madrones!

Found on the western edge of Turtle Island, the Pacific madrone (qʷuqʷuƛəc) is the largest and most charismatic species in the family Ericaceae. It is a broadleaf-evergreen tree that is rarely dominant in our forests, but indicative of very interesting plant communities.

Join me and the Arbutus ARME to hear about the interspecies love story we share with qʷuqʷuƛəc (Pacific madrone) from a January 28, 2021 growing skills webinar hosted by Tacoma Tree Foundation. We celebrate this sacred and iconic tree to build a shared understanding about its cultural importance. Then we explore the complex interactions and patterns that arise in madrone forests that harbor biodiversity belowground and in the canopy. Importantly, we also highlight the adaptive capacity and resiliency of the species amidst climate disruption.

Then, I bring in the core team of Arbutus ARME (proncounced like "army") to address additional tough questions.

Marianne Elliot is known as one of the few experts on this species. She is a Plant Pathologist with Washington State University Plant Pathology Program. Marianne has a special history with madrone research and is co-founder of Arbutus ARME. She plays a key role in identifying madrone diseases and encouraging madrone research and collaboration.

Joey Hulbert joined the WSU Ornamental Plant Pathology Program at the WSU Research and Extension Center in Puyallup as a Postdoctoral Fellow funded by the USDA. He recently returned to the Pacific Northwest after spending four years in South Africa leading Cape Citizen Science.

More about Arbutus ARME by visiting www.arbutusarme.org

Thanks to Tacoma Tree Foundation for making space to highlight the relationship we have with madrone and building the skills required to help ensure we have a future for the species.

TTF YouTube of “Pacific madrone: sacred, adaptive, emergent” https://youtu.be/begqlp9BeYc

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Music on this episode was from Chris Haugen and Dimanche

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