~ Reading The Trees ~

[SanMan]

Anyone have a copy of that cd / dvd where that American Indian guy
teaches how to read the trees to determine where former homesteads,
farms, roads, and foundations were?

 

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[Mudflap]

Never heard of it, however I had a detector pal in Pa years ago that could do it pretty well. He could look at the trees and by the type of tree and size figure how old it was and then check trees around and determine by difference in diameters (used DBH, diameter breast high, used by foresters for timber cruising) if there was a lane or cow path there and how old the path was! Then used topographic features to estimate homestead, well, dump, etc. locations.

 

[AstralDruid]

I speak with the trees on every forest visit.. Actually i listen.. Often i have answers, rarely do i know the questions..

 

[PetesPockets55]

Thanks for bringing up this question because I've been interested in finding and using this information on types of trees and their growth to help determine and pinpoint areas of interest.
The system used by the guy Mudflap mentions is what I've often wondered about.

 

[beepbleep]

We have some real old trees they say were tied down by Native Americans as direction markers. Around heads of creeks, down the ridges, all pointing to the salt dome prairie. Big hundreds of year old oaks with huge bent twisted limbs all pointing the same direction. It is odd for something to have happened to that many saplings to grow that way with none pointing any other directions. These are right down my driveway where the old wagon road crossed the creek. Live oaks are a pretty slow growing evergreen oak.

 

[Bodkin]

Very interesting. My area of Maine was heavily timbered in the past with no real regulations. I've seen old photos showing an apocalyptic landscape with zero trees. Everything has grown back to "normal" size except for a few behemoths in the mix. Those stop me in my tracks because they were spared for a reason. I try to get a sense of why those are still there, other than the obvious property lines, drives and such. The info that beepbleep throws out concerning bent down limbs was an eye opener for me (thanks for that). I've seen a few of those but never looked any further. Brad on the YouTube GMMD had an episode showing where logged trees where slid down mountains in the winter and would smash the bark off the standing trees all on the same side. One could line up the scared trees and get an idea where the action was (I found a few of those after seeing this). If anyone finds what SanMan is looking for it would be a very interesting post I believe.

 

[49er12]

I’m not sure early settlers preferred certain trees, but yeah something to it maybe real tall pine trees provided certain needs , big trunk trees indicate old so it would be a place to search so yeah when you get to the spot, look around and imagine what could have been , then foundations will be found to to sometimes, good post

 

[BillA]

similar thread, some info

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/s...egetaion-trees-research-tool.html#post6354480

 

[ArfieBoy]

Sanman, I think I might have the CD you're asking about. It's stashed somewhere in my computer room and I would have to look for it. I'll try to find it and let you know for sure. Take care my friend!

 

[SanMan]

Sanman, I think I might have the CD you're asking about. It's stashed somewhere in my computer room and I would have to look for it. I'll try to find it and let you know for sure. Take care my friend!

Hello Arfie,.....

That would be great!

I kinda remember selling mine to Paul (CA), Paul from the Compass forum.

Before I sent it I studied it really well, and copied some of the info,....
Last I spoke to Paul I think he said he loaned it someone and it didn't come back.

I'll post what I remember, but, the pictures were all perfect examples of the subject the man was addressing.

I see what I can do.

 

[SanMan]

Reading The Trees​

After studying that disk I have never looked at trees the same way.

Here is some of what I remember,......


Picture in your mind a flat, narrow, dirt country road.

As you drive along you have to train yourself to take in the clues that the trees and plants are telling you.



Things in a straight line

As you drive along notice the plants and brush along the side of the road.

Do plants even somewhat line up in line with each other?

Are they non native to the area?

Tulips, roses, lemon trees, whatever,....... do you see them elsewhere?

Then, there you have it, coming up on the right is a clear area.
maybe 80 yards wide, over 100 yards deep.

On the left side of the clearing, a row of trees.

But some 3 or 4 of the row have grown up at an angle to the left.
If it were wind all of the trees in the row would be effected the same.

The difference here is "There was a structure there at one time"

Trees, even when not all to close to a building, "will grow away from a building".


These pictures are the best I could scurry up quick, to lend some visual.

 

[SanMan]

Reading The Trees​

Ok, that place panned out.
You drive down the road for 20 minutes and you think you saw a single fence post, 25 feet back from the road.

