In 2022, a mature longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) was toppled by Hurricane Ian in Bartow, FL and I received a call asking if I needed pine needles for basketry. A short while later, I met Cathy and Lloyd terry alongside a gorgeous tree that had housed an eagle nest. The birds moved to a nearby tree as we methodically collected handfuls of lovely needles from the tree's boughs. I spent the next several months drying green needles, treating them in a glycerin bath to retain their flexibility, and dyeing some with fiber dyes. We saved so many needles, I am still working with them today.
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