Arborists climbed to the top of a 2,000-year-old bald cypress tree in Seminole County Monday.
They gathered clippings from the soaring cypress known as Lady Liberty as part of an effort to clone some of the world’s oldest trees and rebuild depleted forests.
The idea is to rebuild forest using the genetics of the world’s sturdiest trees.
Jake Millarch of the Archangle Ancient Tree Archive was one of three arborists who climbed Lady Liberty to gather clippings.
“It just gives you a different look at life too, right? Being 90 feet in the air in something 2,000 years old enjoying the eagle’s vision is pretty darn cool.”
The clippings will be flown to a lab. Most of the saplings will be planted in Seminole County.
Archangle Ancient Tree Archive has cloned hundreds of trees worldwide. Lady Liberty is in Big Tree Park feet where the older and larger Senator bald cypress burned down in 2012.
