In an attempt to restore a tree using the only pieces of wood left in a fictive future world, tree rings are used as clues in the puzzle. Although the various lengths of wood are diverse in origin and the arcs of the rings indicate different diameters, the growth principle is the same in every case: each year a tree adds another ring to its trunk and branches, and so it grows in size. In this respect the annual rings are like time capsules, indicating the age of the tree and by extension that of a found wooden object or building. Like ice core drills they also help us to understand how the climate changes over time, as atmospheric conditions influence a tree’s growth.