Paul Smith's 'Alberi' Explores Trees Through Art and Ecology
In 2022, Paul Smith, the director of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, released 'Alberi. I polmoni verdi della Terra' (Trees: The Green Lungs of the Earth) through Rizzoli in Milan. This 320-page work encompasses topics such as seeds, leaves, bark, and symbiosis, culminating in a chapter that explores humanity's reliance on forests. It traces the origins of the first forests dating back 400 million years and reveals that there are around 3,000 billion trees currently. Notable features include the tallest tree, a California sequoia measuring 115 meters, the oldest tree, a pine over 3,000 years old, and the widest tree, a banyan located in India. Smith also weaves in art, literature, and the concept of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), highlighting the significance of trees in the face of climate issues. The book concludes with a bibliography and glossary.
Key facts
- Paul Smith is director of Botanic Gardens Conservation International.
- Book 'Alberi. I polmoni verdi della Terra' published by Rizzoli in Milan, 2022.
- Volume has 320 pages with custom photographs and drawings.
- First forests appeared 400 million years ago in the Devonian period.
- Estimated 3,000 billion trees on Earth, more than stars in the Milky Way.
- Tallest tree: California sequoia at 115 meters; oldest: pine over 3,000 years.
- Ginkgo Biloba existed before dinosaurs; widest tree is a banyan in India with canopy over 15,000 sq m.
- Book references Epic of Gilgamesh (2000 BCE, Mesopotamia) and artists Henrique Oliveira and Giuseppe Penone.
- Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) is a Japanese therapeutic practice using phytoncides from trees.
- Smith warns about Amazon deforestation and climate emergency.
Entities
Artists
- Henrique Oliveira
- Giuseppe Penone
- Paul Smith
Institutions
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International
- Rizzoli
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- California
- India
- Mesopotamia
- Japan
- Amazon