Magnificent Trees of Indiana

Featuring more than two hundred gorgeous color photographs of Indiana’s champion trees and old-growth forest remnants, Magnificent Trees of Indiana is a celebration of the state’s natural beauty. Seventy-four trees are featured as well as twenty old-growth woods. Each has been photographed to illuminate the grandeur of the natural world.

Accessible to the outdoor enthusiast, this book details the changes that have occurred over the last two centuries in Indiana’s forests, including the landscape geology and physiography. The forest is celebrated as a living community, with highlights including odd forms, curious trees, and unique occurrences―many of which can still be visited today.

Magnificent Trees of Indiana makes for a beautiful coffee-table gift book for any Hoosier or nature lover, walking the reader through the geologic past, into early pioneer times, and onward to the present, all while covering the history, value, and economic importance of our hardwood forests.

Carroll D. Ritter is a retired science teacher with a lifelong interest in trees and wildflowers. He attended Purdue University, received his master’s degree from Indiana University, and complete advanced coursework in field geology from Western Washington University. After retirement, he assisted Sycamore Land Trust, developing their first and very successful environmental education program working with children of all ages. An avid mountain hiker, backpacker, and photographer, he has logged over two thousand miles on trails in the United States and Canada. He has nominated seven state champion trees over the years, including three new ones for the 2020 Indiana Big Tree Register. He lives in Williams, Indiana, where he practices forest conservation on his own land and still loves and admires his trees.