Books & Media
Below is a list of some of my favorite tree-related books along with links to buy from Powell’s (support local businesses!) or borrow from the Portland Library (Share! Reuse!)
The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy - This book details all the ways that oaks are ecologically our most productive trees. Organized by month, the book is a guide to what is happening in your oak trees year-round. This is a great one to read cover-to-cover and then to pull out every month for a treewatching session under a grove of big oaks. A must read for treewatchers and anybody interested in ecology.
Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard by Douglas W. Tallamy - This book is empowering in that it lays out a grassroots approach to conservation and ecological restoration that you can put into practice in your own life, today. I found this one incredibly inspiring.
The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live and Why They Matter by Colin Tudge - Just what it says: a comprehensive natural history of trees. Somehow it’s not boring! Even the most educated plant nerd will learn something new from this book.
Naming Nature: The Clash Between Instinct and Science by Carol Kaesuk Yoon - This book about taxonomy, more broadly, is about what it means to be human. Brilliantly written, this book will spark debates amongst you and your friends about whether or not “fish” should continue to be used as a category.
Sprout Lands: Tending the Endless Gifts of Trees by William Bryant Logan - A fascinating look at the pruning practices of pollarding and coppicing. I learned so much from this book that I’d never considered before. It is also surprisingly well-written. Logan comes off as the poet-laureate of arborists.
Completely Arbortrary Podcast by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson - Prolific Portland arborist and educator Casey Clapp takes a deep dive into both a tree species and a natural phenomenon in each episode of Completely Arbortrary as he excitedly talks trees with his buddy Alex Crowson. Casey’s enthusiasm about trees is contagious and you’ll learn something new in every episode.
