The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees
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- Create Date：2021-04-20 12:31:22
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Douglas W. Tallamy
- ISBN：1665048166
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Summary
With Bringing Nature Home， Doug Tallamy changed the conversation about gardening in America。 His second book， the New York Times bestseller Nature’s Best Hope， urged homeowners to take conservation into their own hands。 Now， he is turning his advocacy to one of the most important species of the plant kingdom—the mighty oak tree。
Oaks sustain a complex and fascinating web of wildlife。 The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month， highlighting the seasonal cycles of life， death， and renewal。 From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars， Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards。 He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak， along with information about the best oak species for your area。
The Nature of Oaks will inspire you to treasure these trees and to act to nurture and protect them。
Oaks sustain a complex and fascinating web of wildlife。 The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month， highlighting the seasonal cycles of life， death， and renewal。 From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars， Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards。 He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak， along with information about the best oak species for your area。
The Nature of Oaks will inspire you to treasure these trees and to act to nurture and protect them。
Reviews
Linda
，
I like this book enough that I've pre-ordered it after reading this ebook， courtesy of Netgalley。 I want to keep it around as a reference book so I always know what's going on with the oaks in the park down the street from me。 The Nature of Oaks lets you know what's happening in and around oaks month by month。Oaks are the best tree you can plant to attract the most wildlife from birds to mammals Blue Jays are so adapted to eating acorns that they have a little hook on their beak designed to pop I like this book enough that I've pre-ordered it after reading this ebook， courtesy of Netgalley。 I want to keep it around as a reference book so I always know what's going on with the oaks in the park down the street from me。 The Nature of Oaks lets you know what's happening in and around oaks month by month。Oaks are the best tree you can plant to attract the most wildlife from birds to mammals Blue Jays are so adapted to eating acorns that they have a little hook on their beak designed to pop open these nuts。 Oaks feed hundreds of different caterpillars。 You may think you don't want hundreds of squiggly things around， but these nutritious protein-filled wigglers attract and support birds。 Chicks in nests need protein to grow。 No other tree provides more for birds than oaks。Mr。 Tallamy is conversational and easy to understand。 I want to plant some oak trees in my yard now， right now！ 。。。more
Debbie
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Everything you want to know about oak trees from the expert！ Beautiful photography。
Kaye
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A wonderful month by month view of the mighty oak and those that benefit from it。 Birds and insects plus others， including us。 Especially found it interesting about the high number of caterpillars and then moths and butterflies。 An interesting looks at the seasonal views。 Would recommend。
Allison
，
I confess， when the beautiful foliage of autumn lights up the landscape， I always spurned the oak for its dismal display of old brown leaves。 Since reading The Nature of Oaks， I have an entirely different opinion of this stalwart tree。 Complete with excellent photographs， this journal of a year in the life of an oak shows us month by month the valuable contribution this native plant makes to our natural world。 Entry after entry we see the way Nature connects through plants， insects， birds and ma I confess， when the beautiful foliage of autumn lights up the landscape， I always spurned the oak for its dismal display of old brown leaves。 Since reading The Nature of Oaks， I have an entirely different opinion of this stalwart tree。 Complete with excellent photographs， this journal of a year in the life of an oak shows us month by month the valuable contribution this native plant makes to our natural world。 Entry after entry we see the way Nature connects through plants， insects， birds and mammals。 This is a dramatic well-written demonstration of the web of life。 I hope this book gets the audience it deserves。 And having read an article by the author in The NY Times， and the comments posted there by readers， I am confident that the word is getting out。 Plant an oak and save the world！ 。。。more
Ann Samford
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This was a really nice book to listen to while walking in the woods。 A very short book describing the habitat services oaks provide on a monthly basis。 So many caterpillars and other insects。 And in the end he recommendation on planting acorns。 Loved the book。 Great info
Trudy Pomerantz
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An inspirational call to do what you can in your own yard to help with the ecological problems that we face。
Kim Cabrera
