Forest Walking, by Perter Wohlleben and Jane Billinghurst, is a guide to enjoying the unique qualities of forests. Based on their visits to forests in North America from the Pacific Northwest to the Northeast and south to Texas and South Carolina, the authors show readers how to experience the forest environment with all their senses and appreciate its complexities. As a well known author and forester, Wohlleben blends scientific knowledge with personal anecdotes to explain ecological concepts in simple terms and show the interconnectiveness of nature.
In the first part of the book Wohlleben takes readers through the process of perceiving the forest with various senses and describes some of the fascinating relationships that are revealed. He discusses curious features of roots, stems, leaves, seeds and nuts, and describes the interaction of trees with each other and with other plants, animals and micro-organisms, with special attention to decomposers and decay. We learn, for example, that a moss in a Hawaiian forest has been cloning itself for fifty thousand years, that native Americans pop banana slugs into their mouths to numb toothaches, and that earthworms can be lured to the surface of the soil by beating a stick because they sense the beating as rain.
The largest part of the book is devoted to practical aspects of forest walking with emphasis on activities, especially for children. Wohelleben suggests teaching them to identify trees taste, smell, and touch, and gives directions for directing the activities. He also includes directions for making music with a beech leaf and a willow whistle. He urges readers to enjoy the special experiences of night visits and outlines the advantages of seasonal walks. The author gives specific advice on spotting wildlife, provides directions for starting a fire, and warns against counting on foraging. We learn that pill bugs taste like shrimp, conifers provide better protection from rain than broad leaf trees, and that hikers value a clearing in the forest because ancient man needed warmth from the sun and clear lines of vision.
Wohelleben describes his own book as an appetizer rather than a reference book. He encourages readers to go out in the forest and enjoy it but asks readers to tread the paths lightly and leave things as they found it. His casual, anecdotal style of writing and love of the outdoors is informative as well as inspiring.
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