They were talking my kind of talk, but that is talk in forms other than sounds.
That brought to mind what my father used to say about me back when I was still going to school. "Gus, my son, you really are a wooden-head. Maybe if you would study at least as much as a tree or as a bramble bush, you might actually understand some of the things your teachers are trying to tell you."
Trees and parents - both mighty intelligent, aren't they?
Image: Conference of Pine Trees - Gus Kilthau.
TED Talk Subtitles and Transcript: "A forest is much more than what you see," says ecologist Suzanne Simard. Her 30 years of research in Canadian forests have led to an astounding discovery -- trees talk, often and over vast distances. Learn more about the
4 people like this
4 responses
@Namelesss (3368)
• United States
24 Mar 17
Interesting topic. I've been talking to trees for decades and I seriously hope they haven't been recording what I say. They are very patient. For some reason I have never ever been able to get to any of info on TedTalk. I'm lucky if I can even pull up the home page.
1 person likes this
@Ceerios (4698)
• Goodfellow, Texas
24 Mar 17
@Namelesss - Howdy "Triple S" - Below is the same URL (link) that gives me a pictorial linking page to 2400 TED Talks. -Gus- It should work for you, too.
TED Talks are influential videos from expert speakers on education, business, science, tech and creativity, with subtitles in 100+ languages. Ideas free to stream and download.
1 person likes this
@Ceerios (4698)
• Goodfellow, Texas
26 Mar 17
@Namelesss - Hello again, "Triple S" - The link gets you to a selection page from which you have several choices of what you want to see next. I chose the "Interactive Transcript" choice and it got me a transcript of the entire TED talk. TED = Technology, Entertainment, and Design... -Gus-
@Namelesss (3368)
• United States
26 Mar 17
@Ceerios Thanks, I tried the link, still no go. I guess my internet just isn't fast enough.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15487)
• United Kingdom
24 Mar 17
I've only just recently heard of this TED thing.
Came across it through something else...I start researching one topic and it just jumps from one to the next.
The TED talk I saw was a rapist and his victim coming together and writing a book and doing a TED talk.
I'll certainly read the link as they do get some very interesting people to do talks
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15487)
• United Kingdom
24 Mar 17
That was very interesting...they talk and cooperate through sharing chemicals
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@Ceerios (4698)
• Goodfellow, Texas
24 Mar 17
@Mike197602 - Howdy Mike - Our small world (among gazillions of other worlds) is a mighty complex place - as is the entire universe. I believe it is more than just possible that mankind is not destined to ever really understand how it all works. -Gus-
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@Mike197602 (15487)
• United Kingdom
24 Mar 17
@Ceerios science explains a lot but a lot is beyond us at the moment.
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
27 Mar 17
What a lovely picture.Yes, I had heard earlier that trees do talk to each other.
1 person likes this
@Ceerios (4698)
• Goodfellow, Texas
27 Mar 17
@responsiveme - Friend ARM - I am pleased that you enjoyed the photograph. I feel much the same way about it. Trees have beauty without our intervention, don't they? -Gus-
1 person likes this