How to Navigate with Tree Trunks
From my book, How to Read a Tree, The whole tree responds to wind and this includes the trunk. Most are ‘skinny into wind’. Walk…
Tag: tree trunk
Tree Trunks Lean Away From Buildings
Tree trunks lean away from the shade of buildings and towards the light. This habit tends to override the normal biases towards southern light, because…
The Tree That Ate a Bicycle
My thanks to Michael for coming to my talk in Royal Scottish Geographical Society talk on reading trees in Glasgow last night. And for sharing…
How To Tell Which Tree is Older?
Which is the older of these two large trees? Clue: there are a few ways we can age trees, including one related to natural navigation.…
Book Cover Reveal
This is the UK cover of my latest book, How to Read a Tree. Hope you like it. It can be pre-ordered through the usual…
Little and Large Natural Navigation Clues
Sometimes natural navigation is more challenging than others. I’m often asked, “What is the most difficult place to navigate using nature?” I think people expect…
Natural Navigation in Brazil
A guest article by Pedro Jovchelevich Natural navigation in tropical biomes – My experience in the southeastern region of Brazil First of all I would…
Why The Coconut Palm Points to the Sea
The coconut palm tree (Cocos nucifera) does something that very few trees do. It leans into wind. Most trees have trunks that will bend away…
What’s the difference between ‘windthrow’ and ‘windsnap’ in trees?
And how can they help me find my way in the woods? Both ‘windthrow’ and ‘windsnap’ are names given by foresters to trees that have…
How to Make a Compass out of a Tree Stump
Very nice email in with a helpful photo: I was stargazing this past week in the Davis Mountains in Texas. I had been pointing out…
Beware the Beech’s Branches
This is a common sight in my local beechwoods. Beech trees have a habit of dropping large branches without much warning. They are not good…
Himalayan Balsam in Sidney Wood
A wonderful short walk in an area of Sidney Wood called Fir Tree Copse yesterday revealed many things, not least that I can still walk…