Videos on the Torreya Guardians Website TOTAL through 2024: 38 videos Educational VIDEO series to document the citizen science/naturalist projects of the all-volunteer Torreya Guardians in human-assisted migration northward of America's most endangered conifer tree, Florida Torreya (Torreya taxifolia), during this time of rapid climate change. Three Videos on the HISTORY of our Volunteer Effort 2022                                     2023                                     2024 VIDEOS in Reverse Chronological order EPISODE 38: "DOGE for Endangered Plants - Cut costs, get results, follow our lead (Torreya Guardians)" 1 hour - filmed November 2024    Having spent 20 years using an "exception" in the Endangered Species Act (just for plants), and with the official recovery plan and actions still refusing to experiment with poleward "assisted migration" of this "glacial relict", Connie was inspired to produce another video — the day after Fred Bess (Cleveland, Ohio) delivered a portion of his new seed harvest to her in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This video entails a broad look at the history of genus Torreya, our volunteer actions, and how citizens can help other endangered plants. EPISODE 37: Assisted Migration of Climate-Endangered Plants - Torreya Guardians lead the way 70 minutes - filmed November 2023    A presentation by the group's founder, Connie Barlow, of the long and shifting history of scientific speculation and (sometimes faulty) assumptions about the ultimate cause(s) of this ancient conifer's sudden demise in its tiny historical range in Florida. A new webpage Connie created, "Published Documents on Endangerment Causes of Torreya taxifolia in Florida", is the basis for this educational video. BACKGROUND: Motivated by the July 2023 adoption of a new regulation permitting the agency in charge of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to expand recovery efforts beyond the "historical range" — especially if climate change had already damaged prospects there — Connie began a scholarly search of new papers that might offer guidance for Florida Torreya. What she found was a "paradigm shift" (beginning around 2016) that offered new and compelling scientific reasons for the ESA implementers to follow the lead of this citizen group in "assisted migration" poleward as a way to help this tree regain its ability to fight native diseases. Central to this new understanding is the discovery that all plant tissues — including seeds — harbor beneficial fungal and bacterial partners: what is now called the Plant Microbiome and the Seed Microbiome. Note: The new page is linked from the original (and lengthy!) webpage dealing more broadly with this topic: "Torreya taxifolia at the Brink of Extinction — Why?" EPISODE 36: Michigan welcomes endangered trees from Florida 34 minutes - filmed August 13, 2023    PAUL CAMIRE plants torreya seeds and seedlings in his forest in Capac, Michigan. His experience will encourage other planters to (a) build strong cages to protect torreya where DEER are over-abundant and (b) don't give up when herbivory happens. Torreya will recover!     Crucially, too: There is no evidence of winter kill or disease problems in Michigan. At timecode 10:52 Paul shows his vibrant Florida yew — another glacial relict stranded in the panhandle of Florida. Visit the Capac Michigan torreya webpage. EPISODE 35: Torreya Guardians - Reflections by Connie Barlow 43 minutes - filmed November 12, 2022 Filmed November 2022 while cleaning and sorting autumn 2022 seeds harvested from a private home in Clinton, NC. Here Connie reflects on "two decades of citizen action." YOUTUBE CAPTION begins:    Torreya Guardians is internationally known for conducting the first "assisted migration" action for a climate-endangered plant, Florida Torreya. Advocacy began in 2004, with actions ramping up in 2008. This network of engaged citizens, however, relied on an "exception" (just for plants) in the Endangered Species Act in order to do so legally. Finally, in 2022 the federal agency in charge of endangered species proposed updating the regulations pertaining to "experimental populations" in order to facilitate its use for climate adaptation: helping species move to cooler habitats. Connie's own efforts began with published advocacy for helping Florida Torreya move north, in her 2001 book, The Ghosts of Evolution, followed by an essay co-authored with Pleistocene ecologist Paul S. Martin, which was published in Wild Earth Winter 2004/2005. It was