RETREET BLOG

RETREET BLOG

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

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.105

The magical creations of Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy have mesmerized us for many years. This week, we came across a collection of some of his natural wonders that is definitely worth sharing. Who knew you could do so much with just leaves and sticks?

THE ART OF ANDY GOLDSWORTHY (photo essay)

Retrofitting old airplanes to turn them into carpet tree bombers: there's an idea we can get behind. An experienced forester can plant 1,000 saplings in a day. And the plane? 900,000. We'd love to see this in action.

AERIAL REFORESTATION (video)

Looking for a new ride? Not sure where to go and what to ask? Check out this post about buying a new bicycle, in which all of your most embarrassing questions are answered. Happy shopping!

BIKE SHOP QUESTIONS (article)

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.104

We've been in LA this week laying the foundation for our west coast launch and planting the seed of a new and robust branch of the RETREET community. It's been an amazing experience, the continuation of work begun in late January.

In the long-term, we aim to hold a RETREET in one of the many wildfire areas in California within the next year. In the short-term, we are fostering relationships with local likeminded organizations in order to augment and connect their existing programs and, by doing so, introduce new people to their missions and ours. For this Sunday Show & Tell, we thought we'd try something a little different and highlight a few of our favorite future partners.

Ron Finley is a true force of nature. Known far and wide as The Gangsta Gardener, Ron is flipping the script in his neighborhood and around the world by getting people invested in their communities and themselves through growing food. Believe it or not, what you put in your mouth matters. It was incredible to spend time with Ron in his magnificent garden and hear his powerful message: less talking and more doing. Watch Ron's TED Talk and get to it. Let's plant some shit!

THE RON FINLEY PROJECT

Founded in 2011 by actor Bill Pullman and his wife Tamara, Hollywood Orchard engages community by planting, caring for, and harvesting neighborhood fruit trees. They share food in open-air pop up kitchens and events in Beachwood Canyon and support local food charity organizations.

For part of our trip, we had the pleasure of staying with John and Bella Allen, who are developing a community center called The Birdhouse - a place where birds of a feather can flock together and hatch ideas. More on that, and future plantings, coming soon.

HOLLYWOOD ORCHARD

Founded by environmental visionary Andy Lipkis in 1973, TreePeople grows a green and climate-resilient Los Angeles, one with enough tree canopy, healthy soil, and clean local water in even its most urban neighborhoods. They work with communities to transform LA’s landscapes into living, healthy watersheds: in homes, neighborhoods and schools, in local mountains, and at their 45-acre park. They also have deep roots working with policymakers to demonstrate new green and viable infrastructure solutions for a sustainable city.

Andy told us something that will resonate for years to come. There is a special element in the DNA of RETREET. It's the reason our mission resonates with people and it must remain the focus of our organization. Community is our heart and, if we stray from that center, the trees we plant won't grow. Heard. Learn more about Andy the TreePeople.

TREEPEOPLE

There's so much more to say, but that's a good start. Stay tuned!

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.103

There are a lot of rules governing the production of road bicycles, especially those used in races like the Tour de France. Standardized dimensions, materials, and functionality are set by Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), and must be strictly followed. One designer, Robert Egger of Specialized, decided to throw all of that out the window and push the limits of possibility. Behold the fruits of his labor, the FUCI. Yes, the name means what you think it means.

SPECIALIZED CONCEPT BIKE (video/article)

Speaking of rules, did you know that all trees break at essentially the same windspeed? 94/mph. Explore why at the link below.

HOW WIND BREAKS TREES (short article)

Trees give us so many edible delights. What better place to plan a foodie expedition than in the forest? Check out The Forager, a bicycle that enables you to scout, prepare, and consume the bounty that awaits.

ULTIMATE FOODIE BIKE (photos/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)

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)

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)

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.101

NASA is using a system of satellite and lasers to create a 3D map of the world's forests in order to determine the amount of carbon dioxide that they encapsulate. The system they've devised, called "lidar," is phenomenal, and is the latest advancement in tree cartography. Learn more below.

NASA USES SPACE LASERS TO MAP FORESTS (article)

Norway is investing $1 billion to create a system of two-lane bicycle highways that connect the country's nine largest cities. The hope is that this new infrastructure will greatly reduce the impact of emissions, and the goal is for at least 10% of journeys to occur by bicycle in 2030. We hope it works!

NORWAY SPENDS $1 BILLION ON BICYCLE HIGHWAYS (essay)

Architects in Ho Chi Minh City were asked to create a new university campus. Taking into account the rapid urban sprawl and takeover of the natural environment, one group created a beautiful design that purposefully invokes a city overrun by vegetation. Seems almost post-apocalyptic. After seeing the photo spread, we definitely want to attend this university!

FOREST CAMPUS IN HO CHI MINH CITY (photo essay)

BASTROP RETREET VI
February 27th+28th, 2016

RETREET was born in Bastrop four years ago. A group of volunteers, most of whom were cyclists, wanted to plant trees for a community that was badly burned by a monthlong wildfire that began September 4th, 2011. Over 34,000 acres and 1,600 homes were scorched. Our first event, which took place January 22nd-24th, 2012, was a massive effort that sparked the creation of RETREET, an organization that now redefines the concept of disaster relief through direct action.

Our sixth RETREET in Bastrop saw the planting of our 4,000th tree. A total of 24 RETREETers traveled in from California, Minnesota, New York, and all across Texas to work. On Sunday, February 28th, 2016, they were joined by 31 local volunteers from H-E-B and The Home Depot, bringing the total count to 55. All told, the group planted 160 trees at 26 homes sites, a beautiful mix of bald cypresses, Texas redbuds, Monterrey oaks, chinquapin oaks, Shumard oaks, and native pecans.

