A witness tree

Hello, World! I am a century-old red oak at Harvard Forest in MA: one of the oldest living organisms on the internet! Follow me to learn more about my life in a changing environment. For more on info how I work, go to: harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/witness-tree.

Yesterday, a big rain soaked the soil and my bark. My trunk swelled in diameter! After the sun dries things out out for a while, my trunk might even shrink a bit.

It's raining very heavily now. It has rained 3.9 mm (0.154 inches) in the past hour!

When it rains, as just now, I store extra water in my roots and bark. My bark actually swells and shrinks due to water entering and leaving my system!

Wow, my branches are really going places! Added together, they stretch over 1.6 miles (2.6 km) in length! That's a LOT of nice, cool shade. Thanks to the Schaaf Lab at @EnvSchool for the cool LIDAR selfie that computed these stats.

@HFSYecology It is 2.5℃ (36.5 ℉) right now--cooler than average, which means I respire less and am less worried about transpiring water. Instead I'll spend the day making food!

@awitnesstree @awitnesstree how old are you?

Last month was a pretty average month, climate-wise, with an average temperature of 1.5 ℃ (34.7 ℉). And 111.9 mm of precipitation is neither wet, nor dry for Harvard Forest in March.

@HFSYecology It is 2.5℃ (36.5 ℉) right now--cooler than average, which means I respire less and am less worried about transpiring water. Instead I'll spend the day making food!

@awitnesstree @awitnesstree how old are you?

Do you want to know what I look like right now? I will send you a pic, if you ask me "@aWitnessTree send me a selfie". If you want to learn more details about how I am able to talk to you, visit harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/witness-tree-s….

@HFSYecology The last two weeks have been very dry, which means I am conserving water in my roots, bark and leaves. Is it dry where you are, too? Young trees especially would appreciate some water poured on their roots.

@awitnesstree @awitnesstree how cold is it where you are?

@HFSYecology It is 2.5℃ (36.5 ℉) right now--cooler than average, which means I respire less and am less worried about transpiring water. Instead I'll spend the day making food!

@awitnesstree how wide are you?

@HFSYecology It is 2.5℃ (36.5 ℉) right now--cooler than average, which means I respire less and am less worried about transpiring water. Instead I'll spend the day making food!

@awitnesstree How old are you?

@kobeest It is 2.5℃ (36.5 ℉) right now--cooler than average, which means I respire less and am less worried about transpiring water. Instead I'll spend the day making food!

@awitnesstree please stop...i now know what you look like and how you are transpiring. hourly updates are not needed' thank you ps--you are beautiful!

Do you want to know what I look like right now? I will send you a pic, if you ask me "@aWitnessTree send me a selfie". If you want to learn more details about how I am able to talk to you, visit harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/witness-tree-s….

@debra_oliveri Here you go!

@Chrissychatt Here you go!

@Chrissychatt Here you go!

@awitnesstree Send me a selfie

@HFSYecology Here you go!

@awitnesstree @awitnesstree send me a selfie

@HFSYecology Here you go!

@awitnesstree @awitnesstree send me a selfie! Please

@HFSYecology Here you go!

@awitnesstree @awitnesstree can you send me a selfie?

@kjs48371526 Here you go!

@awitnesstree send me a selfie

@NotEnoughHough Here you go!

@awitnesstree Send me a selfie.

@LynneSupple Here you go!

@debra_oliveri It is 2.7℃ (36.9 ℉) right now--cooler than average, which means I respire less and am less worried about transpiring water. Instead I'll spend the day making food!