An Eve with Suzanne Simard

The trailblazing scientist Suzanne Simard, who pioneered the once-radical—and now broadly accepted—concept of sophisticated communication between trees, returns with When the Forest Breathes, a book that blends rigorous science and neglected Indigenous wisdom in service of a powerful vision for the future of our forests.

Bookmark is partnering with Island Nature Trust to welcome Simard to Charlottetown for the launch of her new book. An Evening with Suzanne Simard will take place on April 30 at 7 pm at the Florence Simmons Performance Hall. Simard will be in conversation with wildlife ecology scientist Dr. Kathy Martin.

In When the Forest Breathes, Simard examines the forces that threaten forest ecosystems and, with years of research at her back, offers a pragmatic and hopeful vision for a responsible relationship with the forests that sustain us.

Raised in a family of loggers committed to sensible forest stewardship, Simard has watched timber companies ignore the complexity of nature’s self-regulation and Indigenous communities’ finely honed knowledge of the natural world. Plundering the forests for profit, they leave in their wake heightened risk of wildfire, drought, water crises, and endangerment of plant and animal life.

 Powered by rigorous science but infused with authenticity and warmth, When the Forest Breathes is an emboldening declaration that when responsible steps are taken, reversing the effects of climate change is within reach.

Simard is a professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia, where she currently leads the Mother Tree Project and co-directs the Belowground Ecosystem Group. Her work has been published widely, with more than 170 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals. Her research has been communicated broadly through TED Talks, TED Experiences, and articles and interviews in The New Yorker, National Geographic, NPR, CNN, and more.

This is a free ticketed event, with tickets available online at bookmarkreads.ca/events. When booking a ticket, there is an opportunity to donate to Island Nature Trust. Bookmark will match donations up to a maximum of $5000.