logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2025
17m 50s

What Humans Can Learn From Trees (Encore...

PRX AND GREATER GOOD SCIENCE CENTER
About this episode

Trees aren’t just competing for sunlight and soil—they’re also looking out for one another. Scientist Suzanne Simard reveals the unexpected ways trees communicate, share resources, and support us.

Summary: We dive into what we can learn from the neural networks of forests, evolution and cooperation, and how trees are a fundamental solution to the climate crises we are facing today with ecologist Suzanne Simard. She also shares her forest gratitude practice and invites us to reflect on what it means to feel a sense of belonging in the forest. 

How To Do This Practice:

  1. Go to a forest or natural space, ideally near yew trees or other trees you feel connected to.
  2. Sit quietly, even if you're tired or unwell, and allow yourself to simply be there.
  3. Acknowledge the presence and life of the trees around you.
  4. Offer your gratitude to the trees—for their medicine, their strength, or simply their being.
  5. If you're with loved ones, invite them to join in the gratitude.
  6. Feel the connection between yourself, the trees, and your companions.
  7. Return to this practice as often as you can, letting the forest remind you that you're not alone.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Guests: 

DR. SUZANNE SIMARD is a professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia and the author of Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest. 

Read her book here: https://tinyurl.com/bdfy463z

Related The Science of Happiness episodes:  

How Water Heals: https://tinyurl.com/utuhrnh3

Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher (Encore): https://tinyurl.com/aj34s585

The Healing Effects of Experiencing Wildlife: https://tinyurl.com/49pkk6eu

Related Happiness Breaks:

How To Ground Yourself in Nature: https://tinyurl.com/25ftdxpm

Pause to Look at the Sky: https://tinyurl.com/4jttkbw3

A Walking Meditation: https://tinyurl.com/mwbsen7a

Tell us about your experience connecting with nature. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or follow on Instagram @HappinessPod.

Help us share The Science of Happiness! Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/yvrd9jje

Up next
Today
The Case for Hope, With Rebecca Solnit
We explore how embracing uncertainty enables us to move beyond climate anxiety and despair to hope and action, with author and activist Rebecca Solnit.Summary: When you think about climate change, do you feel hope? In this episode of The Science of Happiness, we examine what it m ... Show More
21m 45s
Oct 2
Happiness Break: Finding Yourself in Silence
Zen and mindfulness teacher Henry Shukman guides us in a meditation that invites us to listen deeply and find clarity in quiet.How To Do This Practice: Find Stillness: Sit comfortably in a quiet space. Close your eyes if you’d like, and allow your body to settle. Bring Your Atten ... Show More
6m 26s
Sep 25
What to Do When Stress Takes Over
Learn why uncertainty fuels anxiety and how noticing our body’s stress signals can help us find calm.Summary: One in five adults in the U.S. report living with anxiety, and many of us struggle to control or avoid the feelings that come with it. Science shows that tuning into the ... Show More
23m 7s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
What If Trees Didn't Exist?
Have you ever wondered what life on Earth would be like without trees? In this episode of Tumble Science Podcast for Kids, we’re exploring that big question with the help of two curious listeners, Rowan and Neesha! Join Lindsay and Marshall as they talk to plant ecophysiologist A ... Show More
22m 15s
Jan 2025
Going Outside Can Change Our Hormones and Improve Microbiome Diversity
Going outside has many benefits, from positively affecting our nervous system to diversifying our microbiome. But you don’t need a forest preserve to benefit from nature—sometimes even a houseplant or the smell of lavender can improve our life. Kathy Willis, a professor of biodiv ... Show More
18m 11s
Nov 2024
How To Get The Physiological And Psychological Benefits Of Nature If You Don’t Live Near Nature | Dacher Keltner
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Practical tips for accessing the healthcare of nature no matter where you live. It’s very possible that you've heard the long list of physiological and psych ... Show More
27m 5s
Apr 2024
Smologies #42: TREES with J. Casey Clapp
ANNOUNCEMENT: SMOLOGIES NOW HAS ITS OWN FEED! SUBSCRIBE  FOR NEW EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY. Subscribe to Smologies: https://pod.link/1746567248Do trees have feelings? How do they talk? Which trees can you use to make syrup? Do bananas really grow on trees? Possibly the world's most ... Show More
25m 23s
Aug 2024
The not-so-secret life of plants
From the perspective of Western science, plants have long been considered unaware, passive life forms; essentially, rocks that happen to grow. But there’s something in the air in the world of plant science. New research suggests that plants are aware of the world around them to a ... Show More
35m 49s
Sep 15
SLP 514: Reconnecting Humans with Nature with Blair Beattie
In this deeply reflective conversation, Blair and Kim explore what it means to restore our relationship with the earth in a world increasingly defined by disconnection. Together, they trace humanity’s historical separation from nature. Rooted in the divide between science and mag ... Show More
1h 29m
Apr 2025
Talk Tracks Ep 7: Telepathy Between Species
This week on The Talk Tracks, Ky sits down with Anna Breytenbach, an inter-species communicator who bridges the language divide between humans, animals, insects and plants. From tracking wild creatures across remote landscapes to helping captive lions return to the wild, Anna has ... Show More
1h 2m
Jul 4
Can nature help fix our brains?
Last month, Post columnist Dana Milbank hiked part of the Appalachian Trail with his brother. Along the way, he detached from the news and reacquainted himself with nature. In the process, he received a real-life lesson about how the world around us can reduce cognitive fatigue a ... Show More
14m 34s
Jan 2025
Moths, Owls And Fungi With Over 20,000 Sexes...Oh My!
Put on your headphones. In today's episode, host Emily Kwong leads us on a night hike in Patuxent River State Park in Maryland. Alongside a group of naturalists led by Serenella Linares, we'll meet a variety of species with unique survival quirks and wintertime adaptations. We'll ... Show More
13m 29s
Sep 30
How Spending Time In Nature Helps Our Health
Many of us know that being outside feels good. Maybe it’s for a short walk to the store. Maybe for a hike at a nearby mountain. Or maybe spending time at the beach with loved ones for a holiday.But did you know that a short walk in nature can improve your attention span by 20 per ... Show More
33m 8s