The dendroclimatology of bristlecone pine: the Earth’s oldest living trees

This talk explores what bristlecone pine tree rings tell us about the history of Earth’s climate and the enduring life of these remarkable trees. In the high mountains of the Great Basin, bristlecone pines persist where few trees can, each year producing a narrow ring that reflects variations in temperature and moisture. By carefully measuring and aligning these rings, scientists have built one of the longest annual records of climate on the planet. The talk will trace how we build these chronologies, what they reveal about past environments, and why bristlecones have become powerful symbols of time, resilience, and our connection to the natural world.