This book was a tree : ideas, adventures, and inspiration for rediscovering the natural world / written and illustrated by Marcie Chambers Cuff.

"At no time in human history have we been more disconnected with what lies outside our front doors. Within just a century, our relationship with our surroundings has transformed from one of exploration to one of disassociation. In This Book Was a Tree, science teacher Marcie Cuff issues a call for a new era of pioneers--not leathery, backwoods deerskin-wearing salt pork and hominy pioneers, but strong-minded, clever, crafty, mudpie-making, fort-building individuals committed to examining the natural world and deciphering nature's perplexing puzzles. Within each chapter, readers will discover a principle for reconnecting with the natural world around them, from learning to be still to discovering the importance of giving back. With a mix of science and hands-on crafts and activities, readers will be encouraged to brainstorm, imagine, and understand the world as inventive scientists-to touch, collect, document, sketch, decode, analyze, experiment, unravel, interpret, compare, and reflect"--

"Calling all modern pioneers! We live in a spectacular time of unprecedented digital connectivity. Yet never before have we been so disconnected from the natural world. It's time to remedy this--to roll up our sleeves and explore a world of unsurpassed beauty and possibility. With This Book Was a Tree, you'll decipher nature's perplexing puzzles through messy but purposeful projects--felting wool, making seedbombs, assembling a nature junk journal, maintaining an herb garden, constructing a bee coop, and germinating nutritious edible sprouts. Along the way, you'll uncover curious details and intriguing similarities between your life and those of your feathered, furry, and flying neighbors, and reawaken your raw sense of wonder and imagination. Think of this as your guidebook for becoming a modern pioneer--a strong-minded, clever, crafty, spontaneous, mud pie-making, fort-building individual committed to slowing down and giving the world your complete attention, questioning everyday things, and reconnecting with the wildness around you"--