TREE STORY

The History of the World Written in Rings

Interview with leading tree-ring scientist Valerie Trouet

In her captivating new book, Tree Story (published by Johns Hopkins University Press), Valerie Trouet shows readers how the seemingly simple and relatively familiar concept of counting tree rings has inspired far-reaching scientific breakthroughs that illuminate the complex interactions between nature and people. Trouet, a leading tree-ring scientist, takes us out into the field, from remote African villages to radioactive Russian forests, offering readers an insider’s look at tree-ring research, a discipline formally known as dendrochronology. Tracing her own professional journey while exploring dendrochronology’s history and applications, Trouet describes the basics of how tell-tale tree cores are collected and dated with ring-by-ring precision, explaining the unexpected and momentous insights we’ve gained from the resulting samples.

Join Valerie Trouet on Thursday, May 7th as she can discuss:

Exciting findings of tree-ring research, including the locations of drowned pirate treasure and successful strategies for surviving California wildfire
How history can be viewed by tree rings such as the secret to Genghis Khan’s victories, the connection between Egyptian pharaohs and volcanoes, and even the role of olives in the fall of Rome
How dendrochronology sheds light on global climate dynamics and reveals the clear links between humans and our leafy neighbors
The tangible appeal of studying trees, a discipline that has taken her to the most austere and beautiful landscapes around the globe and has enabled scientists to solve long-pondered mysteries of the earth and her human inhabitants
The importance of planting trees and maintaining forests

Valerie Trouet is an associate professor in the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona.

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