titled, "Bring Torreya taxifolia North Now." In 2005 TORREYA GUARDIANS was formed, with substantial help from Lee Barnes. The bulk of this video reports on subsequent actions in citizen-led planting and seed harvesting of this tree into northward states. • VIDEO: "Helping Subcanopy Trees Migrate" - 50 minutes - published November 2021    This video is not part of the Torreya Guardians series, but it does include Florida Torreya as one of the two featured subcanopy species of the eastern USA. Pawpaw, Asimina triloba is the other native subcanopy tree featured. The final 4 minutes show Connie at a new planting site for Torreya seeds in southern Michigan. Indigenous values are advocated as well as the "natural history" style of observation and interpretation. IN 2021 Connie Barlow cross-posted two videos from her broader series on ASSISTED MIGRATION as a climate adaptation tool. The series is titled "Helping Forests Walk". View the full captions of each to see the timecodes where TORREYA GUARDIANS actions appear in each.       HELPING FORESTS WALK: Episode 1 (55 minutes) Episode 2 (1 hour) EPISODE 34: Florida Torreya Experiments in Southern New Hampshire 52 minutes - filmed May 18, 2019    Four years of Daein Ballard's assisted migration experiments on his forested property in southern New Hampshire. Ballard has a variety of woodland habitats on his property, running from Hemlock Tree Swamp to groves of White Pine, mixed hardwoods on the lower reaches of a slope, dry oak mini ridge top, and open landscapes of lawn and roadway edges. A key part of his onsite experimentation was outplanting potted seedlings near a variety of distinct canopy species. Ballard concludes, "Torreya is probably not going to do well here for now, unless you put it in very particular areas." EPISODE 33: Florida Torreya loves Tennessee 40 minutes - filmed March 18, 2019    Clint Bancroft's Torreya plantings in Ocoee Watershed southeast TN. Sections of the March 2015 (Episode 08) video have been inserted to show the growth achieved in four years. Two key findings, beyond the obvious excellent, disease-free growth. (1) No herbivory; the plants are in perfect condition. (2) With the help of Jack Johnston, Clint has established a "Torreya Bowl", intended for seed production in a wild setting. Maximizing genetic diversity there is a priority. EPISODE 32: Torreya in Michigan Survives -45 Degree Windchill 30 minutes Part A and 28 minutes Part B - filmed June 24, 2019    32a: Torreya in Michigan Survives -45 Degree Windchill Two-part video of Paul Camire's Torreya in-forest plantings in Capac MI of potted seedlings and also seeds from the 2016 fall harvest in Medford Oregon. Florida Torreya has been documented surviving (with little or no damage) subzero temperatures. But this is the coldest: -45 degrees F windchill during Winter 2019. Yet the exposed Torreya branches showed no damage! The biggest problem is deer herbivory: deer even push over wire cages.    32b: Torreya in Michigan Survives Deer Herbivory This last half of the video set surveys the health status of the remaining seedlings, turning up not only severe herbivory but also stunning recovery from such setbacks. Paul Camire shows and tells about three potted seedlings that suffered severe leaf-kill from just one day in full sun — yet tremendous recovery. EPISODE 31: Freeplanting Torreya Seeds - Shoal Sanctuary FL 24 minutes Part A and 31 minutes Part B - filmed January 30, 2019    31a: Shoal Sanctuary FL pt 1 of 2 Site visit to Shoal Sanctuary, due west of Torreya's peak glacial refuge in northern Florida. Documentation of 9 seedlings thriving (and remarkably free of herbivory) four years after a total of 40 seeds were placed directly into the coolest, moistest habitats. Distinctions among the sites portend excellent learnings of site preferences in the years ahead.    31b: Shoal Sanctuary FL pt 2 of 2 This last half of the video set summarizes the documentation and offers topics for further study — notably, why herbivory was absent at all planting sites. Native Christmas Ferns are pointed out as ideal neighbors for (1) camouflage, (2) its "endo" mycorrhizal network, and (3) as an "indicator species" for identifying best microsites for Torreya. EPISODE 30: Florida Torreya in Louisiana - Mature Grove with Seedlings 30 minutes Part A and 40 minutes Part B - filmed November 15, 2018    30a: Florida Torreya in Louisiana (Pt 1) Site visit to Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve. Here knowledgeable local guides provided the complete oral history of this mature grove and answered questions posed by Torreya Guardians. This is thus a superb example of why "natural history" observations and inquiry can help the development of best practices for "assisted migration" recovery actions to ensure that this climate-endangered tree does not slide into extinction.    