This Book Was a Tree: Ideas, Adventures, and Inspiration for Rediscovering the Natural World

by Marcie Chambers Cuff

At no time in human history have we been more disconnected with what lies outside our front doors. Within just a century, our relationship with our surroundings has transformed from one of exploration to one of disassociation. In This Book Was a Tree, science teacher Marcie Cuff issues a call for a new era of pioneers—not leathery, backwoods deerskin-wearing salt pork and hominy pioneers, but strong-minded, clever, crafty, mudpie-making, fort-building individuals committed to examining the natural world and deciphering nature’s perplexing puzzles.

Within each chapter, readers will discover a principle for reconnecting with the natural world around them, from learning to be still to discovering the importance of giving back. With a mix of science and hands-on crafts and activities, readers will be encouraged to brainstorm, imagine, and understand the world as inventive scientists—to touch, collect, document, sketch, decode, analyze, experiment, unravel, interpret, compare, and reflect.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Childrens

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Marcie doesn’t wear a bonnet, carry a hatchet, eat hard tack or forage for wild herbs, fruits and nuts each morning. She prefers, instead, to wear spandex and a superhero cape and drink tea while planning clandestine small-scale seedbomb planting attacks in neglected neighborhood vacant lots. Between seedbombing excursions, she and her family live atop 0.013 acres of paradise just north of Manhattan.

Her mini pancake making skills are the stuff of legend, and when she isn’t writing, digging in the school garden, or shop vac-ing the basement after a heavy rain, she is raising two small wild girls and a menagerie of pets with her clever and mesmeric husband. On any given day, Marcie’s small house is teeming with a maelstrom of rowdy kids, powerful ukulele ballads, disorganized experiments in various stages, and a potpourri of fort-building, dress-up bins and early-risers.

Before earning her M.A. in Secondary Science teaching, Marcie had plunged into a whirlpool of prerequisite employment—everything from organic lettuce farmer, to tropical rainforest field technician, to stuffed animal designer, to Alaskan tent-dwelling goose researcher. Her award-winning blog Mossy is devoted to families who share a love of slowing down, simplifying, getting dirty, and finding hands-on connections to art and nature.

Reviews

[Marcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific book for children, though I don't think it's necessarily written for children. In that sense it's a great tool for parents and teachers to read with their children and then create opportunities to do the activities with the children. I really love this book--it's so innovative and creative with respect to connecting children to nature through a wide variety of activities that get them outdoors and thinking! I just can't see a child picking it up to read it on his or her own, but it's a tremendous book that should be used by adults to engage children. It has everything from bird watching activities to creating homes for bees in your backyard to creating a zero waste lifestyle! It's just perfect! Now I'm awaiting the sequel!

[Patty Anker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Book Was A Tree is full of activities to do in your own yard and neighborhood that will make you look at your environment in a totally new way.
Marcie Cuff believes in going barefoot in the grass, getting your fingernails dirty, and digging for stuff So a) what kid doesn’t love that, and b) what grownup couldn’t use a good dose of it too?
I’ll admit we don’t spend as much time outside as we could because I don’t usually know what I’m looking at. Marcie, with her infectious love of nature, her wide-ranging scientific knowledge, and her irresistible and beautiful drawings, makes it fun to take your time and take another look. Let your mind wander, and wonder (“where is that chipmunk going?”), and take notes in the many spaces in the book for your own observations.
There are projects to take you through many seasons, from germinating edible sprouts to felting wool... Full review: http://pattychanganker.com/family-nat...

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am one of the fortunate ones who was able to read this book a little early. I must say I did not do most of the crafty projects but I loved the writing and wonderful information each chapter bestowed upon me. It has made me much more aware of what is going on around us and also spurs me into trying to improve our environment and surroundings. Many of the projects pertain to what is happening around us and awakens us to try to understand our surrounds and make them a better place for those who will follow.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book for its inspiring ideas and projects involving the natural world. Great for Tree School/nature pre-school, general fun, homeschooling and personal inspiration. Easy to read. I got it from the library, which is how I read 99% of the things I read. Would love to add this to our home collection.

[Kristie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great reference for projects to do with kids or to inspire me to take a closer look at things happening in nature around me.

[Diane · Rating 1 out of 5]

To say I finished reading this is incorrect. I tried. I read. I skimmed. Then I felt bad for being conned into purchasing a book with a title that just oozes guilt. I am not ashamed to say I bought this book because of the title - This Book Was a Tree. So on behalf of this poor dead tree, I thought I should purchase this book so its life wasn't a waste, and I would gain knowledge and inspiration from the words written upon its destroyed life force. The truth is I more or less went through the book jumping from chapter to chapter realizing I already embraced the ideas, adventures and inspiration for rediscovering the natural world. Okay...enough of the rant - I'm a middle school science teacher. A significant amount of what I teach is environmental science. This book shall land on my classroom shelves as an inspiration for my students. I think they will like it more than me. I've been there and done that.

Note to the Goodreads people - it occurs to me that there should be a "Just couldn't get myself to finish it" check box.

[Terri Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the book but frankly, it is just ideas from every other garden craft and "get out and do stuff with the kids" type books. I was hoping for something different but it is the same old how-to-make-a-terrarium, how to dry herbs, how to go on a nature walk, let's grow a garden, let's set up a beehive, where to scatter wildflower seeds, let's write our elected officials and tell them we are worried about the planet, recycling, and the usual suspects. In fact, I am unsure why the publisher even agreed to publish this book of recycled ideas since everyone else (themselves included) already have. Unless you know nothing about any of this, you'll be bored, and if you truly don't know anything about these things and want to learn, you'd be better off with a full color book on whichever subject you want to learn about.

[T Crockett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good book for someone who is unfamiliar or uncomfortable in the outdoors. If you want guidance in how to enjoy nature or some ideas on what to do with kids in nature, this is for you.

If you already enjoy being outside and it's a part of your life, the book probably won't offer much that's new to you.

[Jennifer Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book 10 stars. It is truly inspiring! There are so many good ideas in this book, from small ways to look at things around you to big things to create. I don't want to give a single idea away... You must read this book for yourself!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the projects that looked really promising were the terrarium, the pinhole camera, tree stump sundial, germinating seeds in eggshells, make your own bug lotion, grow counter top sprouts, providing bird nest materials, making felted flowers from sweaters, and best of all, a DIY bee coup!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book. It really gets you back in touch with nature. Fantastic illustrations by the author add a personal touch.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book, and we love to sell it in the bookstore!