The story of a single tree, from the moment the seed is released from
its cone until, more than five hundred years later, it lies on the
forest floor as a nurse log, giving life to ferns, mosses, and hemlocks,
even as its own life is ending.
In this unique biography, David Suzuki and Wayne Grady tell story that
spans a millennium and includes a cast of millions but focuses on a
single tree, a Douglas fir, Tree describes in poetic detail the
organism's modest origins that begin with a dramatic burst of millions
of microscopic grains of pollen. The authors recount the amazing
characteristics of the species, how they reproduce and how they receive
from and offer nourishment to generations of other plants and animals.
The tree's pivotal role in making life possible for the creatures around
it -- including human beings -- is lovingly explored. The richly
detailed text and Robert Bateman's original art pay tribute to this
ubiquitous organism that is too often taken for granted.
Revised edition with a foreword by Peter Wohlleben, author of The
Hidden Life of Trees.