Everyone has regrets, whether it’s bad hair dye choices or silly kitchen experiments. But imagine accidentally cutting down the oldest tree ever recorded. That’s what happened to Donald R. Currey in 1964 when he felled a bristlecone pine named Prometheus in Great Basin National Park, Nevada.
Bristlecone pines are extraordinary. They grow slowly but can survive for thousands of years. One species, the Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva), is especially known for its longevity. Currey first learned about these trees after his mother sent him a National Geographic article highlighting a tree named Methuselah, possibly the oldest known non-clonal tree.
Currey saw an opportunity to link these ancient trees to his research on glacial features in the area. By studying the tree rings, he hoped to glean climate data that could reveal more about the glaciers’ history. To get these rings, researchers take a core sample from the tree using a borer. Currey received permission from the U.S. Forest Service to sample several trees, including Prometheus.
However, Currey faced a problem. The usual coring method wasn’t working, as the tools couldn’t penetrate the thick wood of Prometheus. After getting further permission, he made the tough choice to cut it down, taking a substantial cross-section.
Currey suspected Prometheus was ancient, but nothing could prepare him for what he found. After counting the rings, he realized the tree was about 4,900 years old, making it the oldest tree ever documented at that time. The realization of what he had done must have been gut-wrenching.
Today, only the stump remains at its original location, but you can see a slab of Prometheus at the Great Basin Visitor Center. It serves as a reminder of both curiosity and caution in the pursuit of knowledge.
Interestingly, this incident led to a greater awareness of the value of ancient trees. In recent years, trees like Prometheus and Methuselah have become symbols of environmental conservation, sparking discussions on protecting our planet’s natural history. According to a 2022 survey by the Arbor Day Foundation, 78% of Americans believe protecting old trees is vital for biodiversity and climate health.
In today’s world of rapid deforestation and climate change, stories like that of Prometheus remind us to think carefully about our actions. The ancient wisdom these trees hold is an invaluable part of our heritage that we should strive to protect.
