10 books to read during National Tree Week
Kirsty Rosie has a reading list to share with you and it's all about trees
Humanity and trees are intertwined, we evolved hand in hand (or branch) and once you start looking you will find them ingrained in our culture, beliefs and literature.
But there is more to a tree than meets the eye, and here are ten books that will have you looking at them in a fresh light. In celebration of National Tree Week I have gathered these titles that will enthral, captivate and inspire you to appreciate trees in all their leafy glory.
1. How to Read a Tree by Tristan Gooley
My regret about this book is that I didn’t read it sooner. My three years working in a community forest would have been undoubtedly richer if I’d been aware of a fraction of what this book has taught me. In the introduction Gooley states that ‘Trees tell a story but only to those who know how to read it.' I highly recommend this informative book to anyone who walks near trees, has a tree in their garden or just anyone who enjoys trees.
2. The Overstory by Richard Powers
This one won several awards when it was published in 2019, and the story is currently being adapted for the screen by Netflix. It follows the lives of 9 American characters and how their relationships with specific trees leads them together. It has trees, people, past and passion for conservation of the natural world. Great read.
3. The Cone Gatherers by Robin Jenkins
This classic Scottish novel was born out of the authors own experiences as a conscientious objector during WW2 when he was sent to work in forestry. It is a dark novel, heavy with symbolism and you no doubt read it for your Higher English class. If you didn’t it’s worth a read.
4. The Island of the Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
This is a multigenerational tale of the war in Cyprus, with the interesting twist of having a fig tree as one of the narrators. It is a story of war, love, barriers and grief but also one of how the natural world has been affected by war too.
5. The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
Are trees social beings? Peter Wohlleben explores this idea in depth drawing on the latest science to explain how trees communicate with each other, and share resources to survive as a community. Its informative and surprising in equal measure and delivered with the warmth that can only come from a forester who has spent decades caring for his trees.
6. Greenwood by Micheal Christie
This one is a bit of an ‘eco-parable’ following past generations into the future where there are few forests remaining on earth. The structure of the book is interesting, like the rings of a tree. If you liked ‘The Overstory’ then you may enjoy this one.
7. Treasury of Folklore: Woodlands & Forests by Dee Chainey & Winsham
This book leaves no corner of the earths civilisations unturned and could be a read about anthropology as much as it is about woodlands. A nice one for the coffee table to dip in and out of.
8. The Lord of the Rings JRR Tolkien
From the author that fathered the fantasy genre, we can be grateful he didn’t leave the trees out. The oldest creature in middle earth is Treebeard, who is an ent, a shepherd of the trees. Very much resembling a tree himself he is surely one of the best characters in this large tome.
And from the children’s section:
9. The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
A Classic Blyton adventure series about children discovering an enchanted tree with resident elves. Written in the 1940s, but still very much in print today for good reason. In the words of Albert Einstein "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."
10. Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
A little boy gets his kite stuck up a tree and throws something else up to knock it free, and so begins an hilarious picture book adventure. This is one of my favourite books for our youngest readers, it gives a smile even on the one hundredth reading.
So get along to your local library and borrow a book about trees! Participating Highland Green Libraries will also have a National Tree Week book display to choose from.
Kirsty Rosie is the High Life Highland Countryside Ranger for East Caithness and North East Sutherland, a region celebrated for its natural splendor and diverse wildlife. Raised in Keiss, her early experiences inspired her lifelong passion for the conservation in this area. Today, as a ranger, she is a well of knowledge and enjoys teaching visitors and communities alike about the treasures to be found on Caithness’s dramatic cliffs, and within it’ historic landscapes.
Great list, thank you! I'd like to add a recommendation: Why Can't We Be More Like Trees? by Judith Polich. This is a fascinating read which I will return to again and again, as it is so densely packed with thought-provoking, assumption-challenging ideas. To quote some blurb:
"Breakthrough research is [...] revealing a brilliant green world with amazing attributes like dispersed intelligence [...which] thrives on innate cooperation, sharing, altruism, and community. Exploring the latest cutting-edge environmental and ecological studies, climate adviser and environmental advocate Judith Polich explains how we can now see how tree and plant communities function, revealing a holistic, interconnected, communal, and seemingly sentient new world. She explains how trees communicate, how they share resources, and other ways in which they express holistic and cooperative behaviours [and shows] how we can learn from the intelligent communities of trees and plants."