Finding the Mother Tree

Finding the Mother Tree (2021) is a vivid blend of science and memoir that describes the breathtaking personal and professional journey of renowned ecologist Suzanne Simard. It unearths the strange and surprising secrets buried deep in the forests of British Columbia –⁠ and, in the process, forever alters our understanding of the natural world.

Suzanne Simard is a forest ecologist and professor at the University of British Columbia. She has made major contributions to research on the cooperative nature of forest ecosystems and the existence of “mother,” or hub, trees. Her discoveries and life story have served as the inspiration for numerous works of fiction, including Richard Powers’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Overstory, and James Cameron’s award-winning film Avatar.