This was a perfect day to ramble through our woods in search of a northern red oak. One of just the right diameter with just the right bark features. A small folding hand saw came in handy to fell the tree and then cut the trunk into 20 chunks, each about 5 inches tall. The bark shows the stretch marks with reddish inner bark. The cut edge shows the star-shaped pith and growth rings in heartwood and sapwood. My dad sanded all the sawed edges - once the chunks have dried out a bit, I'll seal one end to highlight the pith and rings. For now, a big slobber of saliva works pretty well.
Update: I had a question and comment about the rings (thank you, Anthony). For those who read and wonder, there is a science to the counting and aging of trees and then relating that information to the conditions under which the tree grew. Tight growth rings suggest slow growth, widely spaced rings suggest more rapid growth, and a combination can indicate conditions (temperature and precipitation) that vary from year to year - this is the science of dendrochronology.
This particular tree has about 20 rings outside the inner star-shaped pith, then a weird band that is either wide but variegated or so tight that the rings cannot be counted. Between there and the cambium are another 20 or so layers. It will take some time and research, but now I'm curious to know what the temperature and precipitation trends were over the past 50 years - with particular interest in a major change around 1995-1997.
The other question/comment was whether it is possible to get some of this information by measuring the diameter of a tree. I understand that you might estimate the age of a tree this way, but it isn't nearly as accurate as counting rings or getting a core sample - nor does it shed light on the environmental conditions over the life of the tree.
Great questions. Anyone have another?
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