A Massachusetts tree is live-tweeting the changing climate

PETERSHAM – In the middle of a Petersham Forest, an 87-foot Northern Red Oak is both ordinary and remarkable. This tree may seem like every other tree you've ever seen, except this tree can tweet.

"The tree really likes to talk about temperature -- really hot days, really cold days. These are really meaningful for trees," said Clarisse Hart, director of outreach for Harvard Forest. 

Hart is part of the team that wired this tree up with all sorts of sensors. The data collected feeds into code to make the tree talk.

The tree has a sap flow sensor to measure how much liquid is flowing up and down the tree. There is a growth sensor that is monitoring the tree in real time. There is a camera constantly taking pictures to measure the leaf canopy. All of this data feeds into code, powering the Witness Tree's tweets.

During our historic early August heat wave, the Witness Tree was sick of the heat too.

Since the tree is over 100 years old, it's seen quite a few weather events like the Great New England Hurricane in 1938. Hart says that after the hurricane, this tree grew a little more because so many of its neighboring trees fell.

There is also evidence the tree was hit hard by the spongy moth in the 1980s. 

"This tree stayed strong. It's a very resilient tree," Hart said..

At a time when New England is losing 65 acres of forest per day to development, other Witness Tree projects are sprouting, including one just a few months ago in Cambridge.

"My colleague Tim Rademacher, his vision is an internet of trees. Many many trees with many many voices. We can learn a lot in real time from having trees connected to sensors," Hart said.

And even in a growing chorus of tweeting trees, Hart said the tree in Petersham Forest will always be special to her.

"I love this tree. It's an incredible emblem of strength and resilience and I think it's wise. It's amazing to hear this tree sharing some of its wisdom," Hart said.