The American Chestnut: An Environmental History

Donald  Edward  Davis

From  UMASS Extension:

Written for a broad-based audience of natural historians, tree enthusiasts, ecologists, and the public-at-large, The American Chestnut: An Environmental History is an intently-researched resource produced by author and research scholar (Harvard University’s Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA) Donald Edward Davis. Comprised of 4 parts, 12 chapters and a conclusion, this 368-page hardcover book is revealing, illuminating, and perhaps most prevailing of all, brimming with historical realities about the importance of various facets of the American chestnut (Castanea dentata), from its wood to its fruit, and the impacts to our natural environment as well as our society – both past and present. This book helps us understand that though perhaps functionally extinct, through the existence of survivor populations and the sustained efforts of individuals dedicated to its continuation that include conscientious, skilled tree care professionals, agency specialists, and members of the research community (i.e., academics), the once-prolific American chestnut will one day again flourish. This resource is composed in a manner that is enjoyable to all and surely engaging to any tree enthusiast.>

More information: The University of Georgia Press. Athens, GA. 368 pp. ISBN 978-0-8203-6045-4

The Age of Wood: Our Most Useful Material and the Construction of Civilization

Roland Ennos

From  UMASS Extension:

Of interest to a wide audience of wood-workers, tree-advocates, construction professionals and the public-at-large, The Age of Wood: Our Most Useful Material & the Construction of Civilization is an intently-researched resource produced by author and Visiting Professor of Biological Sciences (University of Hull, U.K.) Roland Ennos. Comprised of 4 parts and 15 chapters, this 318-page hardcover book is rife with historical realities about the importance of wood and the way we live. From the feverish search for suitable trees for the naval fleets of the two western rivals and military powers of the 18th century – England and France – to the pre-revolutionary Pine Tree Riot of Weare, NH, The Age of Wood…guides the reader through a detailed background regarding trees, wood, and their relationship to human evolution and development. Though the author mentions that forests will ultimately regrow and recover from disturbance and that massive-scale environmental catastrophe has been avoided, the book is undergirded with a cautionary theme about modern-day deforestation and the large-scale logging of untouched forests, including those of the Amazon. An estimated 3-trillion trees cover 30% of the earth’s terrestrial surface, yet the author posits that pristine or old growth forested areas remain at risk and that we must strive to ultimately “mend” our relationship with trees, forests, and the wood that they produce.

More information:  Simon & Schuster,. New York, NY. 318 pp. ISBN 978-1-9821-1473-2

The Tree Book: Superior Selections for Landscapes, Streetscapes, and Gardens

Michael A.  Dirr  and Keith S.  Warren

From  UMASS Extension:

Intended for professionals and tree lovers alike that are interested in substantially deepening their knowledge-base and understanding about the identification, selection, and propagation of ornamental trees, The Tree Book is an intently-researched resource produced by world-renowned plant experts, Dr. Michael Dirr and Keith Warren. This 939-page hardcover book is informative, enlightening, and perhaps most powerful of all, filled with praise-worthy, professional-quality color photos of trees. The authors introduce the reader to their deep connection with trees that began in their youth:

“For both of us, this love affair began early in life – with the deciduous monarchs of the Midwest (for Dirr) and the great coniferous rainforests of the Pacific Northwest (for Warren).” (p.8)

They also detail specific memories and moments relating to interactions with trees:

“Whether walking through the redwoods of California, admiring the massive structure of a Midwest oak, or perhaps having exited a hot freeway pulling into the cool deciduous shade of a tree-lined street in an eastern city, we never cease to be amazed by the majesty of trees...doubtless our bond with trees is unusually strong, as the two of us feel kindred spirit with trees…to us, it seems to be a part of our humanity.” (p.9)

The authors include important details about human health benefits, economic benefits and environmental benefits associated with urban trees; they also describe the consequences of invasive insects and the importance of urban tree diversity. Trees that are detailed in this book are arranged in alphabetical order, commencing with the botanical spelling of the genus. Thus, the heart of this book commences on p. 36 with color photos and descriptions of fir (Abies spp.) trees, continuing through to the final species, Chinese date (Ziziphus jujuba), on p. 919. This resource is a must-have for any tree enthusiast – novice or veteran.

