Treekeepers

"This well-organized, well-researched, encouraging narrative looks at the work of reforestation on both the global and the local scale."

“Oakes dives into the world of forest restoration, carbon offsets, and ecosystem services, exploring how local communities can participate in and benefit from forest restoration initiatives… [Oakes] covers a lot of ground and does a lot of digging” 

“The author blends first-person reporting and ecology to winning effect… Readers will come away with a comprehensive understanding of what trees can and can’t do for the environment.”

“… a comprehensive study of this crucial topic. [Oakes] presents both the rewards and challenges of maintaining healthy forests as a climate change solution, contributing significantly to the ongoing dialogue on environmental conservation and climate action… an earnest and in-depth exploration of innovative strategies to increase forest cover and the potential impact on our changing climate. [Treekeepers] serves as an important resource for those seeking to understand the complexities of forest conservation in the face of global environmental challenges."

“Treekeepers is an ambitious memoir of Oakes’s boots-on-the-ground research under old-growth canopy and a rigorous exploration of forests and climate change… a hopeful profile of the people working to restore, retain and nurture strong forests.” 

“thoroughly reported… A skillful combination of personal storytelling and scientific research, accompanied by the voices and stories of those helping to reverse deforestation and sustain forests into the future, this thoughtful text conveys the potential, and limits, of tree planting to sequester carbon in the environment.” 

“Planting trees, protecting, and restoring forests is definitely one of the ways to combat climate change. But only planting the right trees in the right places at the right time, and only restoring forests in the right way. Lauren Oakes travelled widely to gather her facts for this important and beautifully written book.”

“Can trees really save us? Oakes digs deep into the complexities of planting forests to soak up carbon. The result is a frank, probing, but ultimately hopeful book.”

“Forests—especially mature ones, with big trees—are clearly crucial to our future. Here’s an in-depth exploration of exactly why, and it’s filled not just with numbers but with stories!”

“While we know nature alone can’t solve our climate crisis, we also know it can’t be solved without nature. That includes efforts like 1t.org to conserve, restore, and grow a trillion trees. In Treekeepers, Oakes shows the incredible power of our forests to remove carbon from the atmosphere. It’s a call to action for everyone to work together to heal our planet for future generations.”

“Lauren E. Oakes offers an in-depth portrait of tree planting around the world—its merits and limitations, too. Treekeepers brings forests, biodiversity, climate solutions, and global communities into one critical conversation about survival and our collective future.”

“Oakes knows forests, and in Treekeepers, she introduces us to the vibrant global community working to restore forests of all kinds—and ensure our collective survival. An insightful, beautifully reported, and much-needed guide to the hope beyond the tree-planting hype.”

“Ecologist Oakes has spent years exploring the potentials and pitfalls of the modern tree-planting movement. The result is Treekeepers, a deft and compelling story about the complex realities of growing and maintaining healthy forests, told with just the right blend of hope and warning.”