Description

America was built on white pine From the 1600s through the Civil War and beyond it was used to build the nations ships and houses barns and bridges Yet this popularity came at a cost by the end of the nineteenth century clear cutting had decimated much of Americas white pine forests In White Pine ecologist and writer John Pastor takes listeners on walk through history connecting the white pine forests that remain today to a legacy of destruction and renewal

Since the clearcutting era naturalists foresters and scientists have taken up the quest to restore the great white pine forests White Pine follows this centurieslong endeavor illuminating how the efforts shaped Americans understanding of key scientific ideas from forest succession to the importance of fire Pastor shows us why restoring the vitality of these forests has not been simple a host of other creatures depend on white pine and white pine depends on them In weaving together cultural and natural history White Pine celebrates the way humans are connected to the forestand to the larger natural world

Today white pine forests have begun to recover but face the growing threat of climate change White Pine shows us that hope for healthy forests lies in understanding the lessons of history so that iconic species survives