Termites and trees

Skateboards and trees may not have an obvious connection, but many skateboard decks are made from layers of wood. So the next time you see a skater carving through a turn, keep in mind that it all starts in the forest.

Trees have been inspiring artists for centuries — including musicians. Host Nalini Nadkarni looks at a piece of classical music that tells the story of the generations who passed beneath a grove of Roman pine trees.

A wooden pencil seems pretty simple — a cylinder of wood, a tube of graphite and an eraser. But pencils and trees have a history that’s been shaped by the economics and ecology of different tree species.