Returning to Forthright Radio is Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia, Suzanne Simard. You may remember our interview with her in 2021, when her book, FINDING THE MOTHER TREE: DISCOVERING THE WISDOM OF THE FOREST was published. You can hear that interview here: https://forthright.media/2021/05/04/suzanne-simard-finding-the-mother-tree-discovering-the-wisdom-of-the-forest/
She is a pioneer scientist on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence; who conveys complex, technical ideas in ways that are inspiring and profound. Her work has influenced filmmakers such as James Cameron’s “Tree of Souls” in Avatar. She has demonstrated that trees interact and communicate using below ground fungal networks, and that forests have elder trees, that she calls Mother Trees, which are large, highly connected trees, who play an important role in the flow of information and resources in a forest.
Her current research investigates how these complex relationships contribute to forest resilience, adaptability and recovery and has far-reaching implications for how to manage and heal forests from human impacts, including climate change.
She writes about this in her latest book, WHEN THE FOREST BREATHES: Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World, published by Knopf.
We spoke with Suzanne Simard on April 3, 2026 via Zoom.
Articles, etc. pertinent to this episode:
The Mother Tree Project & Program https://mothertreeproject.org/
My ideas are a little revolutionary’: ecologist Suzanne Simard on intelligent forests, the climate and her critics https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/14/my-ideas-are-a-little-revolutionary-ecologist-suzanne-simard-on-intelligent-forests-the-climate-and-her-critics
B.C. government aims to permanently protect Fairy Creek https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-fairy-creek-protection-pledge/
Economic Valuation of Old-Growth Forests on Vancouver Island https://ancientforestalliance.org/old-growth-economic-report/
Hereditary Chiefs vs. Elected Chiefs: What’s the Difference? https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/hereditary-chiefs-vs-elected-chiefs
‘It’s path-breaking’: British Columbia’s blueprint for decolonisation https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/09/british-columbia-blueprint-decolonisation
‘A living collective’: study shows trees synchronise electrical signals during a solar eclipse https://theconversation.com/a-living-collective-study-shows-trees-synchronise-electrical-signals-during-a-solar-eclipse-255499
Biruté Galdikas, 79, Who Worked to Save Wild Orangutans in Borneo, Dies With Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, she was one of three prominent researchers of great apes who were sometimes called the “tirmates.” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/02/science/earth/birute-galdikas-dead.html
Elaine Ingham, Who Taught That Soil Is Alive, Dies at 73 A scientist and leader in the organic farming movement, she popularized the “soil food web,” and understanding that soil is a complex realm of microorganisms. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/19/science/earth/elaine-ingham-dead.html
Desmond Morris, 98, Dies; Explored Humans’ Animal Instincts in ‘the Naked Ape’ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/20/science/desmond-morris-dead.html
Pages devoted to climate change have disappeared from key Yellowstone guidebook https://montanafreepress.org/2026/04/03/pages-devoted-to-climate-change-have-disappeared-from-key-yellowstone-national-park-guidebook/
‘Hybrid organ’: how a union of trees and fungi could revolutionise forest management https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/20/hybrid-organ-trees-fungi-union-loblolly-pines-startup-forest-management
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