About this Event
About the Roots in the Sunshine Community Reading Series
What can books teach us about the trees growing outside our doors and our relationships with the places where we live?
The Roots in the Sunshine Community Reading Series is a UF/IFAS Urban Forestry Extension Council educational program that brings people together through books, science, and conversation to explore trees, urban forests, environmental change, community stewardship, and our connections with the natural world. Participants will read a shared selection of books and have opportunities for discussion, reflection, supplemental science-based learning, and experiences that connect ideas from the page to Florida's landscapes and communities.
Our 2027 Reading List and Session Schedule
Winter/Spring | The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy
We begin the year by looking closely at the remarkable ecological community supported by a single tree. The Nature of Oaks provides a starting point for conversations about biodiversity, native trees, wildlife, ecosystem services, and the choices we make about the trees we plant and care for in our communities.
January 15th 12pm In-person Session (Location TBD)
Feb. 25th 12pm Virtual Session
March 25th 12pm Virtual Session
April 2nd 9am-11:30am Community Oak Walk (Location TBD)
Spring/Summer | The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
In spring, we turn our attention to tree biology and forest ecology. This selection invites us to think differently about how trees and forests function while also creating opportunities to examine the science behind popular environmental narratives, consider scientific uncertainty, and ask what managed urban forests can learn from natural forest systems.
April 16th 12pm In-person Session (Location TBD)
May 14th 12pm Virtual Session
June 11th 12pm Virtual Session
July 1st 9am-11:30am Community Service Learning Project: Tree Care (Location TBD)
Summer/Fall | Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Our summer selection broadens the conversation to our relationships with nature and one another. Through themes of environmental ethics, reciprocity, gratitude, and stewardship, we will consider what it means to care for shared natural resources and how communities can build stronger connections between people and trees.
Sept. 3rd 12pm In-Person Session (Location TBD)
Oct. 8th 12 pm Virtual Session
Nov. 12th 12pm Virtual Session
Dec. 3rd 9am-12pm Community Service Learning Project (Location TBD)
Read with us all year, or join the conversation whenever a particular book catches your interest. Select the appropriate ticket type for the whole year or the specific book title that intrigues you.
Read. Explore. Discuss. Connect. Experience.
Whether you are an urban forestry professional, Extension volunteer, avid reader, tree enthusiast, or simply someone curious about the places where we live, you are invited to join the conversation.
Event venue & nearby stays
UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.