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Oak trees are common where I live， and they are one of the most amazing species of trees。 According to this book， they support a wide variety of kinds of life。 Everything from insects to fungi and mammals。 I’ve always loved Douglas Tallamy’s books and this one is right up there with the best of his writing。 I love that Tallamy emphasizes how our own use of native plants can help wildlife。 The oak tree is native to most places in the U。S。， so it makes a good choice for a native tree for a garden。 Oak trees are common where I live， and they are one of the most amazing species of trees。 According to this book， they support a wide variety of kinds of life。 Everything from insects to fungi and mammals。 I’ve always loved Douglas Tallamy’s books and this one is right up there with the best of his writing。 I love that Tallamy emphasizes how our own use of native plants can help wildlife。 The oak tree is native to most places in the U。S。， so it makes a good choice for a native tree for a garden。 The species that use oaks are immense！ This book goes into detail about some of them， but there are far more than can be shown in a single volume。 It’s amazing how much life there can be on one oak tree！ The book follows a single year in the life of an oak in the author’s yard。 He begins with the Fall and goes month by month， talking about the biology of some of the species that live on his oak。 It’s fascinating reading。 My favorite chapter had to do with galls。 I’ve been fascinated by galls for many years and love reading about them。 Tallamy does not disappoint！ The chapter on galls was interesting and full of details。 The gall-makers have such complex relationships with their host plants， and there are so many of them！ The galls on oaks are some of my favorites because of their complexity and their many forms。 The author’s writing style is very easy to read， and his accounts don’t require an advanced degree in science to understand。 It is very approachable and understandable for any audience。 There is a handy list at the end of the book of oak species by region。 （U。S。 regions only though。） If you love natural history or trees， I highly recommend this incredible book。 You will find it hard to put down！ 。。。more
Ann
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I loved “Nature’s Best Hope” and completely understood that we all play an important role in supporting our native ecosystems。 So I was wondering what more could I learn？ As it turns out — a lot！This book is laid out month by month with short， info-packed chapters about what happens during each part of the year。 Info-packed sounds like it could be dry and dull but it is exactly the opposite。 Doug Tallamy has a knack for story telling and his prose is incredibly readable and absolutely fascinatin I loved “Nature’s Best Hope” and completely understood that we all play an important role in supporting our native ecosystems。 So I was wondering what more could I learn？ As it turns out — a lot！This book is laid out month by month with short， info-packed chapters about what happens during each part of the year。 Info-packed sounds like it could be dry and dull but it is exactly the opposite。 Doug Tallamy has a knack for story telling and his prose is incredibly readable and absolutely fascinating。 You can hear the urgency for action in his voice， but rather than preach he encourages and educates。 In addition to the why’s， he also presents the how’s。 In summary， if everyone reads this book and does just a few things， we have a future to enjoy。 If not。。。 。。。more
Elizabeth
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Another fabulous book by Douglas Tallamay。 If you want to do one thing to make your garden ecologically rich。。。。nurture and or add an oak tree。 This book will totally convince you。
Jeff Clark
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Great content but it is really more of an essay （an expensive one at that！） than a book。 I love the message and the info presented but it left me wanting more。 Easily read in a single sitting。
Laura Gardner
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There are a pair of Quercus macrocarpa （Bur Oak） trees in a park near my house and I often look at them in awe。 I estimate that these trees are between 100 and 150 years old。 What is amazing is that they could live another 150 years。 As long as they receive enough sunlight and moisture and their roots are undisturbed， this lifespan is possible。 Sadly， most trees planted in cities are not long-lived due to stresses like heat， drought， road salt， compacted soil and interference by sewer or other u There are a pair of Quercus macrocarpa （Bur Oak） trees in a park near my house and I often look at them in awe。 I estimate that these trees are between 100 and 150 years old。 What is amazing is that they could live another 150 years。 As long as they receive enough sunlight and moisture and their roots are undisturbed， this lifespan is possible。 Sadly， most trees planted in cities are not long-lived due to stresses like heat， drought， road salt， compacted soil and interference by sewer or other utility lines。 For these reasons， backyards tend to be the better locations for trees in urban environments。 If you are planning to plant a tree on your property this year， Douglas W。 Tallamy’s latest book， The Nature of Oaks: the Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees， published by Workman （imprint Timber Press）， will make you seriously consider an Oak tree。 Tallamy， an entomologist who researches the relationships between insects and plants， is well known for his other books that seek to change the way we garden by encouraging us to incorporate more native plants。 His latest book honors the Oak tree， and provides a month-to- month chronicle of the life of one on his property。 While small at 200 pages， the book has many interesting and informative anecdotes about the types of insects， birds， mammals， fungi， and micro-organisms that live in， on， and around these trees。 Tallamy aims to instill in us an interest in these great trees and to recognize their important role within the food web。 