This book for beginning readers highlights Robert Mazibuko, the "Tree Man," who spent his life teaching people how to enrich the soil and plant vegetables and trees. Born in South Africa in 1904, he lived on a farm, learning to work with livestock, raise crops, and share with the community. In college, his professor of agriculture provided a holistic education and introduced him to organic gardening. After college, he taught in many schools, where he always planted trees and gardens and built toilets for the school and community. By 1956, he had perfected his trench system method of organic farming. For 17 years, he showed people how farm organically. In 1980, he started the Africa Tree Center, where children learned about environmental issues and were trained to grow vegetables and trees. Mazibuko discusses lessons learned from the past about conservation, respect for nature, and healthy eating. He describes what must be done to improve the environment, explaining that without the soil, there is nothing. Finally, he describes trench farming and planting. A facilitator's guide presents information for teaching people who are learning to read for the first time or for people who are learning to read in a second language. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education) (SM)