I am humbled to be writing about the following trees. They are incredible beings, and I hope that I may represent them with the respect and reverence they deserve. Speaking about them is like talking about old friends. It’s not that easy to tell a stranger about someone you have known for years. I will do my best, but my real goal is for you to meet and know these trees yourself.
These trees are our allies. They do work that we need done—making food or medicine, carbon harvesting, feeding wildlife—all the while living off sunlight and nourishing our souls with their awe-inspiring presence. For the sake of book length, I have selected only 10 genera here. I could have easily chosen dozens of others. All trees have a unique story to tell and have their own specific contributions to people and wildlife. These trees are some of my favorites, but there are many more to learn about.
I definitely don’t know everything about these trees. Everyone has their own perspectives and knowledge. I can only hope to share mine here. Please understand that there is much more to learn. I find that I learn new things about these trees every year that I work with them. I imagine this will continue as long as my partnership with them does.