The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring

The Wild Trees by Richard Preston is a riveting work of narrative nonfiction about the people who explored the soaring canopies of Northern California’s ancient coast redwoods. These giant trees, among the tallest living organisms on Earth, hide complex ecosystems hundreds of feet above the forest floor.

Preston follows Steve Sillett, Marie Antoine, and a small group of botanists and amateur naturalists who learned to climb the redwoods and discovered an astonishing world of mosses, ferns, salamanders, soil mats, and “fire caves” high in the canopy. Their work combines scientific curiosity with genuine physical risk and a deep passion for conservation.

Part adventure story, part natural history, and part environmental reflection, The Wild Trees is a compelling choice for readers interested in forests, ecology, exploration, climbing, and the hidden life of the natural world.

Hardcover, Very Good