Cloning Takes California's Ancient Redwood Trees Abroad

California's famous redwood trees are going international to six countries in an effort to promote reforestation and deal with climate change. They will be planted today, Earth Day, in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, and Germany. According to USA Today, a non-profit group is genetically duplicating three giants that were cut down from Californ
ia over a century ago. The specimens were cultivaed in labs until large enough to plant. The saplings made are only 18 inches, but they will grow into giants like the trees they cloned.

The idea is that these trees are genetically superior to other redwoods since they are among the largest on record and survived for thousands of years. Milarch (shown in the picture) and his sons began searching all over the U.S. in search for "champion" trees that have lived hundreds or even thousands of years, convinced their superior genes gave them the ability to outlast others of their species. Skeptics think the survivors may have just been lucky.

Jared Milarch believes he and his group can make a difference if they get enough of the cloned trees out there. This is simply the first step toward mass production. The challenge is finding places to plant the trees, the people to nurture them and money to continue their dream.

NOS Themes

• role of skepticism
• conflicts within the scientific community
• role of chance
• role of motivation and curiosity
• subject to debate and tentative

http://www.livescience.com/28938-giant-redwoods-planted-around-world.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/22/redwood-trees-climate-change-environment/2102667/