Mandy Johnston

Details – Monumental Tree Series

Cheewhat Red Cedar – Is located within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, on Vancouver Island. It is one of the largest living Western Red Cedar trees in the world. The national park continues to protect several old giant trees up to 1000 years old, however a tree dated to be 1835 years old, outside of the parks protection was cut down.

Stampede Elm – Among the first trees planted in the original community of Victoria Park in Calgary. Up until recently, it had endured for over 125 years as the Stampede Grounds which surround it expanded. It was digitally captured via a three-dimensional scan by University of Calgary in an effort to preserve its heritage, before it is cut down.

Comfort Maple – This 540 year old Maple tree had been preserved by the Comfort family, since 1816, where they homesteaded and farmed in an area near Pelham Ontario. Today, the tree is protected by Niagara Peninsula Conservancy Authority and continues to endure as a symbol of Canada’s heritage.

Adam Ginkgo – Is one of the oldest living tree species in the world and is rarely found in the wild, however some trees persist in Dalou Mountains of southwestern China. The tree named Adam, located Daruvar County in Croatia, is among the many Gingko trees which have been cultivated by man in temples and prestigious gardens over the last few centuries.

Tree of Life Baobab – This wild baobab tree is located in Madagascar. They are known to live up to1200 years. Due to limited water, they form a wide barrel-like trunk that can store up to 75% of its volume in water. Their tight crown of branches are due their constant harvest by animals and humans. It is revered locally as a tree that is sacred and life giving.

Whirlpool Limber Pine – The Limber Pine is an endangered tree species. They are slow growing and don’t produce pine cones until after 40 years of age. This tree has multiple trunks and may have originally germinated over 2500 years ago. It is located near Nordegg, Alberta, and continues to thrive despite its vulnerability.

Pando Quaking Aspen – Within Quaking (Trembling) Aspen forests, each tree or stem is a clone, making the entire forest an interconnected living organism. Pando is located in central Utah near Fish Lake and its 106 acres has continued to thrive for approx. 14,000 years. Each stem (tree) typically lives up to 130 years and is continually replaced with new cloned stems.

100 Paintings Trembling Aspen – A tiny Trembling (Quaking) Aspen forest located near the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant in southwest Calgary. Its age is unnoticed and unknown, but it continues to remain untouched by urban development. I have observed and painted this tiny forest at least a hundred times.

Not Methuselah Bristlecone – Featured on the front cover of the New Phytologist, this is a poster worthy – yet anonymous – bristlecone pine tree. However, Methuselah, with the status of the oldest living tree in the world (over 4800 years) has a regular pilgrimage of visitors from around the world. The biggest threat to these tremendous trees are humans: such as Prometheus an even older bristlecone pine, which was cut down in 1964.

The President Sequoia – Is located in the Sequoia National Park in California and has resisted fires, climate and pests for over 3200 years. It’s full height is difficult to see, however The President’s height has been calculated to be approximately 247 feet tall. To capture an image of the entire tree, a team from the National Geographic Society composited together 126 photographs.