Bark

A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast

Michael Wojtech

What kind of tree is that? Whether you’re hiking in the woods or simply sitting in your backyard, from Maine to New York you’ll never be without an answer to that question, thanks to this handy companion to the trees of the Northeast. Featuring detailed information and illustrations covering each phase of a tree’s lifecycle, this indispensable guidebook explains how to identify trees by their bark alone—no more need to wait for leaf season. Chapters on the structure and ecology of tree bark, descriptions of bark appearance, an easy-to-use identification key, and supplemental information on non-bark characteristics—all enhanced by more than 450 photographs, illustrations, and maps—will show you how to distinguish the textures, shapes, and colors of bark to recognize various tree species, and also understand why these traits evolved. Whether you’re a professional naturalist or a parent leading a family hike, this new edition of Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast is your essential guide to the region’s 67 native and naturalized tree species.

Paper: $29.95
ISBN-13: 9781684580316
Pages: 280 | Size: 5.5 in. x 8.75 in.
Date Published: October 16, 2020
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This surprising and engaging volume enhances one’s vision for trees and the diverse natural history that they support. Delve into it to expand your awareness and comprehension of nature.

David R. Foster
Harvard University

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Reviews

  • Periderm and lenticels are generally not topics to inspire poetry or jump-start conversations, but naturalist Michael Wojtech’s Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast may change that. Packed with cocktail-party ready facts and an easy-to-use identification guide for 67 Northeastern species, the surprisingly readable text is a must-have for both tree nerds and new-to-nature types.

    Adirondack Life
  • This book will be a great addition to other tree books that we use in the field. No native tree shall go unidentified!

    New York Flora Association Blog
  • Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast provides a unique look at some of the most majestic components of the northeastern flora and is a wonderful alternative to more traditional keys based on leaf or twig traits.

    Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society
  • [Wojtech’s] book covers several dozen species, but more so, it covers the basic structure and ecology you need for a starting point.

    Daily Journal
  • The section on how bark is formed and the discussion of possible advantages of different bark styles-thick bark protects from fire; photosynthesis can take place beneath thin bark-help prepare the reader for the serious business of identifying a tree just by looking carefully at its bark. But this is not as daunting a task as you might imagine: the detailed keys and descriptions and the excellent photographs make matching bark to tree an enjoyable and gratifying process.

    Virginia Barlow
    Co-editor of Northern Woodlands
  • Bark—the tissue and the book—is elegant. As part of a tree’s basic structure bark is always present, is critical to a tree’s function and survival, and provides a diagnostic feature unique to every species. This surprising and engaging volume enhances one’s vision for trees and the diverse natural history that they support. Delve into it to expand your awareness and comprehension of nature.

    David R. Foster
    Director, Harvard Forest, Harvard University
  • This reviewer always assumed that bark was too variable to use as a primary characteristic for tree identification, but natural history/tree researcher Wojtech has proven him wrong. . . . Recommended.

    Choice

About the Author

Michael Wojtech

As a freelance naturalist, writer, photographer, illustrator and educator, Michael strives to share the science and beauty of natural history in an accessible and compelling fashion through presentations, participatory activities, and outdoor exploration. He writes and teaches about the structure, growth processes, and ecology of trees — including their bark, buds, leaves, roots, and wood — for audiences at all levels of experience, and explores how knowing the natural history of the places we live and love fosters connection and the feeling of home.

Michael earned his masters degree in Conservation Biology from Antioch University New England in Keene, NH. He is the author of Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast and co-author of Drawing Leaves and Trees: Observing and Sketching the Natural World.

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