Episode description
What if, instead of competing with each other, trees work together? What if they even communicate? Renowned forest ecologist Suzanne Simard has spent her life digging into the "wood wide web"—the mycorrhizal network of fungi and roots through which trees share resources and information. Her work has transformed the way we understand forests and inspired everything from the Tree of Souls in "Avatar" to the scientist character in "The Overstory."We talked with Simard about her new book, "Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest," for her book launch at Powell's Books. Prepare to have the way you view forests and trees flipped on its head.