TreeNote
Science & Technology News
TreeNote is a two minute weekly feature from renowned ecologist Dr. Nalini Nadkarni and KUER. Listen on podcast or on YouTube.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Science & Technology News
Description:
TreeNote is a two minute weekly feature from renowned ecologist Dr. Nalini Nadkarni and KUER. Listen on podcast or on YouTube.
Language:
English
Website:
https://www.kuer.org
Episodes
Tree lovers and logger sports
4/2/2026
Logger sports came to America and Canada in the mid-19th century. Almost 200 years later, logger sport competitions are still packed with people who love trees — and want to test their physical endurance.
Duration:00:02:20
What cherry blossoms tell us about our changing climate
3/26/2026
Cherry blossoms are more than pretty decorations — when they pop is a record of our changing climate.
Duration:00:02:24
How trees adapt to dry climates
3/19/2026
We usually think of water as being stored in oceans and rivers, but some trees act as reservoirs too.
Duration:00:02:20
The humble toothpick
3/12/2026
If you want to appreciate something connected to trees — but that’s overlooked because it seems so small and mundane — consider the toothpick.
Duration:00:02:21
How wind shapes trees
3/5/2026
We’ve all seen pictures or witnessed firsthand the destructive force of high winds on trees — all those images of crushed homes and downed power lines.
Duration:00:02:25
Why some trees need flying buttresses
2/26/2026
Like Europe's giant Gothic cathedrals, there are large trees that rely on flying buttresses for support.
Duration:00:02:30
Trees and art
2/19/2026
It’s no wonder that trees have long inspired artists. Not only are they beautiful, they also symbolize renewal, growth, time, knowledge and spirituality.
Duration:00:02:25
Trees at dawn and dusk
2/12/2026
You may have heard of crepuscular animals — those that are most active during dawn and dusk — but what about the world of crepuscular trees?
Duration:00:02:20
Meet the tree that gives us chocolate
2/5/2026
No chocolate fan has to wonder why the scientific name of the cacao tree translate from the Greek to "the food of the gods."
Duration:00:02:25
Trees and Winter Sports
1/29/2026
When winter settles in, it’s great to get outside to navigate our snowy landscapes. But we don’t often think about how our winter adventures are often brought to us by trees.
Duration:00:02:17
How we got the smell of fresh pine in the car
1/22/2026
The origin story of those little tree-shaped, pine-scented air fresheners goes back to a milkman who preferred the smell of fresh pine to sour milk.
Duration:00:02:30
How macaws and almond trees help each other
1/15/2026
Birds and trees are natural partners, but the Great Green Macaw and the Almendro Amarillo tree depend on each other for survival.
Duration:00:02:25
Puppets and Trees
1/8/2026
The connection between trees and puppetry goes back for centuries.
Duration:00:02:20
Trains and Trees
1/1/2026
I recently took the train from Salt Lake City to California, my first such experience in decades. Each mile, my train passed over 3,000 railroad ties — nearly all of them made from trees.
Duration:00:02:35
The Holiday Greens
12/25/2025
With the holidays come evergreen wreaths on people's doors and windows — which got host Nalini Nadkarni asking: Where does all of this holiday greenery come from?
Duration:00:02:35
Frankincense & myrrh
12/18/2025
These two tree resins have a long human history, and these days are in danger of being over sourced.
Duration:00:02:20
The overlooked wood in the orchestra
12/11/2025
Orchestras are full of wooden instruments, but the piece that unifies the group is the one that most of us forget about.
Duration:00:02:35
The rare double coconut
12/4/2025
You've seen coconuts, but what about the giant — and wonky — double coconuts?
Duration:00:02:20
The Peppery Allspice Tree
11/27/2025
The first time I helped my mom make a pumpkin pie for our Thanksgiving dinner, my job was to retrieve the spaces for the filling. I knew what cinnamon and nutmeg were, but what in the world was allspice?
Duration:00:02:20
How to break down a leaf
11/20/2025
It's that time of year when nature goes all-in on leaf demolition. So, what's the process?
Duration:00:02:35