We need more foresters who, like Baker, nurture a deep sensitivity and love for trees. ’ Proof of his keen observation of forest sociability is accumulating. He described the forest as a ‘society of living things, the greatest of which is the tree. Barbe Baker was among the first foresters to identify and celebrate the hidden life of trees. His encounters with historical figures like FDR, Nehru, and George Bernard Shaw are eye-popping, as were his accomplishments. He was also an Edwardian eccentric whose obsession with trees caused him to neglect his family the devout son of an evangelical preacher who became a New Age hero an unapologetic colonial officer fired for defending indigenous Africans a forester who rarely had a steady income a failed entrepreneur and inventor a proud soldier and peace activist a brilliant writer, speaker, and raconteur who made wild claims about the effectiveness of his conservation efforts. He saved lives, too, through his ceaseless global campaign to raise the alarm about deforestation and desertification and by finding effective, culturally sensitive ways for people to contribute to a more peaceful and greener world. Barbe Baker was an inspirational visionary and pioneering environmentalist who is credited with saving and planting billions of trees. His encounters with historical figures like FDR, Nehru, and George Bernard Shaw are eye-popping, as were his accomplishments.įeaturing a foreword by HRH the Prince of Wales, and an introduction by Jane Goodall.Includes a foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales and an introduction by Jane Goodall

Man of the Trees by Paul Hanley