Recent topics:
Doerner Fir, 327 ft. tall by the Oregonian's Terry Richard
Oregon Field Guide story about Oregon's new champion pine
Old Growth:
Ascending the Giants is an ongoing series of expeditions lead by two arborists, Brian French and Will Koomjian, to measure the largest tree of each species. These trees demonstrate the pinnacle of what a species can be; they are called champion trees.
With the support of photographer Sean O'Connor and videographer John Waller the team is able to capture some of the first and only footage inside the canopies of these remarkable trees. Ascending the Giants plans to showcase these specimens to increase knowledge of their existence and their ecological importance.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Herpotology Review
New findings by members of Ascending the Giants suggests that the clouded salamander needs old growth Douglas-fir for arboreal habitat. May 23, 2008, climber Clint Landon found an adult male and female clouded salamander in a small cavity 250 feet up a Douglas-fir. This finding is a record in height and is significant to a better understanding of the clouded salamander and its habitat. Its current conservation status is near threatened.
___________________________________________________________________________
Jakarta Post
January 29th, 2010's Jakarta Post Weekender magazine includes a great article about our Trekking for Tropical Conifers project. This is a multi-year effort to document the largest trees of the prehistoric Araucaria family scattered across the Indonesian archipelago.
2009 saw Will Koomjian make the first trip for this project, which included tree measuring trips to Kalimantan and Sulawesi.
