Finding the Mother Tree: In conversation with Prof. Suzanne Simard

When Suzanne Simard’s doctoral research was published in Nature in 1997, it was seen as radical. She had discovered that trees communicate underground through webs of fungal filaments, and that they are in constant and helpful contact with each other.

Today these discoveries are widely accepted, and over the years Suzanne has continued to create new knowledge about how trees support and look after each other to keep the forest healthy.

Mother trees are typically the biggest trees in the forest, and Suzanne’s research has shown how they nurture their seedlings and alert them to potential threats, acting as the focal points of a caring forest society.

In her recent book, Finding the Mother Tree: Uncovering the Wisdom of the Forest, Suzanne distills over 25 years of scientific research while also telling her own fascinating story as a woman challenging accepted practices in a male-dominated field.

The book immediately became a New York Times bestseller, and has received widespread praise in scientific and literary communities. It is currently being adapted into a film starring Amy Adams as Suzanne and featuring Jake Gyllenhaal in a leading role.

Presented in partnership with the UBC Faculty of Forestry.

Additional Info

• Find out more about The Mother Tree Project
• Make a gift to support The Mother Tree Project

Recorded December 1, 2021.