Timberati

Forestry combines art and science, grapples with the ecological riddles of our time, but it’s never clear-cut

Hi, and welcome to the home of Timberati.

My name is Norm Benson and I'm a freelance writer and  the author of a manuscript Into Dark Woods, a forensic forestry eco-thriller.

Earth Always!, an anarchist environmental group, has proclaimed Sierra Summer in response to clearcutting at Moses Mountain State Forest.

Sierra Summer will mean Direct Action, ecotage — monkeywrenching, roadblocks, and tree sitting. When forester Nate Carpenter discovers the body of a tree sitter, the sheriff makes an arrest based on clear motive, opportunity, and the means. Nate believes they have the wrong person in jail. This belief puts him at odds with the protesters, the public, the sheriff, and his own boss. In his search for the killer, his belief also puts him—and the forest he is sworn to protect—in danger.

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I'm a registered professional forester in California with thirty-five years of experience. My background includes forest management, fire fighting, law enforcement, teaching, and public information.