A call to rethink our relationship with forests

Ancient and carbon-rich, old-growth forests play an irreplaceable role in the environment. Their complex ecosystems clean the air, purify the water, cool the planet, and teem with life. In a time of climate catastrophe, old-growth and other natural forests face existential threats caused by humans—and their survival is crucial to ours.

In a bicoastal journey, environmental journalist Lynda V. Mapes connects the present and future of Pacific Northwest forests to the hard-logged legacy forests of the northeastern United States. Beginning in Oregon and Washington, where old growth supports, and is supported by, the region’s salmon, we meet Jerry Franklin, who led scientists in recognizing and studying the distinctiveness of these majestic spaces. From there, we journey to Vancouver Island, where Indigenous activists and scientists strive to preserve the health of Nuu-chah-nulth traditional homelands amid continued clearcutting. On the East Coast, we see the corduroy patterns of lands that have been logged for generations, leaving industrial carnage along formerly life-filled waterways. Mapes interviews Penobscot elders and scientists whose new practices are restoring the fish runs, as well as loggers using new technologies to harvest more sustainably.

With vibrant storytelling supported by science and traditional ecological knowledge, Mapes invites readers to understand the world where trees are kin, not commodities. The Trees Are Speaking is essential reading for those with a deep interest in environmental stewardship, Indigenous land rights, and the urgent challenges posed by climate change.

"The Trees are Speaking is supported by a host of researchers and environmental activists who have made incredible discoveries about the role of old-growth trees, alive and dead."

"[A] stunning and evocative search for the last remaining scraps of old-growth and ancient forest scattered across the North American continent."

"The prose is crisp and engrossing, and the book includes dozens of photographs of forests and the people working to protect them. . . . The Trees Are Speaking is a timely survey of old-growth forests that are essential to North America's heritage and key to survival."

"The balance of beauty and science found in Mapes' writing is certain to leave readers with a desire to act."

"The enlightening ecological discussions highlight the delicate balancing acts that undergird thriving forests, and the profiles provide reason for optimism. Nature lovers will be galvanized to stand up for more robust forest protections."