TreeGirl: Intimate Encounters with Wild Nature

My first reaction was to gasp at the splendor and beauty of the trees so magnificently displayed in these photographs. It is a spiritual experience to view these natural phenomena. While the author attempts to show a “sensual connection” with these denizens of the forests by photographing nude females within or on their limbs, I found such intimate connections annoying. The author, also known as TreeGirl, writes lovingly about her passion for these majestic structures. As an arborist and conservationist, she knowledgeably describes the trees within the ecosystem while urging the reader to reconnect with nature. Examples of trees from more than a dozen different countries are arrayed on oversized pages, some familiar, others exotic. California’s giant Sequoia, the Buckeye, Pacific Dogwood, and Canyon Live Oak are recognized by locals. But the Baobab intrigues the viewer from its site in South Africa, and the ancient olive trees of Greece have survived the ages. There are the various Eucalypti of Australia and the Cypress of New Zealand. Rich in information, ardently anxious for conservation, and gifted in capturing these photographic images, this book would be a treasure…except for the nude female bodies, which may denote scale, but, to this eye, just pollute the serene beauty of these natural wonders with the hubris of man.