Every 17 years a sea of alien creatures bubbles up from the earth under the same old oak tree. With enormous red eyes and intricate wet, lacey wings these creatures burst forth from the earth in spring and robotically move in single file up the bark of ancient oaks to mate and lay eggs only to die just days later.
These cicadas are just one of the creatures that are drawn like magnets to oak trees - moths, caterpillars, wasps, bees and a whole host of fascinating characters make their home in oak trees.
In this episode we explore the diverse world of oaks and the strange and symbiotic relationships these trees have with their citizens.
The other episodes are:
1. Life In A Vegetable Garden - Many mouths to feed, and clever ways to avoid becoming a meal.
2. Nightlife - What comes out at night in the garden.
3. Honeybees - The role of honeybees in a common garden.
4. Appleachia - The amazing array of life an apple tree can lure into a garden.
5. Fungi - What you see is only the tip of the iceberg.
6. Sap Sucking Hoppers - The astronauts of the garden.
7. Garden Mimics - More than meets the eye.
8. Vines - The good, the bad and the ugly side of vines.
9. Whether The Weather - How plants survive the stress of changes in the weather.
10. Weevils - They crawl, they fly, and some even swim...
11. Squirrels - What are these chipmunks and squirrels doing in the garden?
13. Life In A Lawn - Paradise is a well-tended lawn.
Grade Level: 3-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 2007
Copyright Date: 2004
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-643-8
Reviews
"The most eye-popping series." The (Toronto) Globe and Mail
"Through dramatic macro-photography, viewers enter the sci-fi beauty of the garden and gain a new perspective on the interactive roles played by everything from the lowly earwig to the majestic rose." The Toronto Star
"The Old Oak Tree was a very entertaining look at the entire ecosystem that the tree supports. I found the information about the oak trees' defenses to be extremely interesting, from the production of a gall to the branch collar, it was all fascinating. The time-lapse video footage was great, and really was able to show and explain the process of the 17-year cicada life cycle in a clear way. The video did a great job of tying together the adaptations of the oak tree and the creatures that depend on it for survival. I am looking forward to sharing these videos with our garden educators and I am sure they will find the videos very entertaining and interesting as well." Emily Jackson, School Program Coordinator, Norfolk Botanical Garden
"This outstanding series is especially recommended for
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