RETREET BLOG

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


 
SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.89

Beth Moon, an aptly-named photographer from San Francisco, spent the last 14 years photographing the world's oldest trees illuminated by starlight. As she explains, "the series was inspired by two fascinating scientific studies that connect tree growth with celestial movement and astral cycles." Her series of photos is an absolute must see.

OLDEST TREES BY STARLIGHT (photo essay)

OLDEST TREES BY STARLIGHT (photo essay)

This fun, short video starts with a woman walking a baby carriage down the street, then takes an unexpected turn. That's a sweet sidecar!

PRAM CAR - 1951 (video)

PRAM CAR - 1951 (video)

Finally, a scientific study that validates tree hugging! Not only is having direct contact with trees good for your health, so is merely seeing them. It also helps with cognitive development and brain function. If you had any doubts, put your mind at ease with this article. Then, go outside and hug a tree. 

TREE HUGGING SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATED (article)

TREE HUGGING SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATED (article)

Indian billionaire Manoj Bhargava has a simple solution for the 1.3 billion people living without electricity in the world: ride one of his bikes! 60 minutes of effort on the Free Electric hybrid bike will power a home for 24 hours. Exercise and electricity? Take our money!

PEDAL POWER (article/video)

PEDAL POWER (article/video)

 


 
SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.88

We start off this week with a simple entry: a seriously awesome downhill run on a beautiful mountain by Brandon Semenuk. Smile.

DOWNHILL RUN (video)

DOWNHILL RUN (video)

Trees have a major impact on urban landscapes. Many people know they provide shade, food, oxygen, and animal habitats, but there are other, lesser known, benefits. Can you guess what they are? HINT: we've posted a couple of related articles in recent weeks.

BENEFITS OF THE URBAN FOREST (article)

BENEFITS OF THE URBAN FOREST (article)

Last month, a redesigned intersection opened in Salt Lake City, UT, to the joy of local cyclists. Touted as the best intersection for bikes in the world, this novel idea sprouted from the mind of a professional video game designer. Hopefully, it will be the first of many!

THE BEST INTERSECTION FOR BIKES (photo essay/video)

THE BEST INTERSECTION FOR BIKES (photo essay/video)

Feeling a bit lethargic now that fall is in full swing and temperatures have dropped? There's good news! A campaign from National Wildlife Federation is promoting the concept of leaving the leaves, as in, no raking. It's good for the soil, trees, and wildlife. That leaves more time to ride your bike.

DON'T RAKE YOUR LEAVES (article)

DON'T RAKE YOUR LEAVES (article)

 


 
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)

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)

 


 
SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.46

Who wouldn't want to ride the world's fastest e-bike? The M55 Terminus, manufactured out of aerospace grade titanium and aluminum, easily reaches top speeds of over 50 mph. Only 275 of these bad boys have been produced (5 editions of 55), so getting your hands on one will be difficult. What a ride it will be though!

The results are in: scientific studies prove that hugging trees is good for your health. Get out and get hugging! You'll live longer.

If you have a few extra minutes, take a look at an amazing map that shows every tree in the USA. We will surely add a few green dots to it before the end of the year. Over 3,000 of them are already ours!

M55 TERMINUS - THE WORLD'S FASTEST ELECTRIC BICYCLE (video)

M55 TERMINUS - THE WORLD'S FASTEST ELECTRIC BICYCLE (video)

HUGGING TREES IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH (article)

HUGGING TREES IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH (article)

AMAZING MAP SHOWS EVERY TREE IN THE USA (map)

AMAZING MAP SHOWS EVERY TREE IN THE USA (map)