When award-winning book editor Amanda Lewis moved to British Columbia after nearly a decade away, she was mostly familiar with trees as dead blocks of paper. A dedicated "indoorswoman," Amanda could barely tell a birch from a beech. But that didn't stop her from pledging to visit the biggest trees in BC, also known as the "Champion" trees.

What could go wrong? Well, climate change, Amanda's lack of wilderness experience, the upsetting reality of old-growth logging, the ever-changing nature of trees, and the pressures of her one-year timeframe complicated her tree quest. Amanda realized that her "checklist" approach to life might be the problem, and she reframed her search for trees to something humbler and more meaningful: getting to know forests in an interconnected way.

Join in this Live & Online program where Amanda will be in conversation with Edith George, a Toronto-based activist and volunteer for the protection of natural heritage trees. Edith successfully had four trees in the City of Toronto recognized as heritage using Forests Ontario Heritage Tree Program. Edith is working on one of these, a red oak, to be designated heritage. No single tree has been designated heritage in Toronto since amalgamation in 1998.

Weaving in insights from writers and artists, Amanda's first book, Tracking Giants, uncovers what we're really after when we pursue big things—and reveals that sometimes it's the smaller joys, the mindsets we have, and the companions we're with, that make us feel more connected to the natural world.

This virtual program celebrates National Tree Day and is part of Toronto Public Library's Our Fragile Planet program series, supported by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF).

This 1-hour program will be recorded and available for replay at the same link.

Questions about online programs? Please email us at programproposals@tpl.ca

Toronto Public Library is committed to accessibility. Please call or email us if you are Deaf or have a disability and would like to request an accommodation to participate in this program. Please let us know as far in advance as possible, and we will do our best to meet your request. At least three weeks' notice is preferred. Phone 416-393-7099 or email accessibleservices@tpl.ca

Tracking Giants: Big Trees, Tiny Triumphs, and Misadventures in the Forest