Bristlecone pines are the oldest trees on Earth. The oldest, Methuselah, has lived more than 4,800 years.
From their perch atop the White Mountains at California's eastern edge, the bristlecones have survived as entire human civilizations have arisen and disappeared.
But there's a new threat to the bristlecone's existence, a globe-spanning emanation more menacing than anything they've faced in thousands of years.
That threat is the subject of "The Vanishing Groves," an essay by Ross Andersen that appeared in Aeon Magazine. This episode of AudioVision is adapted from an abridged version of that essay. If you liked this video, you should read it:
aeon.co/magazine/nature-and-cosmos/ross-andersen-bristlecone-pines-anthropocene/
To learn more about this video visit KPCC.org and click on AudioVision.
CREDITS
Produced by Grant Slater and Mae Ryan
grant-slater.com
maeryan.com
ORIGINAL SCORE BY
Stephanie Smith
music.stephiescastle.com/
ADDITIONAL FOOTAGE
Ports Footage by Stella Kalinina
stellakalinina.com
Mayfly footage by YouTube User WildWorldSeVeN
youtube.com/user/WildWorldSeVeN
CAMERA ASSISTANCE
Sage Price (Also Axe Wielding)
Cody Smith
Danny Yadron
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Maui Amati
Cole Andersen
Daniel Barulich
Emily Berl
Matthew Salzer
Maya Sugarman
Simon Yokoyama
Country Kitchen
The Bristlecone Manor Motel