More information: Timber Press Portland, OR 939 pp.  ISBN 978-1-60469-714-8

Witness Tree: Seasons of Change with a Century-Old Oak

Lynda V. Mapes

From  UMASS Extension:

Composed for an audience interested in gaining a deeper, first-person appreciation and understanding of the prominence of trees in our forested landscapes, Witness Tree is a deeply-researched resource produced by renowned author and environmental ambassador, Lynda Mapes. This 224-page hardcover book is written from such a profoundly introspective place that it almost immediately transports the reader into the world of the author. The body of the book details how Mapes decided that a century-old red oak that measured 83.5’ in height, featured a crown spread of 60’ and trunk diameter of 32” would be the witness tree that she would study for her time as a Bullard Scholar at Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA:

“Sprouted from an acorn there by that [stone] wall, the [red] oak was a cultural tree, and a historical artifact. Left, rather than cut, it was a witness to all the changes that had come over this landscape.” (p.17, 18)

In detailing the rich tradition of the study of phenology – the “timing of biological phenomena in nature and their relationship with the earth’s environment…” (p.131), she not only contextualizes the long-term observations made at Harvard Forest by scientists but also places a much-needed emphasis on this practice. From nutrient cycling to water purification, to leaf flush, forests compose a critical component in the natural world, and Mapes highlights how firsthand observation of these attributes can be an important piece of educating others. Readers of this book owe the author a debt for reminding us just how much the signs and wonders of nature – often readily observed through occurrences directly related to trees – should matter.

More information: Bloomsbury Publishing. New York, NY. 224 pp. ISBN 978-1-63286-253-2

Urban Forests: A Natural History of Trees and People in the American Cityscape

Jill  Jonnes

From  UMASS Extension:

"Of interest to both popular and professional audiences interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the history of trees and people in the United States, Urban Forests is a widely-ranging deeply researched resource produced by renowned author and ambassador of trees, Jill Jonnes. This 22-chapter, 394-page book is informative, enlightening and features accounts with, and interviews from, some of the world’s foremost authorities in urban forestry. It is written in a manner that is engaging to the casual reader, and surely gripping to any tree enthusiast; with a nod to pioneering professionals like J. Sterling Morton, Elisa Scidmore, David Bloniarz, Charles Sprague Sargent, and David Nowak, it enlightens the reader to the “human” side of the urban forestry profession. It also, however, delves into important environmental considerations including the widespread loss of urban trees due to invasive pests that include Emerald Ash Borer, Dutch Elm Disease and Chestnut Blight. This book appropriately gives trees the prominence they deserve in relation to everyday society from their place in art and tale, to their presence among the streets, parks, and national monuments in Washington, D.C. It closes with an “afterword” that recaps the historical and cultural significance of trees to U.S., as well as discusses the important contribution of researchers studying the impacts of trees on human well-being – work that attracted Jonnes to considering the importance of urban forests and urban greenery in the first place."

“Far-ranging and deeply researched, Urban Forests reveals the beauty and significance of the trees around us.” —Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction 

More information: Viking. New York, NY. 394 pp. ISBN 9780670015665

The Nature of Oaks
Douglas W. Tallamy
One reader has identified this as essential reading. I agree. Oaks are ecological super stars and support hundreds of life forms - from the soil to the skies.
What the publisher says:
From the author of Bringing Nature Home, Doug Tallamy changed the conversation about gardening in America. His second book, the New York Times bestseller 

Nature’s Best Hope, urged homeowners to take conservation into their own hands. Now, he turns his advocacy to one of the most important species of the plant kingdom—the mighty oak tree. Oaks sustain a complex and fascinating web of wildlife. The Nature of Oaks

 reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area. 

The Nature of Oaks  will inspire you to treasure these trees and to act to nurture and protect them."

More information:  Hachette Book Group/Timber Press 

The  Tree Collectors
Amy Stewart

From the publisher:
Fifty vignettes of remarkable people whose lives have been transformed by their obsessive passion for trees—written and charmingly illustrated by the New York Times bestselling author of The Drunken Botanist

“I love everything Amy Stewart has ever created, but this book is my favorite yet. I’m giving this book to everyone I know. Because it, like its subject, is a gift.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love

When Amy Stewart discovered a community of tree collectors, she expected to meet horticultural fanatics driven to plant every species of oak or maple. But she also discovered that the urge to collect trees springs from something deeper and more profound: a longing for community, a vision for the future, or a path to healing and reconciliation. 

