Under The Red Oak Tree

"Under The Red Oak Tree" is a thoughtfully written and thought provoking story at the intersection of the justice system and human experience. The author accurately portrays life within prison walls and offers a reminder that even within the darkest struggles of life, the hope of the gospel remains a light that transcends the bleakest circumstances. This story reminds us that the presence of God is uncompromisingly dependable since no one is ever disqualified from redemption and grace.

"Under The Red Oak Tree" is a thoughtfully written and thought provoking story at the intersection of the justice system and human experience. The author accurately portrays life within prison walls and offers a reminder that even within the darkest struggles of life, the hope of the gospel remains a light that transcends the bleakest circumstances. This story reminds us that the presence of God is uncompromisingly dependable since no one is ever disqualified from redemption and grace. "This exhilarating story of an unjust conviction leads to a greater purpose, holding the reader's mind truly captive." -Bill Parnell Former CEO Datalogic

This inventive picture book relays the events of two hundred years from the unique perspective of a magnificent oak tree, showing how much the world can transform from a single vantage point. From 1775 to the present day, this fascinating framing device lets readers watch as human and animal populations shift and the landscape transitions from country to city. Methods of transportation, communication and energy use progress rapidly while other things hardly seem to change at all. This engaging, eye-opening window into history is perfect for budding historians and nature enthusiasts alike, and the time-lapse quality of the detail-packed illustrations will draw readers in as they pore over each spread to spot the changes that come with each new era. A fact-filled poster is included to add to the fun.

An intimate look at one majestic hundred-year-old oak tree through four seasons--and the reality of global climate change it reveals. In the life of this one grand oak, we can see for ourselves the results of one hundred years of rapid environmental change. It's leafing out earlier, and dropping its leaves later as the climate warms. Even the inner workings of individual leaves have changed to accommodate more CO2 in our atmosphere. Climate science can seem dense, remote, and abstract. But through the lens of this one tree, it becomes immediate and intimate. In Witness Tree, environmental reporter Lynda V. Mapes takes us through her year living with one red oak at the Harvard Forest. We learn about carbon cycles and leaf physiology, but also experience the seasons as people have for centuries, watching for each new bud, and listening for each new bird and frog call in spring. We savor the cadence of falling autumn leaves, and glory of snow and starry winter nights. Lynda takes us along as she climbs high into the oak's swaying boughs, and scientists core deep into the oak's heartwood, dig into its roots and probe the teeming life of the soil. She brings us eye-level with garter snakes and newts, and alongside the squirrels and jays devouring the oak's acorns. Season by season she reveals the secrets of trees, how they work, and sustain a vast community of lives, including our own. The oak is a living timeline and witness to climate change. While stark in its implications, Witness Tree is a beautiful and lyrical read, rich in detail, sweeps of weather, history, people, and animals. It is a story rooted in hope, beauty, wonder, and the possibility of renewal in people's connection to nature.

Plastic shelters were used to grow red oak seedlings on good-to-excellent Appalachian hardwood growing sites in north central West Virginia. Preliminary results indicate that shelters have the potential to stimulate development of red oak seedling height growth, especially if height growth continues once the seedling tops are above the 5-foot-tall shelters.