As nature's largest and longest-lived creations, trees play an extraordinarily important role in our cities-they are living landmarks that define space, cool the air, soothe our psyches, and connect us to nature and our past. But despite their familiarity, most of us know little of their fascinating history or remarkable civic and environment al virtues. In Urban Forests, Jill Jonnes tells the captivating stories behind our urban forestry: from the founding mothers and fathers who cultivated our cities' trees to the arboreal advocates using technology to understand their value to public health and infrastructure. For amateur botanists, urbanists, environmentalists, and policymakers. Urban Forests will be a revelation of one of the greatest and must beautiful of our natural resources. Book jacket.