30b: Florida Torreya in Louisiana (Pt 2) This last half of the video set covers the largest of the three mature trees — the only one that is producing any seeds. Nearby seedlings naturally established are featured, as is the 30-foot-long twin ground-trending branches that achieve photosynthesis by way of horizontal extension, well beyond what the 50-60 foot high canopy can provide. EPISODE 29: Florida Torreya to Lake Junaluska NC - 10th Anniversary, 2018 31 minutes - filmed October 7, 2018    Ten years after the 2008 planting of ten potted seedlings as a first "assisted migration" project (reported on by Audubon Magazine), Connie Barlow returns to document ongoing results. The challenges, the successes, and the learnings are all topics covered here and also on the Lake Junaluska webpage. A key learning is how Torreya is capable of adapting its growth form to conditions of shade (horizontal, yew-like form) or abundant sunlight (standard conifer form). EPISODE 28: Free-Planting Climate-Endangered Florida Torreya - 2018 Update 37 minutes - filmed November 6, 2018    Field documentation of the 6 seedlings that grew and survived with zero human help, following "free-planting" of 15 seeds directly into forest soil in April 2015. Russ Regnery was the planter, within his forest at 3,800 feet elevation on the slope of Black Rock Mountain, near Franklin NC. Video clips of the 2015 planting (Episode 12) are matched with the actual seedlings closely photographed and analyzed Nov 2018. Results: Four summers later, this species exhibits remarkable capacities to recover from early stem and leaf herbivory. A multi-site, richly illustrated, and very detailed summary of overall results entail our new Free-Planting webpage. EPISODE 27: Seeds of Florida Torreya Produced in Ohio 14 minutes - filmed 2 October 2018    Fred Bess has remarkable success (23 seeds) in Cleveland! KEY FINDINGS: 1. These trees have put forth leaves well acclimated to severe cold spells in Ohio. 2. Seeds are produced only on the branches that receive nearly full sun. (Connie notes from her 2005 site visit to wild California Torreya habitat that this seems to be a standard of the genus.) EPISODE 26: Rewilding Torreya Trees, Dayton Ohio (2016-17) 15 minutes - filmed June 2016 and November 2017    Torreya Guardians in Cleveland, Loveland (Cincinnati), and now Dayton Ohio are reporting early success with nurturing Torreya taxifolia in their forests. Florida Torreya has long been regarded as a "glacial relict." Overall, Ohio seems like a sure bet for doing well in today's climate and perhaps tolerating substantial warming in the decades ahead. Diana Spiegel (with assistance from Jim Spiegel) was video-interviewed onsite by Connie Barlow. EPISODE 25: Assisted Migration of Florida Torreya to Michigan - Leelanau Peninsula 15 minutes - filmed July 27, 2018    Germination success in planting seeds directly into a rich forest habitat is show-cased during a field visit to our northern-most planter in Michigan (near Traverse City). Liana May is a professional botanist who, in April 2017 planted 100 seeds (from the fall 2016 harvest of Torreya taxifolia in Medford OR). She "free-planted" the seeds directly into the conservation easement on her 40 acres of forested property. She planted the seeds 4 to 6 inches deep (to limit rodent predation) — but above-ground herbivory was apparently total soon thereafter. EPISODE 24: Florida Torreya to Cumberland Plateau, TN Part 1 (24 minutes)   •   Part 2 (23 minutes)     filmed November 2017    By far the most expansive and exciting experiment in "rewilding" Torreya taxifolia into northward states began in November 2015 on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. All 400 seeds were "free-planted" directly into the ground — either 3 inches deep or under rocks — to protect the seed from rodent predation. Two years later, Connie Barlow video-documented the beginning success of 38 new seedlings. EPISODE 23: Florida Torreya's California Cousin Has Clues for Ex Situ Plantings Part 1 (25 minutes)   •   Part 2 (27 minutes)    In 2005, Connie Barlow visited 4 forested regions in California where Torreya californica could be found growing in the wild. Her aim was to experience