RETREET BLOG

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


 
SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.110

Over 150 years ago, a hunter named August Dowd discovered a giant sequoia stretching over 300 feet towards the sky. He was dumbfounded. News of the special specimen spread quickly, and eventually a team of lumberjacks showed up to spend the following three weeks cutting it down. The story doesn't end there, though. Read the tragic tail of The Mammoth Tree, a place you can no longer go.

THE MAMMOTH TREE (article)

THE MAMMOTH TREE (article)

In hopeful contrast to the above tale, clusters of new baby giant sequoias have begun to spring up in the aftermath of the Rough Fire in the Sierra Nevada. Read this inspiring article about tiny seedlings en route to becoming the world's largest trees.

BABY GIANT SEQUOIAS (article)

BABY GIANT SEQUOIAS (article)

Bicycles and trains were invented at roughly the same time in human history. Every year, the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pits one against the other in Colorado. Started by Jim and Tom Meyer decades ago, in 1972, the ride sprang out of a simple boast. Now, it draws thousands of cyclists each year. In 2016, 2,500 cyclists from 43 states and 6 countries accepted the challenge. Can you guess how many of them beat the train?

IRON HORSE: BICYCLE VS TRAIN (video/article)

IRON HORSE: BICYCLE VS TRAIN (video/article)

 


 
SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.102

Last year, cyclist Eric "The Red Baron" Barone, 54, beat his own world speed record on a mountain bike in the snow, topping out at 138.75mph. The video speaks for itself. Woah. What a rush!

MOUNTAIN BIKE SPEED WORLD RECORD (video)

MOUNTAIN BIKE SPEED WORLD RECORD (video)

Trees hold a special place throughout American history, as previously mentioned in our recommendation of the book "American Canopy" by Eric Rutkow. If you don't feel up to the task of reading an entire book about the subject, the following article might inspire you. In colonial New England, trees were a prominent feature of everyday life. A pine tree even adorned the first local currency produced, the pine tree shilling. Interested? Keep reading.

SYMBOLIC TREES OF NEW ENGLAND (article)

SYMBOLIC TREES OF NEW ENGLAND (article)

Artist Stephen Lund, based in Victoria, British Columbia, frequently rides 50 miles in a day to create GPS sketches using the cycling app Strava. His imagination, and legs, seemingly know no bounds. This is a really fun gallery to browse.

DRAWING WITH GPS (photo essay)

DRAWING WITH GPS (photo essay)

 


 
SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.74

There are some truly monumental bicycle rides out there, among them The Swiss Epic. Watch this stunning short film about five teams from different backgrounds attempting to win "Europe's Toughest Mountain Bike Race," facing a whole host of incredible obstacles along the way.

THE SWISS EPIC: EUROPE'S TOUGHEST MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE (short film)

THE SWISS EPIC: EUROPE'S TOUGHEST MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE (short film)

Electric bicycles are all the rage these days, but a legitimate question remains: how to generate all of the electricity required in a green fashion? Iranian inventor Mojtaba Raeisi has a smart answer. Behold his sleek concept, the Ele Solar Bicycle. Instead of spokes, its wheels have automatically adjusting solar panels that give it the juice it needs to go farther than the competition, in a more Earth-friendly way.

ELE SOLAR BIKE (video)

ELE SOLAR BIKE (video)

We love spending time amongst the trees, and revere the advice of our elders. Take a moment to enjoy the company of these trees, the ancient masters that have lasted for millennia. Surely, there is something to be learned.

OUR TREE ELDERS (photo essay)

OUR TREE ELDERS (photo essay)