Trees of New England: A Natural History

Taking up where field guides leave off, Trees of New England presents the natural history of the native and common non-native tree species growing in New England. It discusses how and when they reproduce themselves; how their physical structure protects them from the elements; how animals get food and shelter from them; how people use them; and how diseases, insect pests, and environmental degradation are affecting trees today.

A noted naturalist, Charles Fergus communicates his love for trees in every description and gentle detail. The splendidly written narrative is enhanced by beautiful line drawings of the leaves, needles, bark, nuts, and other features of the trees, giving the book an additional function as an identification aid. It also includes a range map for each species, an index of scientific names, and information about how Native Americans and colonists used trees for food and medicine and how trees have appeared in folklore and mythology.

Trees serve many valuable functions--producing oxygen so other organisms can live, absorbing carbon dioxide, preventing erosion, providing wood for countless products, and producing fruit, nuts, and syrup. This highly readable book will increase anyone's appreciation of the majestic trees that populate our landscape.

Charles Fergus has written about nature and the outdoors for many magazines and newspapers, including Audubon, Country Journal, Science, and the New York Times. He is the author of fifteen books, including Thornapples, Wildlife of Pennsylvania and the Northeast,A Hunter's Book of Days, and Summer at Little Lava, named by Library Journal as one of the Best Sci-Tech Books of 1998.He lives with his wife and son in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont in an old farmhouse on 108 acres of land, 80 of which are forested.