Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest

For her 23rd birthday, Simard and her friend Jean go hiking in mountainous British Columbia. Simard and Jean work for the Forest Service as ecologists cataloging the different plant and fungi species in the region. Simard is unsure if she wants to return to her seasonal job with the logging company, as she is “in love with forestry but furious at what [is] happening” with clear-cuts and quick growth schemes (65). As they hike, Jean tells Simard how the Coast Salish people believe in the personhood of trees and a network of cooperative fungi under the earth. Simard is startled to hear of such a legend, resolving to continue her own research into the topic.

Simard examines the roots of the grasses they pass and consults her field guide; the fungi on the grass roots are arbuscular mycorrhizas, mostly located within the roots, compared to the ectomycorrhizal fungi that live externally on some pine tree roots. The pair approach the subalpine section of the forest and notice grizzly bear scat. They continue, but when they reach a portion of the trail with fresh claw marks, they begin running back down the mountain. They find an abandoned cabin and camp there for the night.