Thomas Rosburg, professor of biology, has released a new field guide to Midwestern trees, Trees In Your Pocket, which describes the important role trees play in our lives.

From white and chinkapin oaks to yellow and river birches, Trees in Your Pocket provides identification and natural history information about 40 prominent deciduous species found in the Upper Midwest states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Rosburg breaks down the history of each tree, providing detailed descriptions, stark color photographs, and information about the trees' range, habitat, life span, and tolerance. The field guide is part of a series of nature booklets that cover a wide variety of natural history topics.

"Trees are a dominant part of many of our ecosystems, and most people are curious about what species of trees they see," Rosburg says. "Learning to identify trees is a good place to start becoming a better naturalist."

Trees In Your Pocket is published by the University of Iowa press and is now available for purchase in stores or on Amazon.com.

For more information, contact Thomas Rosburg at 515-271-2920 or at thomas.rosburg@drake.edu