trees

Oaklee, Oakley, Oakleigh: Parents branch out to oak-based names, especially in red states

5:00am May 12, 2025

Olivia and Liam are the most popular baby names now, but Social Security Administration data shows oak-based names are gaining popularity, particularly in conservative parts of the country.

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National

A man chopped down Los Angeles trees. The crime cut deep in the struggling neighborhood

5:01am April 30, 2025

For days, police say, Samuel Patrick Groft cruised through the streets of Los Angeles on his bicycle, single-handedly chopping down about a dozen city trees with an electric chainsaw in three different neighborhoods.

Poisoned trees gave a wealthy couple a killer view — and united residents in outrage

5:58am June 19, 2024

by The Associated Press

A politically connected Missouri couple allegedly poisoned their neighbor's trees to secure their million-dollar view of Camden Harbor in Maine. The incident was unearthed by the victim herself.

Agriculture

Carolina Curious: Why can't powerline crews cut down more invasive trees?

3:16pm April 26, 2024

by David Ford

On Carolina Curious, WFDD listener Julie Mullis wonders why more isn't being done to control invasive trees in the Piedmont and High Country.

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Sun shines on a tree lined Reynolda Road in Winston-Salem.

Carolina Curious: Why are large trees falling down along streets in Winston-Salem?

6:00am October 26, 2023

by April Laissle

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A firefighter protects a sequoia tree as the Washburn Fire burns in Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park, Calif., on Friday, July 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Yosemite wildfire threatens grove of iconic sequoia trees

5:00am July 10, 2022

by The Associated Press

The largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park remained closed Saturday as firefighters battled a blaze that threatened the gathering of the iconic trees and forced campers to evacuate.

Orange dots mark the trees that were damaged in the path of the jet crash.

Shredded trees, dead dolphins and wildfires — how Russia's invasion is hurting nature

4:35pm July 01, 2022

The environmental impacts from Russia's invasion of Ukraine could be felt far longer than the war itself.

The strange underground economy of tree poaching

6:30am June 28, 2022

by Greg Rosalsky

A new book dives deep into the fascinating criminal world of tree theft and efforts to combat it.

Firefighters wrapped foil around the base of the General Sherman tree to protect the gigantic sequoia from an intense wildfire.

Here's Why Firefighters Are Wrapping Sequoia Trees In Aluminum Blankets

6:44pm September 20, 2021

by Bill Chappell

The sequoias are "wrapped with house-wrapping material, kind of an aluminum-foil fabric that goes around the base of the trees," says Jon Wallace, who is helping to lead the firefighting effort.

Crazy worms — an invasive species from Asia — pose a threat to forests, scientists say. The worms can thrash around so violently that they can jump out of a person's hand. They also lose their tail — on purpose.

'Crazy Worms' Threaten America's Trees — And (Gasp!) Our Maple Syrup

7:00am June 13, 2021

by Bill Chappell

The invasive worms, which reproduce rapidly, are creating havoc in forests. They thrash around so violently that they can jump out of a person's hand. They also lose their tail — on purpose.