BASTROP RETREET VI PLANTING GROUP

The first trees arrived in Bastrop on Thursday afternoon, February 25th, as did the first RETREETers. The trees were delivered by Tree Life Farms on behalf of Apache Corporation, who donated 100 5-gallon trees to BASTROP RETREET VI as part of their Tree Grant Program. The following morning, a small group of RETREETers accepted the delivery of the second set of trees, an even mix of 15-gallon bald cypresses and Texas redbuds that came from Magnolia Garden Nursery. Those trees were purchased with funds provided to RETREET through LUSH Cosmetics' Charity Pot Program. The Home Depot Foundation granted $6,600 for supplies, most of which were collected after all of the trees were loaded. Thankfully, Bastrop Parks & Recreation staff sent two trucks and trailers to help deliver the trees and planting materials to home sites. Their help made all the difference! Miller Family Automotive also came through in a big way again this year through their contribution of a U-Haul box truck to the delivery fleet.

TREE DELIVERY IN BASTROP

The following morning, Saturday, February 27th, RETREETers began to converge in Bastrop. Over a dozen went for a memorable 25-mile ride through Bastrop and Buescher State Parks, following the path of the MS-150 and conquering a number of challenging hills. The weather was absolutely perfect and smiles ran rampant. Special thanks to our friends at Richardson Bike Mart, who again loaned us a few bicycles from their rental fleet for RETREETers traveling in from other states.

READY TO RIDE

That evening, the group was given an exceptional treat. Richard Linklater, the Oscar-nominated director of Boyhood, invited our entire crew to his home for dinner, drinks, and entertainment. La Cucina di Afrodita whipped up an incredible feast that silenced the crowd and filled every belly with love. The RETREETers planted six trees on site, a token of our thanks for the incredible hospitality of the Linklater family. We look forward to watching them grow alongside all of the other trees we have planted in Bastrop.

DINNER AT THE LINKLATERS WITH LA CUCINA DI AFRODITA

Sunday morning, February 28th, RETREETers and planting day participants met at RETREET HQ, Pecan Street Inn, a location that was paid for through a grant from Felvis Foundation. After an enlightening tree planting demonstration given by Texas A&M Forest Service, small groups were formed and sent to residences to the east of Bastrop State Park, in an area that was burned during both the Bastrop County Complex wildfires and the Hidden Pines Fire. Many of the homes at which we planted were burned after being reconstructed, and many of those belonged to members of the volunteer fire department. The stories of their efforts during the wildfires are truly inspiring and heart-wrenching.

Lunch was provided by H-E-B, and the planters enjoyed a sunny afternoon ride around town following their work. That night, those who remained in town enjoyed hand-tossed pizzas at Neighbor's Kitchen & Yard. It was the perfect end to a fulfilling weekend. We are especially grateful to Felicia Graham for taking so many wonderful photos! Click any of the ones you see to view the complete album.

PROPER TREE PLANTING TECHNIQUES WITH TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.100

Happy 100th week of Sunday Show & Tell! Have you been following from the beginning? We hope you've enjoyed the many fascinating links we've presented over the past two years. Here's to 100 more!

We begin this week with a love story starring trees. This Silly Symphony, brought to us by Walt Disney, is sure to make you smile. It's always a good time for a little dose of happy.

A LOVE STORY STARRING TREES (film)

Next, a subtly hilarious video for tourists about how to bicycle in Amsterdam, as told by a local. Most of these rules of the road are useful in every cityscape. The presentation is memorable, to say the least.

CYCLING IN AMSTERDAM (video)

Finally, check out this short from National Geographic about The President, the world's second-largest known tree. The sheer about of biomass in this behemoth is awe inspiring. Would you climb it?

THE PRESIDENT (video)

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.

TREES ARE SANCTUARIES (essay)

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.

INSANE BALANCING ACT (video)

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!

3-D PRINTED BICYCLE (article)

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.98

What to do when you run out of potential green space in an urban environment and still want to plant more trees? Create a floating forest! Jeroen Everaert, a resident of Rotterdam who runs an art production company, has been working with the city to establish trees in unused harbor space. Quite the installation piece!

THE FLOATING FOREST OF ROTTERDAM (article)

In celebration of Black History Month, we share the following story. Few know of the all-black 25th mobile infantry, a group of incredibly tough men who rode 1,900 across the US on bicycles in 1897 in order to test the new device as a potential mode of troop transport. The story of their adventure is incredible, to say the least.

BLACK BICYCLE CORPS (article)

A man in Seattle, whose close relations call The Human Shovel, transplants unwanted trees using nothing more than a shovel, pickaxe, and antique truck. Over the past five years, Bernie O'Brien has saved hundreds of trees from the bulldozer. Noble work indeed.

SEATTLE TREE TRANSPLANTER (video)

SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.97

A German forest ranger named Peter Wohlleben made a name for himself by releasing his book "The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate - Discoveries from a Secret World," which unexpectedly became a national bestseller. These days, he spends most of his time out of the forest and on the publicity circuit talking about the social networks of trees. The ways in which they work together will surprise you!

TREES HAVE SOCIAL NETWORKS (article)

We have presented several articles over the past couple of years regarding the psychological benefits of trees. Certainly, there is no better evidence of this than the sentiments received from the residents of the communities in which we plant. Bicycles, too, improve moods. But how, and why?

WHY CYCLING MAKES US HAPPY (article)

In Singapore, a fascinating new construction project incorporates a giant vertical forest nestled between four apartment buildings. The Green Heart, as it is known, resembles rice terraces and incorporates gardens, pools, waterfalls, and, of course, tons and tons of trees. We hope to see this one day!

A FOREST IN AN ATRIUM (photo essay)