These Trees Tell a Story: The Art of Reading Landscapes

A deeply personal master class on how to read a natural landscape and unravel the clues to its unique ecological history

“[Charney] is an amiable host. . . . The cumulative effect of his book on the reader is the realization that, as much as we talk about ‘managing’ nature, nature has been managing itself for eons just fine without us.”—Alexandra Horowitz, The Atlantic

Structured as a series of interactive field walks through ten New England ecosystems, this book challenges readers to see the world through the eyes of a trained naturalist. With guided questions, immersive photography, and a narrative approach, each chapter adds layers of complexity to a single scene, revealing the millions of years of forces at play. Tying together geology, forest ecology, wildlife biology, soil processes, evolution, conservation, and more, Noah Charney shows how and why landscapes appear in their current forms.

Charney’s stories and lessons will provide anyone with the necessary investigative skills to look at a landscape, interpret it, and tell its story—from its start as rock or soil to the plants and animals that live on it. Ultimately, Charney argues, by critically engaging with the landscape we will become better at connecting with nature and ourselves.