Thank you for supporting

THE POWER OF TREES

a benefit dinner that featured

Gretchen Daily

author, global thought leader, and ecologist

on Thursday, September 26, 2013

at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto

Event Photos

See photos from the event

Gretchen Daily’s Latest Book

The Power of Trees, offers an intimate stroll through the forest and reveals the secret life of trees. Daily, a renowned ecologist at Stanford University, narrates the evolution and impact of trees with awe-inspiring scientific observations. Her co-author, Chuck Katz, a photographer and environmental leader, was inspired by the hikes he shared with Daily and dreamed of presenting Daily’s perspective to the general public. The result is a contemplative movement between Daily’s commentary and Katz’s photography, inviting readers to appreciate the wonder of trees through a scientific lens.

The Evening’s Inspiration

Daily will inspire hope for an approach to protect our planet’s most precious local and global resources. For those familiar with Daily’s pioneering work on ecosystems services as well as those who are new to her work, this is a unique opportunity to hear the lessons and progress she and her team are making as they work to influence decision makers with an economic approach to conservation.  Daily will also draw on her latest book, The Power of Trees, to help us understand the value of us to grow and renew our urban forest. 

About Gretchen Daily

Gretchen Daily, winner of the prestigious 2012 Volvo Environmental Prize is one of the world’s outstanding scientists and researchers on ecosystem services, biogeography and the future dynamics of biodiversity change. She is the Bing Professor of Environmental Science at Stanford University. She has conducted pioneering research on quantifying the production and value of ecosystem services; on harmonizing biodiversity conservation and agriculture; and on policies for integrating conservation and human development in major societal decisions.

Daily, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, has published over 200 scientific and popular articles and five books in addition to The Power of Trees, including The New Economy of Nature:  The Quest to Make Conservation Profitable, with journalist Katherine Ellison.

“Some trees can clearly talk to one another, though no one knows how widespread this ability is. When attacked by insects or other predators, certain trees emit airborne chemicals that signal trouble to downwind trees, which in turn boost their own production of chemical defenses.”

About Co-Author Chuck Katz

Chuck Katz, a Palo Alto resident, has been an active photographer while pursuing a professional career as an attorney and business executive. He serves on the boards of advisers for the Natural Capital Project, Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment, and Stanford’s School of Earth Sciences and is an emeritus board member at REI, Inc., and The Nature Conservancy in Washington. Katz has also been active with the World Wildlife Fund and other conservation organizations. His previous publications in photography include Etched in Stone: The Geology of City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park, Idaho with text by Kevin R. Pogue.

The Backstory

“Gretchen and I got to talking about the difficulty of communicating science to the general public. So the book is aimed at a general audience.” Chuck Katz

“The book is a way to make sense of the connections between our own well-being and trees. So many of these connections are invisible in our complex and rushed modern lives. Yet they are deep, and seeing them can create a sense of awe and belonging.” Gretchen Daily