The forests of the Carboniferous period, around 300 million years ago, laid the groundwork for the further and higher development of life on Earth. They enabled the Earth's atmosphere to reach the high oxygen levels that made animal and later human life possible. We owe our existence to them, the trees, even today – with every breath we take. This first volume of the series 'Encountering Trees' includes very personal accounts, texts, and images, shaped by the encounters and experiences of the members of the Facebook group 'Living with Trees'. This makes it particularly exciting and unique. The already published second volume contains historical accounts, poetry, and fairy tales about trees. An additional volume, 'My Friend, the Tree', is a collection of original poems from recent years and presents mythical and 15 familiar trees in poems, images, and factual texts.