Arborglyphs

THE TELLURIDE ARBORGLYPH PROJECT

What is an ARBORGLYPH?

Scattered among the aspen trees throughout the San Juan National Forest are records of a past way of life carved into the trunks of aspen trees. Historians and archaeologists call these "arborglyphs" (literally "tree writing") – pictorial and graphic imagery carved into the soft bark of aspens with thin, sharp knives. Over time, as the trees grew, these carvings developed into wide scars.

Between 1900 and 1966, the majority of the San Juan mountains' arborglyphs were carved by Hispanic and Basque sheepherders, many of whom would return annually to update their work. The images and phrases carved into these aspens range from pictorial representations of naked women to poems and political statements. What remains today is a visual documentation of their nomadic lifestyle and the cultural shifts that took place over time. Some of the region’s arborglyphs were also carved by cattle herders and other groups who wandered the forests and mesas.

While there are hundreds of arborglyphs, these etchings are rapidly disappearing; fires, disease, clear cutting, and age are all factors. It is increasingly rare to find a surviving arborglyph that dates back to the 1800s.

Tom Mix. Undisclosed location.

COMMUNITY PROJECT

A group of interested citizens has come forward with the idea of identifying and cataloging the Telluride region’s tree carvings before it is too late. The Telluride Institute, Ah Haa School and Telluride Historical Museum have established a goal to locate and record as many arborglyphs as possible within a 50-mile radius of Telluride. To do this, they are creating an interactive map with GPS coordinates that can be shared with the community.

The group hopes to make this a community-wide endeavor, with residents helping locate and record carvings. This will be accomplished by recording specific coordinates and images of arborglyphs and texting or emailing the information to a designated phone number or website. All of the arborglyphs’ locations will be made public via the website (unless they are on private land), enabling interested hikers to find them using online maps.

The Telluride Arborglyph Project anticipates it will take several months to a year to locate and catalog the region’s tree carvings, culminating in an in-depth historical and visual exhibition. The possibility of a book of images and text is also being considered, as well as lectures, a photography exhibition, and more. Further, the Telluride Arborglyph Project hopes to involve community members of all ages and backgrounds through collaborations with schools, libraries, environmental groups, and the general public.

The Telluride Arborglyph Project is still in its early planning stages, but if you’d like to participate and get involved, please contact xxxx-xxx.

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