Arbor Day 2026 Reading Recommendations
Arbor Day is celebrated every year on the last Friday of April by planting trees and appreciating nature. Arbor Day was founded in 1872 by tree enthusiast Julius Sterling Morton, who later served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Grover Cleveland and William McKinley. It’s estimated that a million trees were planted on the first Arbor Day on April 10, 1872. To date, the Arbor Day Foundation has planted over 500 million trees in more than 60 countries around the world! You can celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree, taking a walk in nature or reading more about the impact trees make.
The Heartbeat of Trees: Embracing Our Ancient Bond with Forests and Nature
Author: Peter Wohlleben
Publication Date: June 15, 2021
Call Number: 304.2 WOH
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Summary: Renowned forester Peter Wohlleben draws on new scientific discoveries to explore how humans are deeply connected to the natural world. In an era of cell phone addiction, climate change and urban life, many of us fear we’ve lost our connection to nature, but Wohlleben is convinced that age-old ties linking humans to the forest remain alive and intact.
The Genius of Trees: How They Mastered the Elements and Shaped the World
Author: Harriet Rix
Publication Date: June 5, 2025
Call Number: 582.16 RIX
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Summary: A mind-expanding exploration of how trees learned to shape our world by manipulating the elements, plants, animals and even humankind, possessing agency beyond anything we might have imagined. The book covers global examples, from oaks in England to sequoias in California, presenting trees as powerful actors in the planet’s ecological story.
When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History and America’s Black Botanical Legacy
Author: Beronda L. Montgomery
Publication Date: January 20, 2026
Call Number: 582.160973 MON
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Summary: Award-winning plant biologist Beronda L. Montgomery explores how different trees are connected to Black history and culture and reveals how knowledge of these trees has shaped America since the very beginning. This stunning cultural and personal reclamation of Black history and Black botanical mastery offers up lessons from the natural world shared through the stories of long-lived trees.
Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness
Author: Qing Li
Publication Date: April 17, 2018
Call Number: 615.8515 LI
Summary: In this beautiful book, Dr. Qing Li, the world’s foremost expert in forest medicine, shows how forest bathing can reduce your stress and blood pressure, strengthen your immune and cardiovascular systems and boost your energy and mood. Featuring over 100 color photographs from forests around the world, including the forest therapy trails that criss-cross Japan.
The Light Between Apple Trees: Rediscovering the Wild Through a Beloved American Fruit
Author: Priyanka Kumar
Publication Date: September 25, 2025
Call Number: 634.11 KUM
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Summary: Internationally acclaimed naturalist Priyanka Kumar reveals the richness of a hidden world, bringing readers to the vibrant forests and orchards where historic trees still survive. Kumar brilliantly weaves science and childhood memories together with the apple’s storied history, from its roots in Kazakhstan to Spanish orchards in the Southwest and Thomas Jefferson’s beloved Monticello fruitery.
An Urban Field Guide to the Plants, Trees and Herbs in Your Path
Author: Maggie Herskovits
Publication Date: September 15, 2024
Call Number: 581.756 HER
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Summary: Imagine going for a walk with a knowledgeable friend who points out all the plants you see and the coolest facts about them. This practical field guide is that friend, providing a delightful introduction to 60 plants, trees, weeds and herbs you can encounter while walking around many US cities. Charming line drawings accompany botanical information about each plant, which helps you easily identify it in all seasons.