In this slyly humorous, informative, often poignant volume, Stewart brings us captivating stories of people who spend their lives in pursuit of rare and wonderful trees and are transformed in the process. Vivian Keh has forged a connection to her Korean elders through her persimmon orchard. The former poet laureate W. S. Merwin planted a tree almost every day for more than three decades, until he had turned a barren estate into a palm sanctuary. And Joe Hamilton cultivates pines on land passed down to him by his once-enslaved great-grandfather, building a legacy for the future.

Stewart populates this lively compendium with her own hand-drawn watercolor portraits of these extraordinary people and their trees, interspersed with side trips to investigate famous tree collections, arboreal glossaries, and even tips for “unauthorized” forestry. This book is a stunning tribute to a devoted group of nature lovers making their lives—and the world—more beautiful, one tree at a time. 

More information: Random House  

The  Arbornaut
Meg Lowman

From the publisher:

“An eye-opening and enchanting book by one of our major scientist-explorers.” —Diane Ackerman, author of The Zookeeper’s Wife

Nicknamed the “Real-Life Lorax” by National Geographic, the biologist, botanist, and conservationist Meg Lowman—aka “CanopyMeg”—takes us on an adventure into the “eighth continent” of the world's treetops, along her journey as a tree scientist, and into climate action

Welcome to the eighth continent!

As a graduate student exploring the rain forests of Australia, Meg Lowman realized that she couldn’t monitor her beloved leaves using any of the usual methods. So she put together a climbing kit: she sewed a harness from an old seat belt, gathered hundreds of feet of rope, and found a tool belt for her pencils and rulers. Up she went, into the trees.

Forty years later, Lowman remains one of the world’s foremost arbornauts, known as the “real-life Lorax.” She planned one of the first treetop walkways and helps create more of these bridges through the eighth continent all over the world.

With a voice as infectious in its enthusiasm as it is practical in its optimism, The Arbornaut chronicles Lowman’s irresistible story. From climbing solo hundreds of feet into the air in Australia’s rainforests to measuring tree growth in the northeastern United States, from searching the redwoods of the Pacific coast for new life to studying leaf eaters in Scotland’s Highlands, from conducting a BioBlitz in Malaysia to conservation planning in India and collaborating with priests to save Ethiopia’s last forests, Lowman launches us into the life and work of a field scientist, ecologist, and conservationist. She offers hope, specific plans, and recommendations for action; despite devastation across the world, through trees, we can still make an immediate and lasting impact against climate change.

A blend of memoir and fieldwork account, The Arbornaut gives us the chance to live among scientists and travel the world—even in a hot-air balloon! It is the engrossing, uplifting story of a nerdy tree climber—the only girl at the science fair—who becomes a giant inspiration, a groundbreaking, ground-defying field biologist, and a hero for trees everywhere.

More information: Macmillan Publishers 

Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England

Tom Wessels author, Brian D. Cohen, illustrator

From the publisher:
"An intrepid sleuth and articulate tutor, Wessels teaches us to read a landscape the way we might solve a mystery. What exactly is the meaning of all those stone walls in the middle of the forest? Why do beech and birch trees have smooth bark when the bark of all other northern species is rough? How do you tell the age of a beaver pond and determine if beavers still live there? Why are pine trees dominant in one patch of forest and maples in another? What happened to the American chestnut? Turn to this book for the answers, and no walk in the woods will ever be the same. "

Tree Finder: A Manual for the Identification of Trees by Their Leaves

May Theilgaard Watts, author and illustrator

To be published: October 2024

Easy to bring along and helpful in simplifying tree identification. This is a classic guide.

Nature's Best Hope

Doug Tallamy

“Tallamy lays out all you need to know to participate in one of the great conservation projects of our time. Read it and get started!” —Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 

The Sixth Extinction

Douglas W. Tallamy’s first book, 

Bringing Nature Home

, awakened thousands of readers to an urgent situation: wildlife populations are in decline because the native plants they depend on are fast disappearing. His solution? Plant more natives. In this new book, Tallamy takes the next step and outlines his vision for a grassroots approach to conservation. 

Nature’s Best Hope

 shows how homeowners everywhere can turn their yards into conservation corridors that provide wildlife habitats. Because this approach relies on the initiatives of private individuals, it is immune from the whims of government policy. Even more important, it’s practical, effective, and easy—you will walk away with specific suggestions you can incorporate into your own yard.

