by Jim Robbins (Find the Book)Inspired, some would say driven, by a near-death experience, Michigan nurseryman David Milarch expanded his innate love of trees into a decade-long quest to seek out and protect the world's oldest and largest trees from the mass extinction he foresaw as their fate. Nearly alone in his belief that such long-lived relics must possess genetic traits of resiliency, Milarch founded the Champion Tree Project, a global mission to clone these majestic trees in order to ensure their species' survival against increased threats of extreme weather, higher temperatures, deadlier diseases, and invasive pests promised by global warming. Weaving together an intensely personal character study of Milarch and equally distinctive profiles of iconic trees and groundbreaking botanic research, respected science journalist Robbins adroitly draws parallel portraits of this dedicated champion of trees and the endangered champion trees themselves. This provocative and stimulating look at an emerging aspect of environmental study should serve as a clarion call to those concerned with the fate of the world's forests as well as of the stately shade trees in their own backyards. --Booklist
