diff --git a/README.rdoc b/README.rdoc
index ac3cf8f3..ec65884d 100644
--- a/README.rdoc
+++ b/README.rdoc
@@ -221,6 +221,26 @@ For example, from IRB:
 Additionally, if you think something is wrong with your depth cache:
 
   >> TreeNode.rebuild_depth_cache!
+  
+= Copying
+
+Ancestry provides a method to clone a tree, optionally replacing attributes and/or preserving a reference to the parent. This allows the creation of structures that use a 'default' tree and make copies of it.  Example
+
+   class Category < ActiveRecord::Base
+     belongs_to :project
+     belongs_to :source_category, :class_name => "Category"
+     scope :defaults, where(:project_id => nil)
+     
+     def self.import_from_defaults_for(project)
+       defaults.roots.all.each do |root|
+       root.clone_with_modifications!({:project_id => project.id}, nil, :source_category_id)
+     end
+   end
+   
+   class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
+     has_many :categories, :dependent => :destroy
+     after_create Proc.new { |p| Category.import_from_defaults_for(self) }
+   end
 
 = Tests
 
diff --git a/lib/ancestry/instance_methods.rb b/lib/ancestry/instance_methods.rb
index 99ba623e..b6d7229a 100644
--- a/lib/ancestry/instance_methods.rb
+++ b/lib/ancestry/instance_methods.rb
@@ -55,6 +55,19 @@ def apply_orphan_strategy
         end
       end
     end
+    
+    # Clone an object and all children
+    # => replacing values with those from attributes if present
+    # => setting parent to new parent if present
+    # => setting the "original_id_field_name" if present to the id of the original object
+    def clone_with_modifications!(attributes = nil, parent = nil, original_id_field_name = nil)
+      clone = self.class.create!(self.attributes.merge(:ancestry => nil).merge(attributes))
+      clone.send("#{original_id_field_name}=", self.id) if original_id_field_name
+      clone.parent = parent
+      self.children.each { |child| child.clone_with_modifications!(attributes, clone, original_id_field_name) }
+      clone.save!
+      clone
+    end
 
     # The ancestry value for this record's children
     def child_ancestry
diff --git a/test/has_ancestry_test.rb b/test/has_ancestry_test.rb
index dca1d90c..d143bb1d 100644
--- a/test/has_ancestry_test.rb
+++ b/test/has_ancestry_test.rb
@@ -701,4 +701,22 @@ def test_sort_by_ancestry
       assert_equal [n1, n2, n4, n3, n5].map(&:id), arranged.map(&:id)
     end
   end
+  
+  def test_clone_with_modifications!
+    AncestryTestDatabase.with_model :extra_columns => {:source_id => :integer, :project_id => :integer} do |model|
+      n1 = model.create!(:project_id => nil)
+      n2 = model.create!(:parent => n1, :project_id => nil)
+      n3 = model.create!(:parent => n2, :project_id => nil)
+      n4 = model.create!(:parent => n2, :project_id => nil)
+      n5 = model.create!(:parent => n1, :project_id => nil)
+      
+      n1c = n1.clone_with_modifications!({:project_id => 1}, nil, :source_id)
+      
+      assert_equal n1.id, n1c.source_id
+      assert_equal 1, n1c.project_id
+      assert_equal n1.descendants.count, n1c.descendants.count
+      assert_equal 1, n1c.descendants.last.project_id
+      assert_equal n1.descendants.last.id, n1c.descendants.last.source_id
+    end
+  end
 end