Dendrochronology Study Discussion: Beaver Ponds Environmental Education Center

Scientist to Discuss Discoveries from Local Tree Study

2,000-Year-Old Trees Growing on Pennsylvania Mountain

Thanks to support from the South Park National Heritage Area, Beaver Ponds Environmental Education Center personnel and volunteers along with faculty from the University of Missouri Tree Ring Laboratory collected and processed dendrochronology samples taken at Beaver Ponds and on Pennsylvania Mountain in 2015.  

On Pennsylvania Mountain, most of the trees cored were estimated to be between 500 and 2000 years old.  Of the 23 bristlecone pines sampled over half showed increased growth over the past 100 years.  Why there is an increase in growth over this time period is not clearly understood, but it could be due to increased temperatures or increased concentrations of CO₂ due to climate change.

Beaver Ponds Environmental Education Center Executive Director Kevin Hosman and Dr. Michael Stambaugh will be presenting a talk about these discoveries at 7 p.m. on July 28th at Beaver Ponds, 2234 Busch Run Road, Fairplay, CO 80440.  The event is free and open to the public.  

For more information, please contact: 

Kelly Voss, Director of Development

Beaver Ponds Environmental Education Center

kvoss@beaverponds.org

(262)989-6215 

or go to www.beaverponds.org for more information.