The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue: A Story of Climate and Hope on One American Street

Award-winning journalist turned activist Tidwell (Ponds of Kalambayi: A Peace Corps Memoir), founder of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, shows how climate change has directly affected him by telling the story of how the trees in his neighborhood have changed in the last 30 years. These trees, mainly oaks, lined Willow Avenue outside of Washington, DC, for decades but now are threatened by heat waves, floods, droughts, fires, fungi, and invasive plants and insects. Tidwell and many of his neighbors are also suffering from Lyme disease from the now-prevalent ticks that have taken up residence in the area. He talks to senators and scientists about what might reverse some of the effects of climate change and talks to his neighbors, particularly young people, about their experiences and how they maintain optimism in the face of doom-laden headlines and reports. Tidwell also looks at the financial, political, and health consequences of extreme weather events for families, businesses, and city governments.