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“Venerable Trees: History, Biology and Conservation in the Bluegrass” by Tom Kimmerer. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2015. 280 pages, $39.95.

Ever see a movie called “The Professional” with Jean Reno? He plays a contract killer who’s focused, ruthless and efficient in his job. But as he flees and dodges death, danger and detection, he always grabs his houseplant, which he cares for lovingly. His determination to keep this plant alive illustrates that, in spite of being incredibly morally flexible, he has at his core a seam of true humanity.

It’s a parable for our age and a fitting one to introduce Tom Kimmerer’s excellent and timely work, which honors our region’s venerable trees. The author refers to these trees as venerable “to indicate their great age and value” while also calling to mind our more primordial relationship with them – our ancestors were tree dwellers. Kimmerer focuses on ancient trees in the Kentucky Bluegrass and the Nashville Basin areas, most of which “were present before the first permanent settlement in the late 1700s.” It’s amazing to think that the giant bur oak down the road might have been seen, or even climbed, by your great-great-great-grandfather.

Kimmerer takes us to several locations to showcase some of these wonders, including Kentucky’s oldest known tree, a chinkapin oak at the Floracliff State Nature Preserve on the Kentucky River. Neil Pederson, the dendrochronologist who aged it, said Woody C. Guthtree (one supposes this to be a tribute to folk singer Woody Guthrie – you must admire the sense of humor) “germinated in 1611, the year in which Shakespeare’s ‘Tempest’ was first performed and just four years after the founding of Jamestown.”

Think of that. And think of the importance of preserving these trees and their habitats to ensure that our descendants will have the pleasure of co-existing with some of these marvels.

In his chapter on the future of these trees, the author gives us a stern warning: Human intervention is vital. Ignorance, poor land management and rampant development, all of which are human agencies, are to blame for the decline and demise of these specimens. Property owners not only must plant more trees, but the right species. More is not necessarily better, in terms of the number of trees planted. What we want to strive for is genetic diversity, and not just masses of clones of short-lived “pretty” landscape trees. Planting seedlings of venerable tree species can mimic the natural regeneration process of our woodland pastures.

Since reading this work, this reviewer (who has always been a great admirer of trees) has started to look for venerable trees in her wanderings. Sadly, one can envision a future when we may have a great-grandchild on one knee and this book on the other, pointing at the photos (most of which were taken by the author) of these August beauties, saying “This is what a really, really old tree looks like. We don‘t have them anymore.” What will we say when that child asks, “Why not?” It is to be hoped that that won’t happen. As a species, proof of our compassion may be evidenced, ultimately, by how we treat our plant life.

For related information, see also Kentucky’s Champion Trees at forestry.ky.gov/ChampionTrees, a registry of the largest specimens of American tree species in Kentucky.

Kimmerer’s website, kimmerer.com, offers more stories and photos.

Venerable Trees (venerabletrees.org), for which the author serves as chief scientist, is a nonprofit whose goal “is to preserve and protect the old trees of the Kentucky Bluegrass and to ensure their presence for future generations.” Readable, stimulating, timely and well-researched, this book is a vital addition to Kentucky’s public and academic library collections and would make an excellent gift for any gardener, farmer, parent, teacher, nature lover, tree hugger, ecologist or anyone who has an interest in Kentucky’s natural history. Possibly even a morally flexible hit man.

— Reviewed by Lisa Karen Miller, Western Kentucky University Libraries

— Editor’s note: Tom Kimmerer will be the featured speaker at WKU Libraries’ Kentucky Live series at 7 p.m. Thursday at Barnes & Noble Booksellers on Campbell Lane.