What makes Oak trees so special？ In addition to moderating the climate， reducing pollution， producing oxygen， and storing carbon from the atmosphere， they have an enormous impact on the lives of other species。 Within our ecosystem， Oaks support more life than any other North American tree genus （p。 12） and they are considered a “keystone species。” A “keystone species” is one that produces food that supports a broad range of life forms。 Over the course of its lifetime， an Oak can produce over 3，000，000 acorns。 Other trees such as Birch， Cherry， Hickory， Pine， Maple， and Willow are also “keystone” species （p。 39） but they are not as supportive as Oaks。 In his research， Tallamy measured the degree of this support by counting the number of moth and butterfly species that live， feed and reproduce on different trees。 The Lepidoptera Index places Oaks at the top of the list at 532 species of moths and butterflies。 One of the reasons as to why they support so many species is because they grow in a wide range of ecological zones （p。 41）。 The majority of species near the bottom of the list are non-native trees and shrubs。 Most of our native insects and animals have not fully adapted or evolved to non- native plants or are only adapted to a small number of plants—referred to as host plant specialization （p。 37）。 Certain birds， like the Black-Capped Chickadee need between 6，000 and 9，000 caterpillars in order to raise one clutch of young。 Filling bird feeders with seed can be beneficial for them， but planting trees are necessary as up to 50% of their diet consists of insects （p。 34）。 There are a number of unique and fascinating attributes of Oaks that are explored in the book。 Masting is a survival adaptation that occurs periodically in Oaks where they produce a large number of acorns。 Since animals cannot eat them all， this allows more trees to grow （p。 18）。 Masting occurs on different cycles for both White and Red Oaks and this ensures food is consistently available for animals （p。 120）。 Many Oaks retain their dead leaves through the fall and winter。 Marcescence is thought to be a defence mechanism that deters animals from eating the tender buds （pp。 27-28）。Tallamy also provides us with some tree planting advice and seeks to dispel some of the myths around planting Oaks。 His first choice would be for us to plant an acorn in the fall but the next best choice would be to plant a bareroot whip in the spring。 A bareroot whip is a pruned dormant tree that is only a few feet tall。 It should be planted in the spring so it can break its dormancy naturally。 Overall， he recommends purchasing the youngest tree available because it will have a better chance of survival than a larger tree。 Larger trees often have damaged roots at planting and have a 50% chance of dying in the first few years after transplant。 （p。 47） While some Oak species grow to great heights and widths， they do grow relatively slowly， and most people will not live to see their tree at its peak。 Some may be concerned about its root system but they extend deeply into the ground and tend not to interfere with driveways or sidewalks like some other species。 Tallamy recommends planting two or three trees spaced 10 feet apart—in a grove。 This may seem too close but it is true to their nature in the wild。 The trees’ roots will also bind together and the resulting strength of them will be able to withstand extreme weather and lessen the chances of damaging property （p。 50）。 For those with smaller lots， it may not be practical to plant more than one Oak， let alone a larger species like Quercus alba （White Oak） or Quercus macrocarpa （Bur Oak）。 There are several smaller Oak species that may suit including Quercus prinoides （Dwarf Chinquapin Oak）， Quercus ilicifolia （Bear Oak）， and Quercus marilandica （BlackJack Oak）。 For those who are able to consider medium and large Oaks， there is a complete list in the book organized according by location in the United States。Since an Oak is a shade tree， there may be concerns about what can be grown beneath them but there are many plants that are suitable for the understory。 Tallamy suggests native species such wild ginger， ferns， violets， pachysandra， dogwood， witch hazel， iron wood， azalea， or viburnum （p。 147）。This little book is not only fascinating to read， it is inspiring。 When the declining non-native Acer platanoides （Norway Maple） is eventually removed from my yard， I am going to see about replacing it with a native Oak “keystone species。” I appreciated the opportunity to review this book in advance， courtesy of Workman Publishing and Edelweiss。 。。。more
Amanda Hupe
，
Thank you so much， NetGalley， Douglas W。 Tallamy， and Timber Press for the opportunity to read this book！My husband and I recently purchased an acre in the mountains in Southern California。 We have plans to build a home and get further away from the city。 This property is covered with oak trees。 Specifically， Coastal Live Oaks and Interior Live Oaks。 So I was overjoyed to get approved for The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W。 Tallamy。 I have heard so much about his work and actually have many more of Thank you so much， NetGalley， Douglas W。 Tallamy， and Timber Press for the opportunity to read this book！My husband and I recently purchased an acre in the mountains in Southern California。 We have plans to build a home and get further away from the city。 This property is covered with oak trees。 Specifically， Coastal Live Oaks and Interior Live Oaks。 So I was overjoyed to get approved for The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W。 Tallamy。 I have heard so much about his work and actually have many more of his books on my shelf！ But since I will be living among the oak trees， I thought it would be best to learn more about them。 