United States
£ GBP
As we clear millions of hectares of forests globally, the challenge of restoring these precious ecosystems becomes ever more pressing. The stakes are high: a staggering 95% of Earth's land could succumb to degradation by 2050. While the task might appear straightforward – simply plant millions of trees – the reality is far more perplexing. Haphazard tree-planting in unsuitable locations can wreak havoc on ecosystems and jeopardise the livelihoods of local communities.
The surge of interest in restoring forests has ushered in a wave of greenwashing, where deceptive environmental marketing and scientific mishaps undermine genuine efforts. Yet this new focus also brings forth a plethora of solutions and many rays of hope. Amidst such a complex landscape, cutting-edge science and Indigenous knowledge together can redefine our understanding in a way that not only helps regenerate nature but also allows human communities to thrive.
This original, topical and engaging book navigates the intricate web of forest restoration. It reveals how a nuanced approach is required – one that integrates the latest scientific advancements (for instance in microbial ecology, acoustic technology and epigenetics), Indigenous leadership and a holistic understanding of the interconnectedness of life within these vital ecosystems. Treewilding asks us to reflect on our relationship with trees and how we must see the woods (complex social and ecological systems) for the wood (timber) – a realisation that is perhaps the biggest 'secret' to restoring nature.
Introduction: Seeing the Woods for the Wood
PART I. TREES: THEY RISE, THEY FALL, THEY MATTER
1. A Brief History of Forests
2. A Brief History of Deforestation
3. The Social Importance of Trees
4. The Ecological Importance of Trees
PART II. RESTORE, REWILD, REGENERATE
5. Forest Restoration
6. Natural Regeneration
7. Chernobyl’s Red Forest
8. Agroforestry
9. The Miyawaki Method
PART III. FOREST RESTORATION: A CONTROVERSIAL BUSINESS
10. The Trillion Trees Controversy
11. Greenwashing Galore
12. Sea of Tree Guards
PART IV. UNSEEN AND UNDER-APPRECIATED PERSPECTIVES
13. Trees and their Invisible ‘Friends’
14. Senses and Memory
15. Dark Emu: An Indigenous Perspective
16. Restoring Forests in a Changing Climate
17. Future Forests and Tomorrow’s Guardians
Conclusion: Let Trees Be Thy Teachers
Afterthoughts: Insights from Environmental Psychology
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Jake M. Robinson is a British microbial and restoration ecologist based in Australia. In 2021, he received a PhD from the University of Sheffield. He enjoys researching microbes, ecosystems, social equity issues, and ways to conserve and restore nature. Treewilding is his second book. Invisible Friends was Jake’s first book. It’s all about how microbes shape our lives and the world around us.
"A wonderfully lyrical, yet scientifically rigorous and wide-ranging exploration of the way trees enrich our lives. Importantly, Jake Robinson identifies the biological and psychological imperatives to properly restore our lost forests, and the myriad life forms they encompass. Go sit under a tree and read this book today!"
– Mike Bossley, conservationist and former director of Greenpeace Australia
"Treewilding is a major addition to literature on inter-relationships between people, trees, and forests. It takes a broad sweep through environmental and cultural histories of the forest and impacts of deforestation. The author then looks to future restoration with a context of social and ecological values. The book is an important, innovative, and hugely stimulating contribution that demands to be widely read."
– Professor Ian D. Rotherham, Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University
"I very much enjoyed reading this belter of a book. Timely and important, it is both a paean to the power and beauty of trees and a call to arms. Let trees be thy teachers and this book be your guide."
– Dr George McGavin, entomologist, broadcaster and President of the Dorset Wildlife Trust
"Electrifying and insightful! With personal anecdotes and scientific rigour, Robinson charts our course to a more symbiotic existence with forests. Like the dendritic branching structures it so beautifully describes, Treewilding takes us on a journey through time, revealing the relationship between humans and trees is both ancient and complex – one that we break at our peril."
– Tim Jarvis, adventurer and environmental scientist
"A characterful and informative exploration."
– Tristan Gooley, author of How to Read a Tree
"There has never been a more important time for the world to understand trees."
– Bruce Pascoe, author of Dark Emu
"Treewilding is captivating. Each one of us senses a powerful connection with the nature that shines all around us, even if we cannot articulate it. Jake does so beautifully in this wonderful book."
– Ben Goldsmith, environmentalist and author of God is an Octopus
"Robinson depicts precisely and gracefully how trees and forests are interconnected with each other and with the world, from the smallest to the largest scale, in imaginable and unimaginable ways. The book is, while being scientifically thorough, an invitation to sense, feel and appreciate this interconnectedness [...] it is impossible to be unenthusiastic about this wonderful book."
– Hanna Bjørgaas, author of Secret Life of the City
