Is seeing the giant Redwoods?on your bucket list?
If seeing the mighty Redwoods of California is on your bucket list, you might want to schedule your trip soon. Poachers are cutting the trees under cover of darkness to sell the burls.
?Burls are knobby tree growths that, when cut open, display delicate swirls resembling cream that’s just been poured into a mug of coffee. On a tree, burls indicate injury from a virus or fungus. But in the hands of a master wood craftsman, burls can become decorative sculptures, tables or wall clocks.?
?Thieves are cutting massive chunks from the base of the champion trees, which are the tallest on Earth and are up to 2,000 years old.?
The knottier and larger a burl, the higher the price it commands. From CNN:
?The California Department of Parks and Recreation said smaller pieces of poached burl can sell for hundreds of dollars, and the larger chunks can fetch thousands. Taking the burls from a state park is a crime, and their size determines whether the crime is a misdemeanor or felony, the Humboldt County district attorney’s office said.?
In an interview with USA Today, park district interpretation supervisor Jeff Denny said:
?A redwood tree can survive the practice, but the legacy of the organism that could be 1,000 years old is threatened, because the burl is where it sprouts a clone before dying. Sprouting from burls is the prevalent method of redwood propagation, and the source of the Latin name for coast redwood, Sequoia semper vierens, or forever living.?
http://youtu.be/eWCZRMILBJ0
Marty Townsend is an activist at heart. A lifelong writer, she concentrates her journalistic efforts on human interest, liberal politics, Michigan, educational and environmental issues. She is an active volunteer with the PTA, currently serving as Secretary of her local District PTA Council. She also stays busy volunteering as a youth softball coach for the summer league in her community and participates in Relay for Life. Marty frequently sports a near-shaved head?as a way to?support of all women experiencing hair loss for any reason. Find her on Twitter and Facebook.
Edited by D.H.
