RETREET BLOG

RETREET redefines disaster relief by engaging communities to replant lost trees.


 
SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.111

Happy July 4th weekend! Did you know that the first act of defiance against the British leading up to the Revolutionary War took place in 1765 under a stately elm? Dubbed The Liberty Tree, this symbol of resistance was felled ten years later by the British in order to crush the spirit of revolt. It didn't work. In fact, their actions had the opposite effect. Learn about this incredible tree at the link below.

THE LIBERTY TREE (article)

THE LIBERTY TREE (article)

Have you ever wanted to ride a bicycle from coast to coast, through amber waves of grain and over purple mountains majesty? There's no better way to experience the incredible diversity of people and geography that the United States has to offer. If you ever decide to scratch that itch, check out this blog, which is meant to prepare would-be adventurers for the trials and tribulations of the road ahead.

BIKE ACROSS AMERICA (blog)

BIKE ACROSS AMERICA (blog)

The next time you have to cut a tree down, or if the British show up in your yard and fell your favorite elm, here are loads of amazing ideas for what to do with the remains. Don't let that stump go to waste!

31 USES FOR TREE STUMPS (photos)

31 USES FOR TREE STUMPS (photos)

 


 
SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.110

Over 150 years ago, a hunter named August Dowd discovered a giant sequoia stretching over 300 feet towards the sky. He was dumbfounded. News of the special specimen spread quickly, and eventually a team of lumberjacks showed up to spend the following three weeks cutting it down. The story doesn't end there, though. Read the tragic tail of The Mammoth Tree, a place you can no longer go.

THE MAMMOTH TREE (article)

THE MAMMOTH TREE (article)

In hopeful contrast to the above tale, clusters of new baby giant sequoias have begun to spring up in the aftermath of the Rough Fire in the Sierra Nevada. Read this inspiring article about tiny seedlings en route to becoming the world's largest trees.

BABY GIANT SEQUOIAS (article)

BABY GIANT SEQUOIAS (article)

Bicycles and trains were invented at roughly the same time in human history. Every year, the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pits one against the other in Colorado. Started by Jim and Tom Meyer decades ago, in 1972, the ride sprang out of a simple boast. Now, it draws thousands of cyclists each year. In 2016, 2,500 cyclists from 43 states and 6 countries accepted the challenge. Can you guess how many of them beat the train?

IRON HORSE: BICYCLE VS TRAIN (video/article)

IRON HORSE: BICYCLE VS TRAIN (video/article)

 


 
SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.75

Did you know that, in 1900, Los Angeles had a bicycle highway and the US was a world leader in bike lanes? Or that Smithville, NJ, was home to a bicycle railroad that stretched two miles in 1892? This fascinating article takes a look at the history of bike lanes in America, and offers more than a few surprises.

HISTORY OF BIKE LANES (article)

HISTORY OF BIKE LANES (article)

New Zealander Barry Cox, who once aspired to be the Pope, spent 4 years building a church out of living trees. He just opened the structure and surrounding grounds to the public and made the location available for weddings. Each event involves 8 hours of primping, the results of which are glorious. Check out this architectural treasure!

THE TREE CHURCH (photos/video)

THE TREE CHURCH (photos/video)

Detroit's Silverdome, once home to the Detroit Lions, Wrestlemania III, Supercross, and World Cup soccer games, was shut down for good a few years ago. Now, as the building slowly decays, a new kind of athlete is giving it a final farewell. BMX cyclist Tyler Fernengel made the abandoned structure his personal playground, to epic effect. 

A BMX FAREWELL TO THE SILVERDOME (photos/video)

A BMX FAREWELL TO THE SILVERDOME (photos/video)

 


 
SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.74

There are some truly monumental bicycle rides out there, among them The Swiss Epic. Watch this stunning short film about five teams from different backgrounds attempting to win "Europe's Toughest Mountain Bike Race," facing a whole host of incredible obstacles along the way.

THE SWISS EPIC: EUROPE'S TOUGHEST MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE (short film)

THE SWISS EPIC: EUROPE'S TOUGHEST MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE (short film)

Electric bicycles are all the rage these days, but a legitimate question remains: how to generate all of the electricity required in a green fashion? Iranian inventor Mojtaba Raeisi has a smart answer. Behold his sleek concept, the Ele Solar Bicycle. Instead of spokes, its wheels have automatically adjusting solar panels that give it the juice it needs to go farther than the competition, in a more Earth-friendly way.

ELE SOLAR BIKE (video)

ELE SOLAR BIKE (video)

We love spending time amongst the trees, and revere the advice of our elders. Take a moment to enjoy the company of these trees, the ancient masters that have lasted for millennia. Surely, there is something to be learned.

OUR TREE ELDERS (photo essay)

OUR TREE ELDERS (photo essay)

 


 
SUNDAY SHOW & TELL
vol.9

A tree is just a tree, or is it?  To many, trees are the masterpieces of nature.  Maybe these photos will have you thinking the same.  Can you imagine riding a bicycle down a winding mountain road, in the rain, backwards?  Watch Eskil do it!  Polish off this week's Sunday Show & Tell with a human-powered flying bicycle.  Epic!

TREE ART.

TREE ART.

DOWNHILL BACKWARDS!

HUMAN-POWERED FLYING BICYCLE.