LonGTREES PARKALLEN

what are longtrees?

Trees planted with the hope that they’ll live for 1000 years.

why longtrees?

Planting trees is sending love letters to the future. Planting trees that could live for 1000 years is writing a loooooooooooooong love letter.

Stewarding trees across multiple generations is a challenging goal. It starts with propogation, but we also need communication, culture, community, and connection to people in the future for 36 generations. It’s hard to imagine what life will be like in 1000 years. Do we care about people so far away from us in time? Planting longtrees is one way to say, “Yes, we care about the future.” Saying so might benefit us in unexpected ways in the present. There is only one way to find out.

october 6 2025…

With support of the Longtrees Society Edmonton, Parkallen established one longtree nursery in the Parkallen Community Garden. Fifty Bristlecone Pine seeds were planted by the light of the harvest moon.

april 25 2026…

More Bristlecone Pine seeds were started at the 2nd Annual Parkallen Sustainability Fair. This is their baby picture:

We established a second nursery (box of soil on the ground) with 50 more seeds Spring 2026. We added a mesh cover to the original design to protect it from off-leash pets and local wildlife.

how can you help?

These little guys grow slow. That is part of their secret to longevity. In about 10 years, each tree that we successfully propagate in our nurseries will need a tree steward to replant and care for it in a safe location. Then that steward will need to find someone to care for it when they can’t anymore, and so on. Do you have a safe spot for a bristlecone pine? Are you up for the task of tree steward? Let us know. The Parkallen longtrees will be ready to leave the nurseries and transplant in (approximately) 2035.