2024 Lecture

The world today is undergoing the most rapid environmental transformation in human history—from climate change to deforestation. Scientists, ethnobotanists, indigenous peoples, and collectives of all kinds are closely studying trees and their biology to understand how and why trees function individually and collectively in the ways they do. For his new book, Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future, historian Daniel Lewis went on a global journey to learn about twelve iconic trees in their habitats, including two species found in North Carolina—the longleaf pine and bald cypress. In this talk, Lewis will reveal what he learned of nature and survival through all twelve and will share insights into the ways in which humans and trees are interconnected.

The lecture will be given at the Forest History Society's headquarters in Durham. Tickets for the reception and lecture are free but registration is required. Schedule of events:

Reception @ 6:15 pm – Light refreshments served
Lecture from 7 to 8 pm
Book Signing @ 8 pm (hosted by The Regulator Bookshop)

Daniel Lewis is the Dibner Senior Curator for the History of Science and Technology at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in Southern California, and a writer, college professor, and environmental historian. Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future was published by Simon and Schuster in March 2024. Kirkus Reviews had this to say about his book: “Daniel Lewis, author of The Feathery Tribe, could not have chosen a group of trees more biologically and culturally fascinating than this variously endangered dozen. . . . He offers a meticulous survey of these species, as well as their personal histories and importance. . . . He deals with the complexities of conservation efforts (and resistance to them) with an even hand, and the book is as rigorous as it is readable. . . . A well-informed, staunch defense of trees’ capacity to multiply biodiversity and support life on Earth.”