and photo-record observations of the trees and their surrounds such that volunteer planters of the Torreya species native to the eastern USA (along with professionals in charge of this endangered species' recovery) could discern habitat preferences of the genus and thus pinpoint similar environments in eastern states for planting seeds and seedlings. Read Connie's 2005 observational notes at: Photo-essays of California Torreyas. EPISODE 22: Florida Torreya Seed Production in Medford, Oregon 24 minutes - filmed February 2017    Frank Callahan transferred 1,000 seeds from the 2016 autumn harvest of Torreya taxifolia seeds — from two trees he had germinated from seed at an ex-situ planting (Medford, Oregon) some 22+ years earlier. He also shows two shrubby-form trees of Florida Torreya, about 22 years old. SIGNIFICANT DISCOVERIES: (a) rooted branchlets will not develop into single-stem trees and (b) Florida Torreya is harmed by sudden exposure to full-intensity sunlight, and even new leaves produced in direct sunlight may never adapt to sun-scald. EPISODE 21: Torreya Guardian Profile: Lee Barnes 16 minutes - filmed May 2016    Lee Barnes is a founding Torreya Guardian, with the longest tenure of work with Torreya taxifolia. From 1981-85 his graduate research entailed advanced propagation techniques for three endangered plants in Torreya State Park of Florida — Torreya among them. Here Lee speaks of his research, his early role in securing Torreya seeds for distribution to volunteer planters, and his broader frame of biodiversity-centric life work. Lee confirms that North Carolina is excellent habitat for this Florida species — and that it is crucial to experiment with plantings much farther north as climate continues to change. EPISODE 20: Florida Torreya at Junaluska NC Part 1 (29 minutes)   •   Part 2 (21 minutes)     filmed 21 May 2016    Of the 5 remaining Torreyas planted in 2008 at the lower end of the garden, 2 were killed by rodents eating the tree roots overwinter 2015/16 and another is gravely injured in the same way. Both of the uninjured young trees are being dangerously encroached upon by rapidly expanding rhododendron patches. Connie Barlow narrates, with assistance by Michael Dowd. Note: This is a 2016 follow-up to 10b video filmed 2015 at Corneille Bryan Garden in Lake Junaluska, NC.    The two biggest Florida Torreya trees are still thriving in 2016. Both trees planted in full sun (as potted seedlings) in the upper end of Corneille Bryan Garden in 2008 are continuing to excel — despite now being fully shaded by deciduous border and canopy. A key finding is that neither specimen produced vertical apical growth in 2015, but both are doing so in 2016. EPISODE 19: Florida Torreya to Brevard NC: 2016 Report Part 1 (45 minutes)   •   Part 2 (35 minutes)     filmed 25 May 2016    Buford Pruitt leads Connie Barlow on a video tour of his 17 caged seedlings, planted in partial sun along his homesite edges in a regrowth forest near Brevard NC. Watch an "autopsy" of the one plant that died during the winter; rodent predation of roots and lower bark. Learn how to assess plant vigor and important measurements to record. See "basal sprouts" and why they should never be pruned. Buford's trees are all from 2010, 2011, and 2012 Torreya Guardians seed harvests.    Here is discussion of the overall forest health: Why is there so little greenery on the forest floor? Pieced in are video segments of the lush greenery surrounding the original torreya plantings at the Waynesville site, 700 feet higher in elevation and on a far steeper (never cattle-grazed?) slope. Overall, this 2-part series is a superb video for all new Torreya Guardians to watch — in order to help them assess their own properties for where best to plant seedlings. EPISODE 18: Florida Torreya Grove at Biltmore Gardens NC: 75 years old 1 hour - assembled and posted March 15, 2016    In 1939 Chauncey Beadle supplied the Biltmore Estate with a dozen Torreya taxifolia seeds or specimens collected in Florida — prior to any understanding of climate change and endangered species. Now this 75-year-old grove and its offspring are precious for securing the wellbeing of the species and for demonstrating that (with little human help) North Carolina is an ideal habitat for escaping the native diseases of a now too-warm Florida. Connie Barlow narrates photos and videos she captured on site visits to the Biltmore: February 2004, August 2006, and April 2015. EPISODE 17: Site Visits to Florida's Endangered Torreya and Yew Trees 