This book is broken up into each month with a glimpse of what to expect from your oak trees。 Most importantly， what creatures to see throughout the year。 Oaks sustain so much life， from the smallest of insects to gray squirrels， to bears。 I can attest to this。 While visiting our property， I saw a creature that was the size of a small dog。 It was a gray squirrel， but the BIGGEST gray squirrel I have ever seen！ It clearly enjoys the feast！Not only does this book go onto describe the creature but also about the pressing reasons we need to conserve these vital trees。“Alarming headlines from around the world are reminding us of the critical linkage between plants and insects; we have removed more than half of the forests on earth and， not surprisingly， insect populations have declined globally by at least 45% since 1979。 And again， it should be no surprise that with insect declines come bird declines。 There are now 3 billion fewer birds in North America than there were 50 years ago， and over 430 bird species in North America are declining so rapidly that they are now considered at risk for extinction。”THE NATURE OF OAKSConservation is so important and I plan on taking all his advice。 I also plan to purchase this book for future reference！ I was approved for this book 2 days before my father passed and it was a book that I was so excited to tell him about as he loved trees and nature as well。 For this reason， this book hit me emotionally as well。 I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars。 。。。more
Laura
，
In his prologue， Tallamy writes that “oaks support more forms of life and more fascinating interactions than any other tree genus in North America。 All this life does not show up at the same time nor stay with your oak the entire year。 。。。 To fully appreciate what an oak tree can bring to your yard， and into your life if you are willing， we need to follow what is happening on your oak trees month by month through all four seasons。” [12] As such， the book is organized with chapters month by month In his prologue， Tallamy writes that “oaks support more forms of life and more fascinating interactions than any other tree genus in North America。 All this life does not show up at the same time nor stay with your oak the entire year。 。。。 To fully appreciate what an oak tree can bring to your yard， and into your life if you are willing， we need to follow what is happening on your oak trees month by month through all four seasons。” [12] As such， the book is organized with chapters month by month， beginning with October （which is when he began writing）; each chapter details some of the animal and insect life that might be active in that month and includes the author’s observations of his own yard。I read this book in March， and I live on a street with many oak trees。 I grew up with a backyard full of oak trees， watching the squirrels and birds year round， so oak trees are definitely both familiar and special to me。 Tallamy has done a wonderful job of conveying how oaks are not just trees， but really entire communities comprised not only of oaks themselves but of insects， birds， and other species that live on and around them。 The book includes so many interesting facts， and is simultaneously clearly well researched – with ample scientific terms and names – and very accessibly written。 A bibliography is included， as well as a few useful appendices on North American oak species and how to select an oak and plant it。 It is worth mentioning that the book is very much focused on the United States – while there are hundreds of species of oak found on many continents， The Nature of Oaks only really discusses oak trees in US context。 Despite knowing that some of the species discussed in the book are likely not found in my region – the middle of Ontario – I enjoyed learning about oaks and their roles in their broader ecosystems。 I can definitely imagine buying this book for someone who likes birdwatching， observing insects， or gardening。 。。。more
Teri
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“The Nature of Oaks，” is an intelligent and thoughtful ode to Oak trees。 The author discusses the many benefits of having and planting oak trees。 The author is an entomologist and spends time discussing the numerous insects and birds that live， die and adventure in oak trees。 Well written and enjoyable to read。**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book。
Clare O'Beara
，
From the oaks in his backyard to the many species of oaks in North America， the author tells us of the myriad of insect species these trees support - and from the insects the birdlife is supported。If you don't want to know about or see insects， larvae and parasitoids， this is not the book for you。 If you're willing to be interested， the many wonderful colour photos in my ARC will instil a respect in you for the volume and variety of species an oak can support。 The author explains many facets of From the oaks in his backyard to the many species of oaks in North America， the author tells us of the myriad of insect species these trees support - and from the insects the birdlife is supported。If you don't want to know about or see insects， larvae and parasitoids， this is not the book for you。 If you're willing to be interested， the many wonderful colour photos in my ARC will instil a respect in you for the volume and variety of species an oak can support。 The author explains many facets of oak trees through a year。 The brown leaves are not shed low on the tree， especially on young trees。 The dry leaves protect a little against browsing animals， also sheltering the buds from frost。 Fallen leaves， which his father once raked and burnt， actually help trap water and provide a home for insects and a litter for fertiliser。 