The lost forest

"How do you lose a forest?/ First you need a forest to lose." So begins Root's beguiling true-life telling of how 114 acres of northern Minnesota old-growth pine forest was spared the lumberjack's saw thanks to a surveyor's error in 1882. Two narratives grow side-by-side: the story of the U.S. taking land from Native peoples to be mapped and measured, and the deeper truth that forests operate on their own timescale. At the intersection of these realities is one mismarked map that meant a lost forest, an ancient world's survival. Finely wrought plainspoken poetry ("If you have ever walked through the woods/ you know that the land doesn't care/ about straight lines") covers a lot of ground, supplemented by end notes explaining the ecology of old-growth forests and the history of surveyors. Bowen's moody, saturated illustrations of layered landscapes and historical journals add heft to the text's implicit message that the natural world is something more than a measurable commodity. Ages 4-9. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

In 1882, a survey team mapping out the wilderness areas of Minnesota made a mistake. As the land was being divided into townships, one of the surveying crew came to Township 150 and wrote (in error), There is no Pine Timber in the Township, drawing a large (nearby) lake on their map instead. Seeing no value in the plot, loggers and developers ignored this remote area for decadesand so an old growth forest was left untouched, escaping notice until 1958. As Root explains in this story of the error and its outcome, the land was protected, and so the forest still exists, now known as the Lost Forty in Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota. Root includes the details of the surveyors activities and the ecology of pine forests like this that once covered the northern United States. Bowens painted backgrounds and survey-notebook inserts capture the texture and colors of fresh-cut pine or yellowing maps, contrasted with the darker colors of the plants and animals of the deep woods. A substantial back matter section serves as a field guide to the flora and fauna of the forest; there is also more information about old growth forests, a talk like a surveyor glossary, and historical maps and photographs of the survey team. danielle j. ford July/Aug p.148(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Human error works for the greater good in this engaging true tale of an old-growth forest getting the last laugh.How do you misplace something that was never truly lost? To answer that question, consider the case of the Lost Forty. In 1785 the Continental Congress declared that the United States be surveyed as it expanded, so in 1882, Josiah R. King and his crew surveyed three townships in Minnesota. Yet it wasn't until 1958 that someone figured out that King had made a mistake. On the maps, King had listed a patch of old-growth forest as part of Coddington Lake. By the time the mistake was detected, loggers had avoided the area and the trees were part of the Chippewa National Forest. (The text falsely implies that this means they are "protected forever," although logging does take place in national forests.) The book takes care to mention that the survey of Minnesota could only occur after "most of the land had been taken from Native people" because "the government of the United States wanted [it]." Bowen's art alternates between thick, deep hues and light, winsome watercolors, but an aesthetically jarring typeface mars the overall design. Additional information about old-growth forests and where to find them, as well as the details of surveying, rounds out the book. An engaging consideration of happy accidents and lucky environmental mistakes. (Informational picture book. 5-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.