Smart Trees

Presented by leading landscape photographers Diane Cook and Len Jenshel, Wise Trees is a captivating color-photography book showcasing over 50 historical trees with incredible stories from around the world. According to the Los Angeles Times, the photographers specifically sought out "inspirational trees—ones that had witnessed history, survived calamities, or were the focus of spiritual veneration," discovering more than 60 examples globally.

With a foreword by Verlyn Klinkenborg, Diane Cook and Len Jenshel embarked on a two-year journey funded by grants from the Expedition Council of the National Geographic Society, visiting 59 sites on five continents to capture some of the world's most significant and inspiring trees. They emphasize the vital role trees play in our lives, noting that while trees can thrive without us, humanity cannot survive without them. Trees provide oxygen, food, wood for shelter and fuel, and have played a crucial role in the spiritual and cultural practices of civilizations worldwide.

From Luna, the Coastal Redwood in California that gained international recognition when activist Julia Butterfly Hill sat in its branches for 738 days to protect it from logging, to the Bodhi Tree in India descended from the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment, Cook and Jenshel unveil trees that have deeply influenced our lives, traditions, and perception of nature. The book also features survivor trees like the camphor tree in Nagasaki that survived the atomic bomb, an American elm in Oklahoma City, and the 9/11 Survivor Tree at the 9/11 Memorial.

Each tree was carefully selected for its prominent role in human history, reflecting and inspiring awareness of the enduring significance of trees in nurturing and protecting humanity. Wise Trees will undoubtedly captivate photographers, environmentalists, history enthusiasts, and nature lovers, offering a collection of extraordinary stories that celebrate the timeless connection between trees and humanity.

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