63 minutes - assembled & published, January 2016    Connie Barlow presents 15 years of baseline photos and videos she recorded of Torreya taxifolia and Taxus floridana in their historically native range in Torreya State Park in northern Florida. Photos of spectacular California Torreya trees, recorded by Barlow in 2005, show the potential for Florida Torreya recovery efforts to strive for. Fred Bess shows (in 2014 video) 2 Asian conifers (Cephalotaxus and Cunninghamia) used in landscaping that are Torreya look-alikes. Paleoecological evidence that Florida's Torreya was "left behind" in its glacial refuge supports "assisted migration" actions. EPISODE 16: Planting Florida Torreya Seeds in SW OHIO - assisted migration Part 1 (33 minutes; filmed May 2015)   •   Part 2 (15 minutes; filmed November 2017)    This wild forest site on Bob Miller's property NE of Cincinnati Ohio is rich in diverse habitats, notably a deep ravine in glacial till down to the limestone bedrock. This is the first video in which current species range maps are overlaid on sections depicting native trees onsite. A total of 56 seeds planted (seeds from the 2014 harvests). 33 minutes - filmed May 20, 2015    This video documents the progress in all 3 elements of this experiment led by Bob Miller: (1) free-planting of seeds (shallow burial, no protection) into wild regrowth forest; (2) shallow burial outdoors in a rodent/deer impenetrable exclosure; (3) planting into regrowth forest of two potted seedlings (one rodent-damaged). 15 minutes - filmed November 12, 2017 EPISODE 15a: Rewilding Florida Torreya to Cullowhee, NC - 2015 report 17 minutes - filmed April 26, 2015    This wild forest site on Jim Thomson's property east of Cullowhee is the first location where Torreya Guardians have had access to a north-facing mountain slope. Here we will learn whether Florida Torreya thrives in this particular habitat of the southern Appalachians. Elevation 2,600 feet. Connie Barlow films and narrates this field survey, led by Jim Thomson. Here they observe the 4 Torreya taxifolia seedlings that Jim planted 18 months earlier from their pots. The original big-needled leaves are seen here to be dying back, but healthy shorter needles are the growth form that this cool, shady location seems to call forth. EPISODE 15b: Germinating Torreya Seeds: 2015 report 13 minutes - filmed April 27, 2015    Jim Thomson, Lee Barnes, and Connie Barlow discuss what we all have learned thus far about how to germinate Florida Torreya seeds outdoors, in locales far north of the "historically native range" of this endangered conifer species. A lot is still unknown. But we do know that seeds harvested from the same mother tree in the same year will span a number of years to germinate, even when planted under the same conditions. The final 5 minutes of the video are of Connie late June 2015, showing the varied germination rates of 4 seeds she is watching closely in a rodent-protected container in Ludington Michigan. EPISODE 14: Free-Planting Torreya Seeds into Wild Forest: best practices 47 minutes - filmed April 24, 2015    First video of best practices discovered by Torreya Guardians in attempting to plant seeds directly into the soil of wild forest in the southern Appalachian Mountains. This video chronicles Connie Barlow's visit to the site 17 months after planting. This video is superseded by later free-planting documentation in November 2018 (VIDEO 28) and January 2019 (VIDEO 31). EPISODE 13a: Florida Torreya to Ohio's Dawes Arboretum 23 minutes - filmed May 17, 2015    Dawes Arboretum (Newark, Ohio) received ten seeds from Torreya Guardians from the 2006 harvest by Biltmore Gardens (Asheville, NC). Possible learnings are: (1) A full deciduous canopy of oak and maple seems to be superb habitat for Torreya in central Ohio. (2) Exposure to full sun and especially to polar winds seem to be very stressful to this genus. Video also compares Florida Torreya's leaf and branch morphology against two sister species native to Asia that have been planted in Dawes Arboretum: Torreya grandis (China) and Torreya nucifera (Japan). EPISODE 13b: Florida Torreya to Ohio's Dawes Arboretum (pt b) 2016 17 minutes - filmed June 18, 2016    This video documents superb annual growth at Dawes Arboretum (Newark, Ohio) of the two Florida Torreya specimens beneath a full deciduous canopy (and protected from winter winds by a border of evergreen conifers). Confirms 1-month difference in vegetational budburst between the Florida Torreya (May budburst) and adjacent