The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue

A Story of Climate and Hope on One American Street

De: Mike Tidwell

Narrado por: Brandon Pollock

In 2023, author and activist Mike Tidwell decided to keep a record for a full year of the growing impacts of climate change on his one urban block right on the border with Washington, DC. Tidwell's story depicts the neighborhood's battle to save the trees and combat climate change: The midwife who builds a geothermal energy system, the Congressman who battles cancer and climate change, and the Chinese-American climate scientist who wants to bury billions of the world's dying trees to store their carbon and help stabilize the atmosphere.

The story goes beyond ailing trees as Tidwell chronicles people on his block coping with Lyme disease, a church with solar panels and floodwater, and young people anguishing over whether to have kids—all in the same neighborhood and all against the backdrop of 2023's record global temperatures and raging wildfires and hurricanes. Then there's Tidwell himself who explores the ethical and scientific questions surrounding the idea of "geoengineering" as a way to save the world's trees by reflecting sunlight away from the planet.

No book has told the story of climate change this way: hyper-local, full of surprises, full of true stories of life and death in one neighborhood. The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue is a harrowing and hopeful proxy for every street in America and every place on Earth.

©2025 Michael Tidwell (P)2025 Tantor Media

Like politics, all climate change is local

Another thoughtful book in the growing catalog of works, non-fiction and fiction, on the climate crisis we ignore at our own peril. Thank you Mike for your keen observations on climate impacts and possible solutions in your corner of the world and the world as a whole.

This book made me want to be with trees and protect our climate

I loved the way Mike wove the story of the trees in his neighborhood with the story of what we can do to prevent climate change. It made me want to take “forest baths” and it made me want to help Mike and CCAN protect our climate. It was also beautifully written and brought to life all the heroes in Mike’s world like Jamie Raskin and Lorig Charkoudian with both of whom Mike’s book gave me a special bond.