How to Love a Forest

The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World

De: Ethan Tapper

Narrado por: Evan Sibley

A tender, fearless debut by a forester writing in the tradition of Suzanne Simard, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Robert Macfarlane

Only those who love trees should cut them, writes forester Ethan Tapper. In How to Love a Forest, he asks what it means to live in a time in which ecosystems are in retreat and extinctions rattle the bones of the earth. How do we respond to the harmful legacies of the past? How do we use our species’ incredible power to heal rather than to harm?

Tapper walks us through the fragile and resilient community that is a forest. He introduces us to wolf trees and spring ephemerals, and to the mysterious creatures of the rhizosphere and the necrosphere. He helps us reimagine what forests are and what it means to care for them. This world, Tapper writes, is degraded by people who do too much and by those who do nothing. As the ecosystems that sustain all life struggle, we straddle two worlds: a status quo that treats them as commodities and opposing claims that the only true expression of love for the natural world is to leave it alone.

Proffering a more complex vision, Tapper argues that the actions we must take to protect ecosystems are often counterintuitive, uncomfortable, even heartbreaking. With striking prose, he shows how bittersweet acts—like loving deer and hunting them, loving trees and felling them—can be expressions of compassion. Tapper weaves a new land ethic for the modern world, reminding us that what is simple is rarely true, and what is necessary is rarely easy.

Forests are communities, defined by connection and sustained by death as much as by life. What if we could understand them while letting them remain exquisite mysteries?

©2024 Ethan Tapper (P)2024 Blackstone Publishing

Hope lives

The message to keep trying- keep restoring habitats big or small, one flower pot, one yard at a time.

A Wonderful Book

This is the best audiobook I have listened to in many years. It very much reminds me of A Sand County Almanac. I listened to this book twice and then bought the hardcover. I’ll carry this book with me for the rest of my life.

Brilliant

Tapper writes of his thoughtful care for a forest, Bear Island, with such grace and openness. His wonder abounds, but he also traces history, explains botany, shares lore, and delivers his urgent message without fanfare. How to Love a Forest made me think deeply and differently about the forest that is my responsibility, that is under my care. I am grateful for this book and the humility of its author.

Beautiful & Actionable

Fellow Vermonter here. I came across Ethan on Instagram and really loved his posts. I saw him speak in Brookfield this summer. I am inspired by this book! Ethan’s storytelling is beautiful and gives me hope and motivation. I am only bummed he didn’t narrate himself because I like his voice. Highly recommend and will recommend my loved ones as well.

Great book

Authentic. Engaging. Important. Here is a compelling self told story of how one person can make a big difference in re-wilding, in restoring our forests, and how important that is.

Beautifully written, definitely worth the listen, a little repetitive

This book feels like a collection of essays that all answer pretty much the same question. That said, it’s an important question and deserves nuanced exploration. Ethan is a great writer, but his use of superlatives can be a bit exhausting. Still, give it a listen, especially if you’re considering a career in restoration or conservation; it’s good encouragement in the face of daunting challenges.

This message spoke to me

A wonderful story that gave me a whole new insight into our land. I contacted our county forester already in hopes of being a better steward for our immediate forest.

Not what I expected but in a good way.

I think I was looking for a book more on the forest management side and what I found was a good story of how a forest and humanity are connected. I did enjoy it and learned a few new things along the way.

Fantastic book for anyone who loves forests

Anyone who loves forests will learn a lot from this book. The forester author speaks so profoundly about his growth and connection to his forest. It will make you reflect on your connection to the forests you love, regardless of where you live in the world.

The book will help you to understand the current conditions and challenges of forestry, continually mixed with hope for the future if we all do what we can today to support the forests of the future.

oh the drama!!!

I wanted to give this poor author some Prozac . this book could have beenceducational and interesting. instead it sounded like a self absorbed, drama mobile headed off a lychen covered cliff