The soaring majesty of a virgin forest and the intertwined relationships
of plant, animal and man are the subject of Bernd Heinrich's lyrical
elegy. Heinrich has spent a lifetime observing the natural world, and
now he shares his vast knowledge and reflections on the trees of the
Northeast woods and the rhythms of their seasons.
From the DNA contained in an apple seed to the great choiring branches
far beyond a young boy's reach, Heinrich explores a natural world in
scientific and personal terms. Heinrich is a scientist, but his words
speak with the power and subtle grace of a poet. He uses this gift, and
his intimate knowledge of his 300 acres of Maine forest, to expose the
forest's rhythms and in doing so, illustrates the vital but tenuous link
among man, trees, birds, insects and all the creatures of the forest.
Thanks to Bernd Heinrich, readers will finally see the forest "and" the
trees.