These Trees Tell a Story: The Art of Reading Landscapes

by Noah Charney

A deeply personal master class on how to read a natural landscape and unravel the clues to its unique ecological history
 
“[Charney] is an amiable host. . . . The cumulative effect of his book on the reader is the realization that, as much as we talk about ‘managing’ nature, nature has been managing itself for eons just fine without us.”—Alexandra Horowitz, The Atlantic
 
Structured as a series of interactive field walks through ten New England ecosystems, this book challenges readers to see the world through the eyes of a trained naturalist. With guided questions, immersive photography, and a narrative approach, each chapter adds layers of complexity to a single scene, revealing the millions of years of forces at play. Tying together geology, forest ecology, wildlife biology, soil processes, evolution, conservation, and more, Noah Charney shows how and why landscapes appear in their current forms.
 
Charney’s stories and lessons will provide anyone with the necessary investigative skills to look at a landscape, interpret it, and tell its story—from its start as rock or soil to the plants and animals that live on it. Ultimately, Charney argues, by critically engaging with the landscape we will become better at connecting with nature and ourselves.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Environment, Ecology, Gardening

432 pages, Paperback

Published May 16, 2023

About the author

Noah Charney holds degrees in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art and Cambridge University. He is the founding director of the Association for Research into Crimes against Art (ARCA), the first international think tank on art crime. He divides his time between New Haven, Connecticut; Cambridge, England; and Rome, Italy.

Reviews

[Deidre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did you ever wonder why the forest looks the way it does? Have you ever reflected on the landscape and considered its beauty? Have you asked "who planted all those trees?" Noah Charney takes you on a series of field trips in this book about nature, geology, animal tracking (lots of pee smelling lol), invasives, land and water formations, and so much more. I loved this paragraph on page 149 which ostensibly is based on the natural world, but can also be describing the spiritual and philosophical realms as well.........

"We think of the land as stable, but it's not. Especially not near water. In love with the power and beauty of water, we build along the banks of rivers and oceans expecting nothing to change. When the power of water frustrates us, we build concrete walls and earthen berms to keep the water from moving. We wreck the water's beauty along with the upstream and downstream ecology. Ultimately, the water will keep fighting back. Accepting change is a hard lesson to learn."

And in the end, how we each perceive nature depends on our values and relationships with the natural world. Charney chides those who make decisions without experiencing that which the decisions impact. On page 353, he says............

".....nature's fate is shaped largely by decisions makers sitting within a forest of drywall who have never set foot in the actual forests their policies will impact-- people who feel no real relationship with nature. But relationships are the heart of humanity. Whether we choose to save the cat, the whale, the salamander, or the mouse depends on which creatures we've formed a relationship with."

And Charney tells us in the last sentence (page 354) how to start forming those relationships.....

"The way to begin is to set down this book, set down all books, set down all things, and wander, unencumbered, without direction, outside."

This book is unique in its structure and highly informative, sometimes dense. While I enjoyed reading it, there was so much technical data, I doubt I will be able retain a lot of it. Sometimes Charney presents the chapters like a scatter-brained professor crashing together past, present and future timelines and stories which makes for some confusion. Otherwise, it is a beautiful book.

[Deborah Wolter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading These Trees Tell a Story by Noah Charney is like taking a long walk with a naturalist, along with his young children, wife, students, and friends, who encourages you to use all your senses, smelling pee, tasting pine needle tea or sumaconade, hiking in the dark, studying young and old trees in successions, burrowing in pits left behind fallen trees, and even getting down on all fours to mimic animal gaits to learn about tracking. Noah makes you wonder AND think about your wonderings, not only in faraway places but right in your backyard too.

[Karen Mcintyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for several reasons. The first was I have been learning about the role trees play in our ecosystem. I also wanted to read the book because I know the author who cares deeply about the environment and has ties to the natural world around my little elementary school where I was the librarian. I first met, Noah in a book I used with the 2nd grade students called Noah and the Arc. It was a great introduction to the flora and fauna of their world through the eyes of a young boy. His goal in that small book was to help people recognize the need to make a corridor in the old-growth forest that surrounds Nashville so that animals could migrate.

Ironically at the end of the book he talks about having come upon a freshly deceased coyote. He took it home with the intent of eating it it went into the freezer for processing later. Unfortunately, the power went out and the coyote had to be disposed of....Still with all this "They're eating the dogs, they're eating the cats." stuff from one of the Presidential candidates. I couldn't resist writing him a note.

His book will lead you to live in closeness and harmony with the land and its creatures. I also had to laugh when he was talking about taking one of his college classes out on a trail teaching them about reading the signs in nature. The chapter is called 'Trailing Cats' and as the class is tracking a bobcat they miss a really important sign which leads them in the wrong direction --- a stump was marked by the bobcat with his urine. Hence Noah's memorable line, "NEVER PASS UP AN OPPORTUNITY TO SMELL PEE!" (Pg. 337.)

The book helped me on my journey to become more versant in seeing what to Noah is perfectly obvious. It has a friendly and fast paced narrative that will hold your interest. An added blessing is how his family is imbedded in the story in so many charming ways. Picturing him climbing trails with one child in a stroller and the other with short toddler legs is charming.

[Stacy Boone · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Trees Tell a Story is a deep dive into investigation and taking the time to look at the small details that make up the larger picture of a place. Noah Charney weaves how his children travel with him in backpacks, riding in strollers and walking in the woods, in cold and snow, warmth and sunshine building their own story of the environment. Learning in a way that is unknown and does not feel like education but instead a way of life. As a biologist and educator, Charney’s students are purposefully discovering. Students that “crouch down, and find their own examples of where rabbits have clipped rose stems” is a get into the moment and touch and feel the surroundings.

There are aspects of this book that tread on technical but still find a way to be written for the novice. Vocabulary terms that outdoor lovers can add to their toolbox, coppice is a growth form from the rim of a stump or drumlins, glacial formations created beneath a moving ice sheet. But most importantly, this book gives perspective of time and how walking and just looking around can in fact tell a story that, often, twines with the human but has a longevity not at all equal to human.

Each section as an introductory photo array and chapter title that grounds the reader. Each chapter is one ecological walk in a specific ecosystem. Charney encourages the reader to use their senses – smell pee, observe little nicks and even interrogate a self’s interpretation of blight and messy which might mean native and habitat.

Individual chapters can be read as a stand-alone. Worthy of a read when visiting a specific complex community for the first time as a guide to what the walker may find if they stop for just a long moment to look at the specifics.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Charney is a super-quirky outdoorsman who tells wandering stories of his outdoor adventures. He bounces around through many elements that make up an ecosystem and shows how he stitches together clues to figure out the history of a particular landscape. There are extensive references in the back of the book. I don't think I could replicate what he does because he pulls from such a wide knowledge base (including local experts). However, it's definitely helpful to see the types of information he pulls together to come to his conclusions. I never considered some of the resources he used for his research. Quirky, rambling, and engaging!

[Janet Eshenroder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had hoped this book would contain fascinating information which would improve my understanding of nature. I was worried the writing might be so dry and scientific it would be hard to read the entire book.

I was right on one point. It was full of fascinating information. I was delighted to discover the writing was not dry but rather so personal it was like joining a special friend for a walk through nature.

I was so impressed that, in the middle of reading my Kindle addition, I decided to buy the soft back copy to share with friends. Soft back. I had images of a typical paper back book. The price made me hesitate.

What I received was worth every penny — large book with fascinating pictures far superior to the Kindle version. Able to hold its own against hard back books.

I will definitely share this with friends who love exploring nature.