Gall wasps lay eggs in leaves and twigs， protected by a hard gall which the tree obligingly grows。 Why does the tree put up with this larva pest？ If the larvae had to keep moving they would probably damage cells and stem structures as they ate。 Small birds fly through and forage over winter， picking off invisible insects such as overwintering caterpillars。 As oaks live so long， a single tree is a massive milestone in the landscape， a place to feed for migrant and wintering and nesting birds。 And prior to humans eliminating the massive herbivores， the oak canopy would have been broken up by browsing and scratching activities， so far more biodiversity would exist in a mosaic of woodlands。 If you are interested in studying forestry， ecology， trees or insects， this will be a hugely important book to read - particularly if you live in North America which I do not。 I don't have all these kinds of oak。 But this book gives me a good feel for them， and warns of imported plants， insects or other animals which， devoid of predators， devour unstoppably。 I find it easy enough to read， but I do already know something about trees and ecology。 For the nervous， I will add that it's packed with interesting anecdotes rather than graphs， so it doesn't come across as a textbook。 Most terms are explained in the text， but we can also Google new words。 References on P。 160 - 162， followed by How to plant an oak。 That and a list of oaks go to P。 185。 Index P。 186 - 197。 As the references are given with first initial， I am unable to tell how many items were by women。 I downloaded this e-ARC from Net Galley。 This is an unbiased review。 。。。more
Misti
，
What a fantastic book！ And a book that is sorely needed！ I appreciated the perspective Dr。 Tallamy shared through the months of the years as well as highlighting the diverse array of insect species that utilize oaks for their existence。 A must have on the library shelves for any naturalist and gardener！*I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my review。*
Brenda
，
The mighty oak is the favourite of so many people but most know so little about them。 They grow poorly in my area of Canada （we only have the hardy burr oak which only grows in urban microclimates） but thankfully several species grow all over in my second home country in Europe so I get to enjoy them thoroughly part of the year。 Well， pre covid。 The information in this book blew my mind！ It is even more fascinating than I had imagined it would be。 The author details what is in "season" regarding The mighty oak is the favourite of so many people but most know so little about them。 They grow poorly in my area of Canada （we only have the hardy burr oak which only grows in urban microclimates） but thankfully several species grow all over in my second home country in Europe so I get to enjoy them thoroughly part of the year。 Well， pre covid。 The information in this book blew my mind！ It is even more fascinating than I had imagined it would be。 The author details what is in "season" regarding the oaks each month。 Brilliant concept。Amongst the topics are the growth of the oak tree itself， its acorns， what eats these protein-rich acorns， the benefits of the rich organic matter resulting from fallen leaves， the curious processes of masting and marcescence， gall formation， pollination， birds and other critters which rely on it and loads more。 I had no idea that so many species of caterpillars develop in oak trees。 Hundreds， even in winter！ Not sure how many survive our -40C temperatures here but chickadees and nuthatches do quite well。 Amongst the most intriguing creatures I learned about in this book are the jewel caterpillar， filament bearer， great purple hairstreak and the spun glass slug moth。 Wow！ The most practical information I learned is the impact of mistletoe as it grows thickly on our oaks。The author also lists species which grow in different states in America as well as how to plant oaks。My sincere thank you to Timber Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this wonderful book！ I enjoyed it very much。 。。。more
Kathleen Guinnane
，
This was a fascinating read。 I have always had a special place in my heart for oak trees， but after reading this book I love them even more。 I didn't know how much activity I was missing by not looking closely into my oak trees。 Although I will probably still not look closely into my trees， at least I can look at them， watch them grow， and think about the enormous amount of life they host。 I will no longer be ignorant of the vital role oaks play in our ecosystem。 #netgalley This was a fascinating read。 I have always had a special place in my heart for oak trees， but after reading this book I love them even more。 I didn't know how much activity I was missing by not looking closely into my oak trees。 Although I will probably still not look closely into my trees， at least I can look at them， watch them grow， and think about the enormous amount of life they host。 I will no longer be ignorant of the vital role oaks play in our ecosystem。 #netgalley 。。。more
h ♡
，
i ate through this book in an hour， and now i want to plant an oak tree。 unfolds month-by-month， revealing the rich， complex ecological world sustained by these trees。 i'd say it's less about oaks themselves and more about the various caterpillars （SO many caterpillars） and insects that rely on them， with a few birds thrown in for good measure， but it's still a fascinating read。 i am forever convinced that we should abolish lawns， and maybe plant oak forests instead。*arc received from netgalley i ate through this book in an hour， and now i want to plant an oak tree。 unfolds month-by-month， revealing the rich， complex ecological world sustained by these trees。 i'd say it's less about oaks themselves and more about the various caterpillars （SO many caterpillars） and insects that rely on them， with a few birds thrown in for good measure， but it's still a fascinating read。 i am forever convinced that we should abolish lawns， and maybe plant oak forests instead。*arc received from netgalley in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Dave Franz
