Video: Scientists climb California's General Sherman Tree, largest tree on Earth

(KRON) — “This tree is awesome!” one researcher sang as he began the climb of his life up General Sherman Tree. The giant sequoia tree in Central California is the largest known living tree on the planet.

Earlier this week, a team of researchers climbed up to the ancient giant’s canopy layer to study its health, observe bark beetle activity, and understand more about climate impacts on sequoias. General Sherman Tree is 2,200 years old and towers 275 feet high.

The team, coordinated by Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition, used GoPro cameras mounted on climbers and drones to conduct a thorough health “checkup” on General Sherman Tree. (Watch video of researchers climbing and rappelling with ropes in the video player above).

The epic tree climbing endeavor is part of an ongoing research effort for giant sequoia conservation. Save The Redwoods League described these trees as “the world's most impressive living treasures.”

“These ancient wonders grow naturally only within a narrow range in about 80 groves in California's Sierra Nevada. They have stood for millennia, enduring fires, insects, and droughts. But now climate change and increasingly severe wildfires are pushing these majestic trees to the brink. Since 2015, about 20% of the world's mature giant sequoias, have been lost to wildfires in the Sierra Nevada,” the league wrote.

Record-setting wildfires in 2020 and 2021 destroyed trees that were once thought to be nearly indestructible. While climate-driven wildfires pose the biggest threat to giant sequoias, bark beetles are also a concern, said Ben Blom of Save the Redwoods League. The only proven method to detect the presence of bark beetles in the crown of giant sequoias is through climbing.

Researchers said data gathered from this week’s expedition found that General Sherman is a healthy tree that successfully fended off beetle attacks.

“The tree is still thriving,” said Christy Brigham, chief of resources management and science at Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park. “You don’t live to be 2,200 years old by keeling over every time a fire burns or a beetle touches you,” she said.

Brigham said data gathered from the climbing study will help conservationists make strategic decisions for forest resilience efforts and confront challenges of climate change.

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