If you’re concerned about doing something good for the environment, 

Nature’s Best Hope

 is the blueprint you need. By acting now, you can help preserve our precious wildlife—and the planet—for future generations.

More Information: Hachette Book Group Timber Press 

Winter Tree Finder: Identifying Deciduous Trees of Eastern North America by Their Bark and Twigs (Nature Study Guides) 

May Theilgaard Watts and Tom Watts, authors

A easy-to-bring along, simple guide to identifying without the benefit of leaves in the winter. This is a classic that will be republished and released in October of this year. Don't miss the companion Tree Finder: A Manual for Identification of Trees by Their Leaves.

Bark: A Field Guide to the Trees of the Northeast

Michael Wojtech

From the publisher:
"What kind of tree is that? Whether you’re hiking in the woods or simply sitting in your backyard, from Maine to New York you’ll never be without an answer to that question, thanks to this handy companion to the trees of the Northeast. Featuring detailed information and illustrations covering each phase of a tree’s lifecycle, this indispensable guidebook explains how to identify trees by their bark alone—no more need to wait for leaf season. Chapters on the structure and ecology of tree bark, descriptions of bark appearance, an easy-to-use identification key, and supplemental information on non-bark characteristics—all enhanced by more than 450 photographs, illustrations, and maps—will show you how to distinguish the textures, shapes, and colors of bark to recognize various tree species, and also understand why these traits evolved. Whether you’re a professional naturalist or a parent leading a family hike, this new edition of Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast is your essential guide to the region’s 67 native and naturalized tree species. "

Nature's Best Hope - Young Reader's Edition
Doug Tallamy

From the publisher:
This middle grade edition of the groundbreaking bestseller by Doug Tallamy will inspire kids to use their backyard to help save the planet.

Douglas W. Tallamy awakened thousands of readers to an urgent situation: wildlife populations are in decline because the native plants they depend on are fast disappearing. His solution? Plant more natives. In this middle grade adaptation of the New York Times bestseller Nature's Best Hope

, Tallamy outlines his vision for a grassroots approach to conservation that everyone can participate in regardless of age. 

In Nature's Best Hope (Young Readers' Edition), Tallamy empowers kids to use their own yards to help combat the negative effects of climate change. He does so by breaking down complex concepts into simple terms and real-world examples that kids can easily grasp. Black and white photographs help further clarify concepts. In addition to sharing the science, Tallamy encourages kids to take direct action. Some of these ideas include planting an oak tree (one of the most important tree species) at home. If that’s too large of a task, he suggests they can plant asters—a beautiful flower whose pollen bees use to feed their young. By helping the next generation see that they have power and agency over our collective future, this empowering book will drive home the positive point that kids are truly nature’s best hope. 

More information: Hachette Books Timber Press 

The Great Kapok Tree

Lynne Cherry, author and illustrator

Ages: 4 - 8

From the publisher:
A modern fable with an urgent message for young environmentalists. "Spectacular." (School Library Journal)

Lynne Cherry journeyed deep into the rain forests of Brazil to write and illustrate this gorgeous picture book about a man who exhausts himself trying to chop down a giant kapok tree. While he sleeps, the forest’s residents, including a child from the Yanomamo tribe, whisper in his ear about the importance of trees and how "all living things depend on one another" . . . and it works.

Cherry’s lovingly rendered colored pencil and watercolor drawings of all the "wondrous and rare animals" evoke the lush rain forests. Features stunning world maps bordered by detailed illustrations of fascinating rainforest creatures.

An IRA Teacher’s Choice * ABA Pick of the Lists * Reading Rainbow Review Book * NSTA-CBC Outstanding Trade Book for Children

Publisher: Harper Collins Books/Clarion Books 

The Lorax

Dr. Suess, author and illustrator

Ages: 3 - 7

From the publisher:

I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.

Dr. Seuss’s beloved story teaches kids to treat the planet with kindness and stand up and speak up for others. Experience the beauty of the Truffula Trees and the danger of taking our earth for granted in a story that is timely, playful, and hopeful. The book’s final pages teach us that just one small seed, or one small child, can make a difference. 

Printed on recycled paper, this book is the perfect gift for Earth Day and for any child—or child at heart—who is interested in recycling, advocacy, and the environment, or just loves nature and playing outside.

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.  

More information: Random House for Young Readers