You get out and stumble around in the brush and make you way into the wooded area,......

Then you kind of "Break Through", there is a clear section, over 50 ft. wide and straight as a pin.
Looks like a hallway, up to the right, and down to the left, as far as the eye can see,.....

You scratch around and find bits and pieces of square fence post and wire.

Then,...... you drag your feet around and find wood spaced equally and a rail,.....

A long abandoned railway.


Nature is not Straight


Nature is not straight.

It does not plant trees in nice neat rows.
It does not supply roses to just one place in the county just back from the road,......
All in a nice straight line.

Nature is "Random"

Train your eye to catch things that are just too straight, too well in a row, too evenly spaced.

Nature doesn't do that, people do that.


What We Get Used To

Our eyes are accustomed to seeing "City Things",....

Sidewalks straight as a pin, property lines same for same, things at 90 deg, things at 180 deg.

And,...... things in a straight line.

A uniform look, square corners, laid out on a grid, nothing random about it.


"When you out in the back country don't leave your city eyes behind"

Use those eyes to spot what is out of place, what doesn't fit in, what stick out like a sore thumb.




Notice here, 4,5,6, branches growing on the side away from the building.
Toward the building, just 1.




See here, the tree has grown angling away from the building, and more growth on the off side.



Evenly spaced, no others around, needs looking into.




That's about all what I remember
SanMan

 

[PetesPockets55]

Sanman, Thanks for sharing what you remember.

Nature is random. I like that.

 

[Bum Luck]

Nature is "Random"

SanMan

Say rather that we plant things in patterns that we recognize.

There is a pattern to Nature, it just doesn't look like ours.

 

[ArfieBoy]

Sanman, I found it! Going to check it out and see what I can do for you. Being the holiday season, and my own tendency to procrastinate, it make take a while! But I will get it soon. Seems like I got a booklet with it, too. I'll look for that also.

 

[ArfieBoy]

I just found the pamphlet that came with the DVD. By John Whitecloud and copyright of 2010. Same for the DVD.

 

[ArfieBoy]

I just found the pamphlet that came with the DVD. By John Whitecloud and copyright of 2010. Same for the DVD.

 

[SanMan]

I just found the pamphlet that came with the DVD. By John Whitecloud and copyright of 2010. Same for the DVD.

Thanks Arfie,

That will help me,... and others, search a copy down.

I remembered the maker was a Native American.

 

[ArfieBoy]

Title of the DVD is "How To Use Plants And Trees To Find Unhunted Treasure Sites" with John Whitecloud. Same for the handbook. Good Luck!

 

[SanMan]

Say rather that we plant things in patterns that we recognize.

There is a pattern to Nature, it just doesn't look like ours.

Let me give you some examples of nature at it's best,.......

Most trees in the country are there because of squirrels.
The little monsters dig and stash nuts and seeds for the most part of every day.

Virtually "all" of the hardwood forested sections of the fly over states is due to squirrels.

I refer you to the episode of "Wild America" narrated by Marty Stouffer.
"Bushytails"
aired January,27, 1990
(Excellent in the way of information)

Summary:

If you walk through a forest anywhere in North America, you're likely to hear the scolding chatter of a tree Squirrel. These lively creatures are among our most popular and visible wild animals. We watch Squirrels, in city parks or in our backyards, collecting nuts and acorns to store for the Winter. But how much do we really know about their life in the wild? From the tiny Red Squirrel to the handsome husky Fox Squirrel, these tree-top acrobats come in a wide range of sizes and colors. Let's take a look at the unusual and often unseen behavior of these "BUSHYTAILS."

–Marty Stouffer

*******************************************************************

The little acorn bandits do all that work, and wildlife experts have proved,......
Their memory of the last spot where they stashed their treasure, 15 min max.

They recover the stashes all over creation with their "nose".
Often enough the stash they sniff up was buried by another squirrel.

The stashes they recover are food, the ones that get missed or passed over,.....
some become the trees that provide us with both material and mast.

And of course,.... the results are by definition "random"

And then we have maybe seeds that get stuck to the bottoms of duck feet.
Ducks have been known to have fish eggs cling to the bottoms of their feet.
Sometimes introducing species to a remote lake of pond.

These examples show the "randomness" of nature

You see?

"That's the beauty of it"

Everything nature does is original in it's creation.



That is why it's so wonderful.
(ie; wonder filled)