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Tallamy writes so confidently and convincingly that I want to go out and plant a white oak tree in my front lawn today。 He succeeds in his mission to reveal that a tree is not simply a tree。 It is a highly complex ecological world unto its own。 His succinct and straightforward narrative was perfectly tuned for the curious observer in all of us。 Learn why you shouldn't rake leaves; why rot is okay; why hungry caterpillars are not bad; and what hundreds of creatures rely upon oak trees for their l Tallamy writes so confidently and convincingly that I want to go out and plant a white oak tree in my front lawn today。 He succeeds in his mission to reveal that a tree is not simply a tree。 It is a highly complex ecological world unto its own。 His succinct and straightforward narrative was perfectly tuned for the curious observer in all of us。 Learn why you shouldn't rake leaves; why rot is okay; why hungry caterpillars are not bad; and what hundreds of creatures rely upon oak trees for their livelihood 。。。more
Sarah
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I audibly celebrated when I found this on NetGalley to read in advance。 Douglas Tallamy is a national treasure。 I first read his book "The Living Landscape"， and while I admired the photos and made lots of notes for my own yard， I did not fully appreciate his expertise。 Several years ago I heard David Mizejewski speak， and he made special note of Tallamy's assertion that native oak trees support over 500 species of caterpillars。 After subsequently reading all of Tallamy's books， I was delighted I audibly celebrated when I found this on NetGalley to read in advance。 Douglas Tallamy is a national treasure。 I first read his book "The Living Landscape"， and while I admired the photos and made lots of notes for my own yard， I did not fully appreciate his expertise。 Several years ago I heard David Mizejewski speak， and he made special note of Tallamy's assertion that native oak trees support over 500 species of caterpillars。 After subsequently reading all of Tallamy's books， I was delighted by "The Nature of Oaks" for both its format and content。 We have multiple mature oaks on our 1+ acre， so while the information is relevant for any reader， I found it especially enlightening on a personal level。 I am looking forward to owning a copy so that I can follow along month by month with my own oak trees。 Tallamy writes in such a warm and authentic way that I can imagine what it would be like to hear him tell us these naturalist tidbits in person。 This book is solidly in my "Did You Know" category because while reading it I kept hunting down my husband to say "Did you know。。。" about things so interesting I just had to share them with someone！ It was also a quick and informative read， but also one I will want to read again to pack all of it in my brain。 。。。more
Sandy
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I highly recommend this for anyone with an interest in nature。 An interesting and well written look at the role that oak trees play in our environment。 The book is easy to understand and has plenty of photos。
Janet
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Date reviewed/posted: December 5， 2020Publication date: January 19， 2021When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book f Date reviewed/posted: December 5， 2020Publication date: January 19， 2021When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley， the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review。 From the publisher， as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews， I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸。With Bringing Nature Home， Doug Tallamy changed the conversation about gardening in America。 His second book， the New York Times bestseller Nature’s Best Hope， urged homeowners to take conservation into their own hands。 Now， he is turning his advocacy to one of the most important species of the plant kingdom—the mighty oak tree。Oaks sustain a complex and fascinating web of wildlife。 The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month， highlighting the seasonal cycles of life， death， and renewal。 From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars， Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards。 He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak， along with information about the best oak species for your area。The Nature of Oaks will inspire you to treasure these trees and to act to nurture and protect them。I am not a “tree hugger” but I do love me some oaks – I grew up under an acre of them and miss them dearly now that I live in a high rise。 We do love to go to the park and sit under one with a book， a comfy chair and a Coke Zero so this book was right up my alley。 With oaks come squirrels， which I adore as they are so smart: ask anyone with a bird feeder or anyone watching the little buggers remembering where they buried those acorns！！！ The book is not a casual read but I certainly enjoyed it – in fact， I think I will give it to my official tree hugger brother！As always， I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis （outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc。 " on Instagram and Twitter。。。 Get a real job， people！） so let's give it 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 。。。more
Jeff
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