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     I discovered the Mighty Oak Tree during the Winter of 2001/2002.  It towered over the back yard of my new home.

     Immediately I noticed the wide variety of wildlife beneath its canopy.  Squirrels, birds, tree frogs, snakes and even a baby raccoon have made their homes in the tree.  Robins raised their young and squirrels used the leaves for their nests in its branches.  Honey bees built combs and homes in and on the tree.  Hummingbirds rested on it after drinking nectar from the flowers below.  It was impossible not to be come completely endeared to this ancient oak.

    Each time I walked past the tree, every day, I would greet it as one would a good friend.  And, I would look to see what was different, or who was different on the tree each time.

    As the years passed and the seasons changed, I watched strong, barren brances reach for the moon in the winter sky, and plush green leaves shade my yard from the summer sun.

    One day, I noticed my neighbor's children beating some of the young trees in my yard with a baseball bat.  I explained to them that trees started out small, like babies, and we had to protect them so they could end up big like the Mighty Oak.  We walked over to the giant tree and they were amazed at how they were dwarfed by it.  Despite their excitement over the Mighty Oak, I was concerned that these boys didn't understand or respect the importance of trees.

    After years of photographing the Mighty Oak and its visitors, I decided it was time to compile these images, and new ones, into a lesson.  I wanted not only to preserve the memory of this magnificent tree, but I also hoped to teach future generations about the value of trees.

    This book is dedicated to all the ancient trees of the world, especially the Mighty Oak Tree in my back yard.

 D.R., K.S. Brooks, and Author/Scientist Newton Love

pose beneath the Mighty Oak.

  Photograph taken 6-21-08 by Nance Love.