RETREET BLOG

RETREET redefines disaster relief by engaging communities to replant lost trees.

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.115

A rather strange mystery has developed in Midtown Omaha. Who is stabbing trees in public parks with meat-wrapped knives, and why?

Over the past 25 years, a fascinating transition has taken place in areas of England that were absolutely decimated by mining operations. It's incredible to see what a few million saplings can do given the right amount of time.

Is your city one of the most bicycle friendly in the US? Click the link below to find out!

THE BEST BIKE CITIES IN NORTH AMERICA (article)

Have you ever wondered what a squirrel sees as it zips through the trees? Well, one inquisitive individual grabbed a GoPro and took it on a canopy tour. This is a really fun video to watch.

A SQUIRREL TAKES US ON A TOUR OF THE TREES (video)

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.114

Most people think a forest is something that exists far away, a bastion of nature untouched by human development. Not so, says TED Fellow Shubhendu Sharma. Click below to learn how you can grow a complete, complex 100-year-old forest in your own backyard, in just 10 years. We're already digging!

GROW A FOREST IN YOUR BACKYARD (essay/video)

Once your backyard forest has been established, crush another commonly held misconception: that forests are places in which trees just battle for supremacy, a vast competition for resources. In fact, trees do more than help each other out in times of need, they collaborate. Another fascinating TED Talk on that subject follows.

Life surely has ups and downs, low points and moments when you're riding high. That being said, no one rides higher than Felix Guirola of Havana, Cuba. If this picture isn't clickbait enough, what is?

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.109

Happy Father's Day! Everyone knows who the world's best dad is – yours! Speaking of the best, check out this amazing list of the world's most superlative trees. There are some real gems in this collection. Connecting these dots would be an incredible trip indeed.

A GUIDE TO SUPERLATIVE TREES (infographic)

If your dad is an avid cyclist and you're looking for the perfect gift to give him next year, consider the TwiCycle. Featuring arm-cranks attached to a front wheel gear, this unique ride offers a full body workout. Watch the promo video!

Have you ever seen a tree droop at night? Researchers in Austria, Finland, and Hungary studied birch trees using lasers and found something fascinating: trees may sleep. You'll have to click the link below for details.

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.99

Happy Valentine's Day! Here at RETREET, we love trees. Don't you? Trees are home. Trees are sanctuaries. Take a moment to read an excerpt by Hermann Hesse about how trees teach us the truth about who we are. What a perfect partner for Valentine's Day.

We've seen some impressive cycling over the years, but the set of skills on display at this year's EMS Cup were really something else. It's hard to fathom balance this good.

Riding a 3-D printed bicycle across a 3-D printed bridge is closer than you think. A group of students in Holland has created prototypes for both. The woven steel frame of their bike is quite eye-catching, don't you think? The future is here!

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.92

A 1,400-year-old ginkgo tree in China has been making quite a scene this fall. Thousands of people have flocked to the site of a glorious ocean of yellow leaves raining down upon a Buddhist temple. These are some stunning images.

YELLOW LEAVES RAIN ON BUDDHIST TEMPLE (photos)

Next year, construction begins on The Copenhagen Gate, a bicycle bridge that's suspended 213 feet above water and connects two high rise buildings. The most interesting feature is the midpoint connection of the two protrusions, where the bridge appears broken. Check out this odd design.

Have you ever seen The Blue Trees? An ongoing project of artist Konstantin Dimopoulos, it raises the level of social consciousness about the importance of trees by using nontoxic paint to change their color, making their irregularity impossible to ignore. We really like this.

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.91

There's a new trend in the cycling community: riding as far as you can in one direction, then taking the train back home. Such multimodal transportation opens up entirely new adventures for those on two wheels. Read the article below for inspiration and check out what is available in your area.

Almost 100 years ago, a couple of discoveries led to the theory that there were once ancient trees that towered nearly three times as tall as today's giant redwoods. Imagine seeing a tree like that from 25 miles away!

Despite the fact that it is considered socially unacceptable for women to ride bicycles in Egypt, a group called Go Bike is promoting just that. These women find empowerment winding through Cairo's chaotic streets while saving time and money.

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.90

The Fortingall Yew, a 5,000-year-old tree in Scotland, is changing from male to female. This year, for the first time, it produced berries instead of pollen. How is that possible? You'll have to read the story to find out!

Equally amazing is Red Bull's latest video with BMX cyclist Kriss Kyle. Travel deep into a series of optical illusions that are certain to boggle your mind.

As it turns out, humans have underestimated trees completely. Researches have found some amazing specimens among the estimated three trillion that populate the planet, and have noticed what some describe as signs of intelligent life. They argue that coming to a deeper understanding of their ways may even help us solve some of the toughest problems we currently face. A great read!

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.82

Safety is an important part of riding, and lights at night are a key element. The Monkey Light Pro is about as cool a way to be noticed as possible when cruising the streets after dark. With thousands of patterns to choose from, these are some slick LEDs!

A group of students from the Estonian Academy of Arts recently built a series of giant megaphones and placed them in a forest outside of the capital, Tallinn. An art installation and resting place, these beautifully crafted pieces allow passersby to experience the trees in a whole new way. Hardly the sounds of silence!

ESTONIAN FOREST MEGAPHONES (photo essay)

Hayao Miyazaki, one of the world's most famous animators, announced that he will build a park in Okinawa, incorporating themes from some of his most beloved films. This is guaranteed to be a magical place. We would love to walk down these paths.

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.79

New Zealand BMX cyclist Jed Milton just set a new world record, becoming the first person to land a quadruple backflip. This video, courtesy of Nitro Circus, is unreal. Nothing like a little friendly competition to push boundaries!

Bicycles have played a number of key roles throughout the last century, serving as everything from military transportation to an emblem of the women's rights movement in the US. National Geographic gathered 16 shots that really put historical context to our favorite machine. Cycle through!

What is a tree worth? Would it surprise you to know that a new study found that an additional ten trees on a given clock corresponds to a one-percent increase in how healthy nearby residents felt? Every little bit helps! This builds upon a thread we originally mentioned in SS&Tvol76. Read more about the many benefits of our green friends at the link below.

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.76

Last week, a new scientific study out of University of Chicago built upon what a growing body of research has shown for years: living amid a thriving urban forest is good for your health. The sample included 30,000 residents of Toronto and 530,000 trees that have been catalogued by the city, and comparative analytics revealed some amazing findings. For the first time, quantifiable benefits of having mature trees in a neighborhood became available. One notable quote, for instance, was "having 10 more trees in a city block, on average, improves health perception in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of $10,000 and moving to a neighborhood with $10,000 higher median income or being 7 years younger." Interesting stuff! Read more about "Treelaxation" at the link below.

TREES ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH (article)

Some people are content to rest in the shade beneath the trees, but others need a view from the top down. Professional climber Chris Sharma returned to his home state of California after nearly 10 years of living in Catalunya, Spain, in order to climb giant sequoias for scientific research. After an extensive career that established Chris as one of the best climbers in the world, this chance to reconnect with trees, the very reason he got into climbing in the first place, was one he couldn't miss.

FREE CLIMBING REDWOODS (video) — FREE CLIMBING REDWOODS (video)

Also from the world of Red Bull, downhill mountain biker Aaron Gwin pops a tire just a few seconds after his start and, while he doesn't win the race, he puts a seriously epic run into the books. Amazing video!

ON FIRE WITH NO BACK TIRE (video) — ON FIRE WITH NO BACK TIRE (video)