Great Nature Books to Read This Summer: Trees, Forests, and Wildlife

by Meaghan Weeden June 05, 2026 7 min read

Great Nature Books to Read This Summer: Trees, Forests, and Wildlife
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Key takeaways: Discover Your Next Great Nature Read

  • This list brings together nature writing, environmental nonfiction, memoirs, fiction, and beautiful art books for a broad audience.
  • You'll find diverse perspectives, from classics like Ralph Waldo Emerson's Nature to Robin Wall Kimmerer's Gathering Moss, to deepen your understanding of ,and connection to, the natural world.

Looking for the best nature books to read this summer (or anytime you need to reconnect with the natural world)?

You’re in the right place, because we’ve compiled the ultimate list of awesome books about nature and trees! From immersive forest science to unforgettable environmental memoirs and nature-inspired fiction, this curated list brings together some of the most impactful books about trees, forests, and our relationship with the planet.

Whether you’re a restoration professional, a casual reader, or simply searching for a great summer read, these titles offer insight, inspiration, and a deeper understanding of why nature matters now more than ever.

Memoirs and Personal Journeys

These books bring nature to life through personal stories, offering insight, inspiration, and real-world experience for readers who connect most with personal storytelling.

Reason for Hope by Jane Goodall and Phillip Berman

Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey is Jane Goodall’s reflective memoir about a life shaped by curiosity, compassion, and an ever-deepening connection to the natural world. Alongside memories of her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees, Goodall shared the experiences and beliefs that shaped her optimism, offering a thoughtful reminder that hope can be both deeply personal and powerfully practical.

Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard

Written by pioneering researcher Suzanne Simard, whose TED talks have been viewed by over 10 million people, Finding the Mother Tree is part memoir, part scientific exploration. Drawing upon decades of research on how trees, connected by vast underground fungal networks, share nutrients, warnings, and resources, this book will forever change how you view the forest.

Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer

A beautiful examination of an often overlooked element in the natural world: moss. Through a series of personal essays, Kimmerer explores what moss can teach us both scientifically and spiritually, examining its biological importance as well as its significance in Native American culture.

The Legacy of Luna by Julia Butterfly Hill

The Legacy of Luna is a moving memoir about Julia Butterfly Hill’s extraordinary two-year "tree sit" in an ancient redwood named Luna, where she stood her ground to protect the forest from logging. Written with deep conviction and heart, it’s an inspiring story of courage, persistence, and the innate bond between people and the natural world.

The Moth Snowstorm by Michael McCarthy

Part environmental manifesto, part memoir, this heartfelt book invokes the inherent connection we all have with nature. From his earliest memories of being sparked with joy at the sight of butterflies to present reflections of the global collapse of earth's natural systems, McCarthy's words ring with emotion and a call to action towards a more positive approach to restoring ecological balance.

The Man Who Planted Trees by Jim Robbins

This is the story of a man who set out on a mission to reforest the world by cloning the oldest, largest, and most resilient trees - champion trees - to create a Noah's Ark of tree genetics. It's also the story of a New York Times journalist who had his doubts. Through narrative and research, we uncover incredible human accomplishments and the essential role of trees in our survival.

Science, Ecology & Big Ideas

From forest ecosystems to the hidden connections between trees, these books reveal nature's best-kept secrets with clear, research-backed insights. You may never see the natural world the same way again.

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

A fascinating and intimate account of how trees grow, socialize, interact with their environment, and even feel. Beautifully written and drawing on groundbreaking scientific discoveries, this book reads like a wondrous fairy tale-like exploration that will take your breath away.

The Forest Unseen by David George Haskell

A fascinating look at the ecology of forests and what they can tell us about the entire natural world. Focusing on a single square meter of old-growth Tennessee forest, biologist David Haskell tells the story of the life that flourishes beneath the surface through all four seasons.

The Nature Fix by Florence Williams

Why does a walk in the woods do us so much good? This book explores the amazing benefits that connecting with nature has on our health and happiness, investigating cutting edge research from around the world.

The Sacred Balance by David Suzuki

A thoroughly researched and riveting exploration of the rapid pace at which our natural world is changing, and what it means for humankind's place within the ecosystem. Our deep spiritual needs, and the global need for resources and sustainability are fascinatingly explored, along with the power of love for nature.

What A Plant Knows by Daniel Chamovitz

Ever wonder if your plants have feelings? This absorbing and often surprising book looks at how plants respond to touch, sound, smell, sight, and even memory. Using the latest genetic research, Chamovitz reveals that we may have more in common with trees and flowers than we realize!