Chinese Torreya (June budburst). Speculation on the importance of nearby maple helping the Torreyas by shared fungal root symbionts. EPISODE 12: FL Torreya to Franklin, North Carolina: 2015 progress report 32 minutes - filmed April 29, 2015    North Carolina was the destination of Torreya Guardians 2008 "rewilding" of Florida Torreya to its presumed ancestral home in pre-glacial warm times. Russ Regnery leads Connie Barlow on a tour of his young torreya trees 7 years later. Topics of discussion include (1) the advantage of sun-shading screen during the early years if Torreya is planted in the open, (2) the advantages of planting near nurse trees for shading and for sharing their symbiotic root fungi. "Free-planting" seeds from the 2014 seed harvest directly beneath the forest canopy is the final half of the video. • Scroll up to VIDEO 28 for October 2018 site visit documentation. EPISODE 11: FL Torreya to Highlands NC: 90 years of de facto rewilding (2015) 28 minutes - published April 19, 2015    "Assisted migration" for climate-endangered Florida Torreya inadvertently began 90 years ago, when botanist Thomas Grant Harbison planted this conifer species on his mountainside land in Highlands, NC. April 2015, Torreya Guardians documented this gone-wild grove — likely, the best and oldest example of how this ancient native lineage grows beneath a deciduous canopy and its slow dispersal by squirrels. Connie Barlow narrates with camera; Jack Johnston explores and measures the Torreya grove and surrounding plants. EPISODE 10a: FL Torreya to North Carolina (pt 1): 2015 report (Waynesville, NC) 54 minutes - published April 9, 2015    First video-documentation of fate of Torreya Guardians' 2008 rewilding action of the endangered Torreya taxifolia from Florida to North Carolina. Connie Barlow films and narrates a survey of the 21 plants in wild forest on the slope of Eaglenest Mountain, near Waynesville. Results are both positive and negative, which help us ascertain the habitat preferences of this species (moisture, shade, slope, aspect). EPISODE 10b: FL Torreya to North Carolina (pt 2): 2015 report (Junaluska, NC) 45 minutes - published June 7, 2015    Key findings: (1) Counting vegetative buds at the tips of branches misleads, as older plants sprout branchlets on older regions of branches, too. (2) Don't plant near rhododendrons. (3) Seedlings too long in the pot (rootbound) are inferior specimens for assessing Torreya's ability to thrive in wild settings, as the main stem may die while growth shifts to a basal sprout. (4) Full sun may be stressful for Torreya outside of watered areas, but because potted seedlings have a full-sun growth form, the plant will need to reorient branching to a horizontal, yewlike form when under a deciduous canopy. • UPDATE ON THE JUNALUSKA NC SITE: Scroll up to VIDEO 29 for the October 2018 site visit documentation. EPISODE 09: FL Torreya to Ocoee Watershed 2: Wolf Creek, NC 2015 13 minutes - published March 29, 2015    Thomas Mesko receives 43 seeds from Connie Barlow, drawn from the 2014 harvest of Torreya Guardians. This video documents seeds being planted generally on north-facing slopes, between 1,600 and 1,800 feet elevation on Thomas's 50 acres of forested property. MARCH 2019 UPDATE: Site visit reveals that this set of shallow-planted seeds suffered 100% seed predation. This was an important learning, as only after the 2015 planting occurred did we ascertain that planting seeds 3 inches deep deterred rodent seed predators. EPISODE 08: FL Torreya to Ocoee Watershed 1: Greasy Creek, TN 2015 19 minutes - published March 27, 2015    Clint Bancroft shows Connie Barlow the 9 Florida Torreyas he has planted on his 18 acres in southeastern Tennessee (plus 2 more in pots). At 1,100 ft elevation, and in a mixed deciduous/conifer forest, all the Torreyas look healthy. Connie gives Clint 40 seeds from the fall 2014 Torreya Guardians' harvest. Clint demonstrates his rodent-proof outdoor shelter for germinating those seeds. • Scroll up to EPISODE 33 for a March 2019 update on this VERY SUCCESSFUL site. EPISODE 07: Ancient Florida Torreya in Columbus Georgia 24 minutes - published February 26, 2015    While visiting the famous sole remaining Torreya taxifolia in Columbus, Georgia, Connie Barlow was struck by its location along a free-flowing section of the Chattahoochee River — which is the main conduit between the peak-glacial plant refuge in Florida and the Appalachians. A NEW HYPOTHESIS arises: Might Torreya seeds have floated the river downstream to quickly migrate south — but had only squirrels for help in moving back north? 