Keepers of the Trees: A Guide to Re-Greening North America

by Ann Linnea, Lyanda Lynn Haupt (Introduction)

Engage in the life stories of fourteen people whose lives have been shaped by trees-featuring the true stories of a tree doctor, big tree hunter Will Blozan, Plant Amnesty’s pruner, and ninety-four-year-old logger Merve Wilkinson. Also interviewed is Vietnam veteran Bud Pearson, whose post-traumatic stress disorder found healing and acceptance as a wood carver in the wilds of Montana, as well as Andy Lipkis, founder of TreePeople, who has spent thirty-five years ripping up concrete in L.A. to plant over two million trees in an effort to stop flooding and reduce air pollution. Each tree keeper reveals the inspiration and organization behind their advocacy with detailed explanations and touching stories of how their lives have come to be shaped by the forests they are fighting to preserve. Keepers of the Trees includes stories from all over North America, including Vancouver, Chicago, L.A., and Montana. This book includes one hundred color photographs of the tree keepers in action as well as diagrams illustrating the keepers’ work. These are inspirational stories of conservation, healing, passion, and advocacy for any classroom, conservationist, activist, and nature lover.

Genres: Nature, Ecology, Nonfiction

273 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book with over 100 color photos. Stories of lives of ordinary people who have special relationships with trees, the "lungs of our planet"! A great gift for all your family and friends!

[Hayley]

You won't be able to finish this book without starting to notice the trees in your daily life- you'll feel closer to them, realize how they support your life, maybe even empathize with them. A collection of stories about ordinary people and what they're able to accomplish by devoting themselves to their passions in small ways and big. Very inspirational. A+ prose. Educational. Easy to pick up and read in small bits when you have a minute.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good compilation of stories of various "tree keepers." It is a book partly about the people about themselves and partly about trees. The writing is straightforward and much of the book is interesting. I enjoyed this read.

[Florence Primrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories of fourteen people who live to connect to and preserve trees and to educate as many as possible about the interdependence we have with trees. One of the people written of spoke to a group I belong to, lives in our area and started Trees Forever. Good information about not only what is being done, but ideas for things that can and should be done.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing people doing amazing work. This collection was inspiring and educational about one of my favorite topics -- but each story had far more inconsequential detail than was necessary for encouraging/maintaining interest in trees and their impact on our lives.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. The author provides insights of various professionals and citizens who are working to help our nation's forests, from a citizen scientist to a forester, from a researcher/tree farm owner to the author herself. She wrote it with a great deal of heart.