Here is the video of the making of that photograph.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/video/player#/?titleID=nichols-redwoods-gatefold&catID=1

Wow. Thanks for the heads up!

Thanks very much.

Dax

Thanks for the link. Didn't realize the article and selected photos were available online. Now I want to get a hard copy with all the photos!

good stuff, thanks

My girlfriend bought me a copy and the centerfold was birds. Sept. Issue with a photo of New York City on the front cover.

I'm going to look into this further.

Dax

Dax:

October issue.

I got this issue and it is really good. Of course the picture of the giant redwood is more than worth the price of the issue. I will have it framed. The picture is of a famous redwood called "Iluvitar," which is reputed to be one of the three largest in terms of wood volume. And it is noted for having the most complex crown structure of any known redwood. I have another book, called simply "Tree" by James Balog, which has a large composite picture of the same tree. But the picture in the Balog book is not so seamless as the one in Nat Geo.

Also, the part of the article that focuses on forestry issues is very good--I can't find any fault with any of it whatsoever.

Oh, and here is something I am very, very excited about: there will be a Nat Geo special on the evening of September 29 at 10:00 in the eastern time zone (check your local listings elsewhere)on the climbing of these great trees. I will post this seperately in case some people stop looking into this topic.

--Spruce

Wonderful Spruce.

Thanks!

I am having the picture framed also. Well worth it. What a magnificent tree!
Thanks for the update Spruceman.

Spell check--the tree is named Iluvatar.

--Spruce

This is awesome. You're able to buy a 24x73.6 inch fine art print of that redwood pullout photo for $200. The print is made up of 84 individual pictures, I can only image the detail in 2 by 6 foot print!

Go here for details.
http://gallery.pictopia.com/natgeo/photo/8389209/

Ordered my copy from Nat Geo's single order line - arrived a few days ago.

Just spent Thursday to Sunday of the previous week at Redwood National Park and Prairie Creek redwoods. Next visit is in about 3 weeks.

Did any of you notice that Nat Geo made the redwood photo for the fold-out, into a Jigsaw Puzzle online?

Use link below

Here is a link that might be useful: National Geographic Redwood Tree Jigsaw Puzzle

This is cool. I got two copies. Thought I'd report back I guess.

Dax

One of my brothers is a book hound. He recently handed me an oddity that he came across titled "Life In The Peace Zone-An American Company Town" by Hugh Wilkerson and John Van Der Zee. Published in 1971, it details life and commerce in Scotia California, the town created by Pacific Lumber Co. The book has a rather odd style to it, somewhat relative to the time it was written, but is nonetheless, a fascinating look at this town and the lumber mills that it was built around. Many nice black and white photos too.

This was, of course, before the hostile takeover of this company by a truly rapacious mega-corp. So sadly, most everything written about here was overturned about 15 years later.

Redwood and big tree fans, if you can track this down, it's worth a look.

+oM

Well, who watched the program? I got to see all but the first ten minutes. Great show! Thanks Spruce, for alerting us to the magazine as well as the t.v. show.

If anyone is aware of when this program might be aired again, please post the info. I wish to catch the first bit, as well as watch the whole thing over again.

+oM

It was on at our home last night. Enjoyed it a lot. Might even order a copy if available.

If you go to Youtube and search National Geographic, redwoods, tallest trees, bet you can find a couple of parts that were on last night. The protesters is on there as saving the redwoods. And part of the photographing of the big redwood is included.

I liked the Nat Geo show, but have a couple of reservations. I thought the account of the two that made the transverse of the redwood region from south to north was not nearly as interesting as the other parts of the program.

And one point made in the program was misleading. When it was said that the old redwoods are still growing fast, and in fact faster than second growth redwoods, that does not mean that old growth forests are adding new wood faster than second growth forests.

Now, in case anyone is confused, I am as ardent a preservationist as any alive today. BUT, it is important not to be misleading. As "carbon sinks," old growth tree stands of any kind are generally neutral--the process of building up biomass doesn't continue to infinity. Forest research scientists have studied this issue extensively, and after a clearcut, the biomass/carbon additions accelerate slowly. At some point, depending on the kind of forest/tree species, etc., the biomass increase levels off, and at some point--in a redwood forest it can be after a thousand years or more--it reaches an equilibrium.

But, of course, Sillet is right when he talks about the individual trees--the largest trees generally add wood volume faster then smaller trees. But, of course, in a mature forest, there are far fewer of them.

Also, this insight is not new. I think it was as long ago as the mid 50's that I heard that the General Sherman giant sequoia was in all likelihood, not only the largest tree on earth, but also the fastest growing.

Also, are any of you watching the new Ken Burns film on the National Parks? Much of this is really, really outstanding, and is some of his very best work.

Last night one problem was the story of the couple from Nebraska and the story of their national park visiting experiences. I won't go into detail, but in the end I thought it a very sad story. Now I am now past 70 years old, and have had many, many wonderful experiences in the national parks. Many of these parks I will never get back to see again. I will never be able to share with my wife the experience of hiking down the "Bright Angel trail, and then up the Kaibab trail, having a thunderstorm come up when I was halfway up the Kaibab, etc. etc. I may never get to see the redwoods again.

But let me tell you all this. All the memories of all the wonderful times I have had are as alive in my mind today as they were when I actually experienced them, and are a constant joy to me and always will be. And, unlike this couple, I was never sorry to get back home again either, even though at the time I may have wished my stays in the parks could have been longer. This couple seemed to me to be particularly joyless, and the story of the wife after her husband died and she could no longer visit the parks was very sad. I felt their story detracted from the film.

I make this point to encourage you all to go see the redwoods. "Make memories," as it were--they will stay with you always and be a constant joy.

--Spruce

I saw the National Geographic show and liked it. I think my wife who is only casually into gardening got more out of it.

The photography, tree climbing, shots of trees were impressive enough.

Thought science part was fairly soft. I've learned way more from clicking around on the internet. There's only so many shots of folk's feet walking through creeks and over trees needed to set the mood. I want lectured and to learn something!

Some of the conservation protests I wasn't familiar with. Has me searching wikipedia for more details.

Overall I'm noticing the parts which taught me something I was thrilled with. So I've decided its a great show for grabbing the general public's interest and getting them to read up on things on line.