The Year of the Cone

This is bound to be my most ambitious project to date

After writing The Trees Around You, I decided to focus on a project that would take me beyond the Pacific Northwest and beyond those urban trees that I love so much. I schemed on a project that would challenge me even more and that, in the end, could share something new and entirely unexpected. That project is The Year of the Cone.

With 111 species by my count, the United States is second only to China in terms of conifer diversity. Amongst this diversity, we have some of the rarest species in world (like Torrey pine, Cuyamaca cypress, and bristlecone fir); some of the oldest (like bristlecone pine, baldcypress, and Sierra juniper); and some of the tallest (like coast redwood, Douglas-fir, and giant sequoia). The collection of unique species in this country is a botanical treasure trove, and right now it’s on a dangerous precipice.

Several of our native species are endangered or threatened in their native habitats, and droughts, fire, disease, and development are poised to further impact the ability of these species to thrive in a landscape where they have lived for millions of years.

My goal with this project is to tell their stories

Through writing, film, and photography, I want to tell the story of these incredible trees and bring their fascinating histories into precise focus. At the same time, I want to express how vulnerable they are in the face of intensely changing climates and management forces. I want to connect people with these often enigmatic trees and bring to light just what we stand to lose by showing what we already have.