Finding the Mother Tree

Uncovering the Wisdom and Intelligence of the Forest

By: Suzanne Simard

Narrated by: Suzanne Simard

Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

Brought to you by Penguin. 

A dazzling scientific detective story from the ecologist who first discovered the hidden language of trees.

No one has done more to transform our understanding of trees than the world-renowned scientist Suzanne Simard. Now she shares the secrets of a lifetime spent uncovering startling truths about trees: their cooperation, healing capacity, memory, wisdom and sentience.

Raised in the forests of British Columbia, where her family has lived for generations, Professor Simard did not set out to be a scientist. She was working in the forest service when she first discovered how trees communicate underground through an immense web of fungi, at the centre of which lie the Mother Trees: the mysterious, powerful entities that nurture their kin and sustain the forest.

Though her ground-breaking findings were initially dismissed and even ridiculed, they are now firmly supported by the data. As her remarkable journey shows us, science is not a realm apart from ordinary life, but deeply connected with our humanity.

In Finding the Mother Tree, she reveals how the complex cycle of forest life - on which we rely for our existence - offers profound lessons about resilience and kinship and must be preserved before it's too late.

©2021 Suzanne Simard (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Essential knowledge

Traces the crazy route western culture has taken to understand the sentience of plants. Disconnected from our indigenous roots via colonialism such sacred knowledge lost but found again by an intuitive scientists. What a battle to get it heard over the clamor of capitalism. Exposes a lot of floors in our systems & shows the dangers of ignoring natures wisdom. Wildfires, pest & disease plagues, & more ..all avoidable if we follow natures ecosystem rules & not the man made rules that cater to greed. Well done Suzanne, the world needs more brave people like you that value our mother ( nature) above greed.

Beautiful and so important

Suzanne Simard is a hero of our time. This book is a fantastic blend of science and life, told with humility and kindness. Just what the world needs!

On and on she goes, when she stops....

I was heartily sick of trees by the time I got to the end. This very personal, and subjective account is neither one thing or 'tother. The review I read was more succinct. The author has an idea that could be written on one side of A4 paper, yet she's written a book lasting 12 hours. Round and round she goes, making 10 mins into 72 times more material. I got to the end and was so pleased it was over. I I'll never read or listen to this again. Tedious? Dull? Boring? Those words do not begin to convey the terrible truth. You And as for the 'erbs....

Thinking like this slowly changes the world

Our world is too individualistic. The ethos is of competition, survival of the fittest. Exploitation of natural resource. The results are a crisis in well-being as well as climate. Simard‘s book sketches a model for a new way of being in the world - using her scientific & instinctive discoveries around how a forest lives, grows and regenerates, by the trees, other plants and animals working together in ‘community’. This is a beautiful, personal, political and radical narrative. We all need to be thinking more like this to save both ourselves and the planet.

Hope

Although often heartbreaking Suzanne's dedication must be honoured and valued. She brought scientific proof to what we know in our hearts.

Glorious!

I loved this book. So well written and personally read. I didn’t want it end. I didn’t want to stop learning or living vicariously in the woods.

A great education

The connections between the various trees and other vegetation are explained in simple way so not much technical jargon. Suzanne has had a pretty tough time trying to get the authorities to buy into the connection principles but won through to varying degrees in the end. An amazing journey.

Nurturing in nature

Beautifully written and read by the author. Heartwarming and inspirational look at the connection between trees, plants and us all. Thank you

Inspiring and seminal

We know not what we destroyed. Now we do. Utterly confirms our own practice of working with a precious ancient woodland mainly from intuition and indigenous knowledge. I must say we were supported by UK Forestry Commission.

calming and enjoyable

A pleasant listen for those who are interested in the Nature Sciences. The reader has a soothing motherly voice that makes the book a bit yawny at times, but I didn't mind it since it was a comfy listen.
The story mixes the authors personal struggles, with the science behind macro fauna, as she fights to legitimize her discoveries. The science can get a bit hard to grasp at some points, but it is suitably explained for the casual listener afterwards.
An enjoyable listen :)

fantastic book on how trees communicate

clearly a very personal book and Suzanne explained what was happening throughout her life and the challenges she faces while doing science and setting up experiments and seeing them through

Beautiful and inspiring story

Suzanne quickly became a personal hero of mine with her fantastic story of bravery and perseverance. Her love of nature shines through in her writing and her discoveries are fascinating. Such an inspiring read!