The Northernmost Tree | Seeing a Changing World in Ben Weissenbach's North to the Future

A tiny spruce seedling in the Arctic tundra becomes the starting point for a larger question: how do we learn to see a thing that is disappearing?In this episode of The Summitborn Review, we explore North to the Future by Ben Weissenbach, a memoir of science, wilderness, and attention set in Alaska's Brooks Range. Following ecologist Roman Dial and a team of researchers studying the shifting northern treeline, the book becomes an investigation into climate change, grief, presence, and the cost of truly paying attention to the world around us.Along the way, we encounter vanished lakes, thawing permafrost, the legacy of Alexander von Humboldt, and the heartbreaking story behind Dial's memoir The Adventurer's Son. What emerges is a meditation on the difference between looking and seeing—and why that distinction matters more than ever..Featured BookNorth to the Future: An Offline Adventure Through the Changing Wilds of Alaskaby Ben WeissenbachTopicsAlaskaBrooks RangeClimate ChangeTreeline EcologyRoman DialWildernessConservationGriefAttentionNature WritingLearn more about Summit Pass: https://summitborn.com/summit-pass