06: Scouting Sites for Seed Planting at Shoal Sanctuary FL: Grotto Ravine 28 minutes - published February 21, 2015    Connie Barlow identifies sites for 18 seeds to be planted in the moist, cool habitat of Grotto Ravine, within Shoal Sanctuary, Florida. Connie walks with camera through the ravine, speaking about why this spring-fed sandstone ravine in the Florida panhandle might be the best place for Florida Torreya to make a last stand in its home state. Clips of this video appear in the video documentation 4 years later (VIDEO 31, filmed onsite January 2019). EPISODE 05: Torreya at Shoal Sanctuary FL: Water and Lime Required in Sandy Uplands 10 minutes - published February 17, 2015    Chris Larson of Shoal Sanctuary, Florida, shows the four Torreya trees thriving since their planting in 2001. Of note: (1) only one tree has grown reproductive structures (male); (2) one survived a severe burn amid the longleaf pines; (3) all are thriving in nearly full sunlight on sandy soils; (4) agricultural lime is applied only rarely (when the evergreen leaves show yellowing); and (5) all four specimens are watered twice weekly. EPISODE 04: Florida Torreya in Ohio's Secrest Arboretum: 2014 report 11 minutes - published October 7, 2014    Fred Bess and Connie Barlow interview Secrest Arboretum's Paul Snyder re the successful germination of seeds from the 2011 seed harvest of Torreya Guardians. They discuss germination time, growth characteristics, preventing tree injury by overpopulated deer, and ultimately where in the arboretum the young trees will be planted. 03: Torreya taxifolia assisted migration to Cleveland Ohio - 2014 report 9 minutes - published April 11, 2014    Fred Bess reports on 5 young Torreya trees planted at his home in Parma, OHIO (a suburb of Cleveland). Significant findings: (1) All 5 survived the -17F degrees polar vortex of January 2014. (2) Although deer do not eat Torreya, bucks scrape antlers on the stiff branches of juvenile plants, causing injury. Thus any Torreya planted in areas overpopulated with deer must protect young trees during autumn. • SCROLL UP TO VIDEO 27, filmed October 2018, to see how these trees have matured — and seeded! EPISODE 02: Climate Endangered Florida Tree Moved to Michigan 29 minutes - published September 26, 2014    Consensus is growing that, of all trees native to the USA, "Florida" Torreya (an evergreen conifer related to yew trees) is the most in need of immediate assistance in moving north, as it was "left behind" in a peak glacial refugium since the end of the last ice advance. Given adequate seed stock, Connie Barlow decided it was crucial to discover just how far north in today's climate Torreya can grow. Here she documents an experiment. MICHIGAN UPDATE 2018: No seedlings visible in 4 years confirms that shallow seed-planting is food court for rodents. Scroll up to Episode 25 to see another Michigan volunteer who showcases her seedlings — planted 4 to 6 inches deep. EPISODE 01: Helping Plants Move North in Anthropocene Climate: 2013 Report 75 minutes - published November 7, 2013    Climate is warming too fast for large-seeded plant species to migrate north via the animal partners (e.g., squirrels) that have dependably dispersed seeds for millions of years. In 2008, a group of citizen-naturalists (Torreya Guardians) legally planted 31 seedlings of the endangered Florida conifer Torreya taxifolia within private forests in the mountains of North Carolina. Connie Barlow reports their learnings during the first five years. _______ VIDEO: Foresters Outpace Conservation Biologists in Climate Adaptation 1 hour - filmed September 11, 2015    The "assisted migration" ongoing project of Torreya Guardians is regularly cited in academic literature on climate adaptation controversies in biodversity and ecosystems protection. Here, Connie Barlow presents the first (highly illustrated) talk to professionals. Speaking to faculty and students at Michigan Technological University's School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Barlow presents the history of the "assisted migration" controversy — highlighting the reasons why foresters have already taken actions where conservation biologists fear to tread. Note: This video is episode 08 in an ongoing video series by Barlow on forestry and climate adaptation. See an annotated list of titles and links to all such videos here: "CLIMATE, TREES, and LEGACY". 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