Nature’s Temples by Joan Maloof

This passionately written book will give you a comprehensive introduction to old-growth forests. Exploring the complex world that stretches from the tallest trees to the tiniest insects, this book will make you cherish the fragile majesty of our ancient forests more than ever before.

Classic Nature Writing & Philosophy

These timeless works explore humanity’s evolving relationship with nature, offering big-picture thinking that continues to shape environmental philosophy today.

Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson

First published in 1836, this epic philosophical essay looks at humanity, spirituality, and nature. It lays the foundation for transcendentalism: the idea that the natural world is divine and that accepting its divinity will allow us to become one with our surroundings. If you feel like delving into big questions like “What is matter?” then this one is for you.

The Great Work by Thomas Berry

The great work referred to in this book is the transition away from humans having a destructive influence on the planet, towards a presence that is benign or mutually beneficial. Berry goes through the ethics, politics, economics, education needed to move towards sustainability and a social appreciation of the earth that sustains us.

Spiritual Ecology by several authors

The first edition of this book sparked the spiritual ecology movement, which recognizes the need for a deeper connection with the natural world. Through a collection of essays by Joanna Macey, Thich Nhat Hanh, Wendell Berry and many others, the reader is stirred from within towards an awakening to nature's spirit.

Nature-Inspired Fiction (Great Summer Reads)

These novels weave nature into unforgettable stories, making them perfect additions to your summer reading list.

The Overstory by Richard Powers

A novel of epic proportions. There is a world alongside ours―vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us. This is the story of a handful of people who learn how to see that world and who are drawn up into its unfolding catastrophe.

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

Prodigal Summer is a beautifully layered novel that follows three lives unfolding over one humid Appalachian summer, each shaped by love, change, and the rhythms of the natural world. With Kingsolver’s signature blend of lyricism and ecological insight, it’s a thoughtful, immersive read about the ways humans and landscapes are forever intertwined.

Greenwood by Michael Christie

Greenwood is a sweeping, multi-generational novel that traces a century of change in the natural world through the life a family. Moving between the past and a near-future shaped by climate collapse, it follows the Greenwoods as their fortunes rise and fall alongside the forests they depend on, protect, and destroy.

Photography, Art & Coffee Table Books

These visually stunning books combine photography, illustration, and design to celebrate the beauty and complexity of the natural world.

The Living Forest by Robert Llewellyn & Joan Maloof

A brilliant visual exploration of the forest through poetic and factual writing, coupled with stunning photography. Each chapter explores a different element of the forest - trees, plants, water, insects, wildlife, bacteria - all of which are shown to be connected in a magnificent web of life. The perfect coffee table book.

Wise Trees by Diane Cook and Len Jenshel

A beautifully photographed coffee table book that explores some of the world's most historic and inspiring trees. Through captivating storytelling, the authors reveal how trees can shape our lives, traditions, and feelings about nature.

Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman

A playfully illustrated and colorful display of the function, structure, and personality of the natural world. Combining art and science, along with a little bit of humor, this book will leave you creatively inspired. If you're really looking for a deep dive, there's a Notebook Companion too!

Botanicum by Kathy Willis & Katie Scott

A brilliantly illustrated guide to plant life. From flowers to trees, bulbs to leaves, you'll gain scientific insights while enjoying a colorful feast for the visual senses. This book will inspire you to run outside and take a much closer look at the plant world around you!

Ocean Wanderlust by Kevin Koenig

Ocean Wanderlust is a richly illustrated Assouline travel book that takes readers beneath the surface to explore the ocean as both a destination and a source of imagination. Blending marine life, mythology, submarines, fashion, art, and underwater exploration, it celebrates the deep sea while also underscoring the need to protect this fragile environment.

Books to Challenge Your Thinking

These books explore our connection to the natural world with science, spirituality, and unique observations.

The Secret Life of Plants by Peter Tompkins & Christopher Bird

A bestseller that explores the rich psychic universe of plants, including how they respond to human nurturing, how they communicate, and other creative abilities.

The Songs of Trees by David George Haskell

Eloquent writing is paired with thoughtful observation of the natural world to create a reading experience that will fill you with awe. Haskell repeatedly visits a dozen trees, sharing how they are interconnected with other life around them, as well as with humans through history, ecology, and wellness.

Beyond Words by Carl Safina

A must-read for animal lovers! Using field observations and new discoveries about the brain, this book gives some powerful insights into what animals think and feel. Through amazing stories of empathy, joy, grief, anger, and love, Safina makes us question how we set humans and animals apart.

Nature and the Human Soul by Bill Plotkin

A visionary ecopsychology of human development that reveals how fully and creatively we can mature when soul and wild nature guide us. An approach to both personal growth and cultural transformation.

From groundbreaking research to vibrant nature art, we hope we helped you find your next great read!

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