When the Forest Breathes

The trailblazing scientist returns with a book that centres nature’s cycles of renewal in the future vision of our forests

With her bestselling book Finding the Mother Tree, forest ecologist Suzanne Simard introduced the world to the profound intelligence and interconnectedness of trees. Now, with When the Forest Breathes, she uncovers the ways that nature’s deep-rooted cycles of renewal can ensure the longevity of threatened ecosystems.

Raised in a family of loggers committed to sustainable forest stewardship, Simard has watched as timber companies leave forests at higher risk for wildfires, water crises, and plant and animal extinction. But her research has the potential to chart a new course. The forest, she reveals, is a symphony of finely honed cycles of regeneration that hold the key to protecting our forests. Working closely with local Indigenous communities, whose models of responsible forestry have been largely dismissed, Simard examines how holistic, place-based, and culturally attuned forestry that protects the connections, relationships and cycles of the forest can help solve the global climate crisis.

Drawing on her groundbreaking research, When the Forest Breathes is a vital reminder of all the natural world has to teach us about adaptability, resilience, and community.