A Film by Dan McKinney & Julia Dordel.

This Mother's Day, expand your notion of "mother." In this real-life model of forest resilience and regeneration, Professor Suzanne Simard shows that all trees in a forest ecosystem are interconnected, with the largest, oldest, "mother trees" serving as hubs. The underground exchange of nutrients increases the survival of younger trees linked into the network of old trees. Amazingly, we find that in a forest, 1+1 equals more than 2.

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  • Varda

    It amazes me the interconnectedness of all trees everyone matters . seeing the practice of us humans cutting these magnificent trees makes me sad angry and frustrated. It is amazing the symbiosis between fungi and trees. Suzanne Simard comes from a family of loggers and now she is e is evolve and protect the forest by teaching us the secrets of resiliency forest network similar to neuron and axons.Trees give us so much and we are so unappreciative.

  • Stan

    Where elses...as yet unrecognised... is the symbiotic nature of our universe... operating in a... still to be recognised form...

  • Robert

    Man is still learning

  • Cecilia

    The forest truly, TRULY is a living community. I have pledged to be more reverent when I pass through, think of her, or share my love for her with others living things.

  • Caroline

    I have been concerned how in Australia we insist on burning for feul reduction with no consideration of the effect on soil biota. I have been researching how eucalyptus are unique and will now explore the effects through ectomycorrhiza response as well. Thank you for your latest book.

  • Robert Schreibman

    read about it in the New York Times, and was fascinated by such a concept. Too bad there was no CC

  • Melissa

    This was very informative and oh so very interesting. These trees are our lifelines too. We need them and they are most fascinating.

  • Alma

    Trees are very important in our daily lives! They bring us shelter, provide healthy breathing clean oxygen, and more!

  • Pam

    Your video affirms my feeling about red maples I have in my yard. The Mother Tree sends messages to me all the time. My son replanted her shoots that cropped up from her root system. One sits about 15 feet away. I call him "Junior." She is Magnificence since she is so beautiful. At any rate, although standing apart, they are one...now their branches are reaching out and touching each other. There have been 12 others of her "babies" replanted as well. These maples present such a "family" energy. I am certain they all communicate with each other and their Mother Tree Magnificence. The tragedy is their roots are impeding the working of our septic tank, and we are being told we need to cut all of Magnificence's tree babies down. I am horrified. Have you any suggestion about redirecting roots? Or can a root that is too close be cut and sealed off without damaging the tree? Two years ago Magnificence's branch was blocking the entrance to our house, so she needed a surgery. The tree specialist cut off that limb and then sealed it with a product that stays, still protecting her from getting infested from varmits through her cut site. Can this also be done to a root of a tree without killing the tree itself? Please email me at my email address pkhix22@gmail.com if you have any solutions. I don't think I can bear killing all of Magnificence's babies...please help by sending me your ideas.

  • joan

    ...that Mother Trees exist and support underground nutrients to the younger trees. The keyword for me is they connect underground and what a wonderful idea in giving support. The beautiful theme is how older trees that pass on continue to support the younger trees. What a concept... if only humanity could learn from nature.

  • colly

    It beautifully explained the symbiosis between the different trees in a forest, the commonality which we could be welcomed to share if we are willing to do so. Also it reminded me of two wonderful sacred hills here in West Dorset which both have a small 'avenue' of ancient beeches on the south-west corner; I have always considered these to be the 'mothers' of the woods....

  • Geri Taran

    Professor Simard's presentation is thought provoking and I can find no reason that it could be wrong. The information is open and available for anyone who wishes to consider it and, hopefully, behave accordingly.

  • Gowtham

    A lot to learn from nature!

  • Joao Viana

    We can and we should learn with the trees how to reconnect with our roots. We always have been connected to each other and what we do to others we do to ourselves.

  • Falso

    Tree huggers

  • Fridrik Pálmar Pálmason

    Translating a book written by Peter Wholleben (Das geheinme Leben der Bäume) in Icelandic your work is cited text)

  • Jeani

    The amazing miracle that all creation is.

  • Mark

    Not to be a downer but the connection also leaves open a route for transmission of viruses, bacteria, fungi and other infectious agents from one tree to another which can be disastrous.

  • Ali Anani

    Lovely and the canopy trees make by having their branches "hug" each other and care for each other

  • dr. y. a. kawade

    wonderful facts. to save mother earth, we need to preserve the trees, a treasure for sustainability of human race.

  • Diana

    I believe Trees are the Answer. What is your question?

  • Julia

    Thank you very much for sharing this video. I´ve got the most majestic cork oak tree in my garden and everyone complains about the mess the leaves make and all insist that I need to chop it down. It is one of the important things in my life and I emphatically say that they will have to chop me down first. I am grateful to you for giving more resilience to save my tree. SAVE THE TREES AND LOVE MOTHER EARTH SHE IS THE ONLY ONE WE HAVE.

  • Tushar

    What inspired you about this video? Excellent Research and Complexity of connectivity

  • Samir Shah

    Being so closely associated with environment...was always aware of trees interconnection. It thus saddens me with such rampant deforestation around the world. In a small contribution my wife and me together have planted 3000 trees so far. We have also launchedwww.wishatree.org where we encourage people to gift trees on important occasions in life such as birthday, anniversary, child birth, buying a car or just a simple tribute to Mother Earth. With minimal cost we will plant a tree and take care of it for couple of years till it becomes self reliant. A certificate will also be issued in appreciation for your noble cause. Do visit our websitewww.wishatree.org for further details.

  • Magali

    The conenctedness that I know exist in all living things. We are all connected in some way or rather if we only take the time to listen and be still to make that connection, there would not be so much destructions & cruelty in this world. I adore nature. xx

  • Sharon

    The beauty and the lesson. We are all inter-connected.

  • Batylee

    In Oakland, California, the City Council voted to give a huge swath of ridge top land to the local zoo for a very destructive expansion. To build their new exhibits and many other buildings, they plan to cut down 57 mature trees in a thriving oak/bay woodland as well as bulldozing ancient native California grasslands. Once the old trees and topsoil are gone, the spirit and strength of the open space will disappear forever. I wish the City Council members could understand this "mother tree" idea, but I know they are not open to it.

  • Suranjeet

    Got Attracted by a word "MOTHER TREE" ??: What a revelation. Amazing that mother earth Cares & Loves to all things living. Her nature is 'ALL CARING". Grateful to Dr Simard for the hard work research efforts to get findings. These insights will have many repercussion on humanity, far beyond "research". The biggest truth so far - that is revealed - as IRIS put in his comments - Ego melts instantly & the fact goes deep down to heart that "are all children to mother earth". Its wake-upCall for all All living.

  • Iris

    Paradigm shift in thinking - from ego to eco - is happening on many levels. If we look to the natural world we can find the most inspiring examples - Beavers regenerating desiccated landscapes and creating oasis and riparian zones - mother trees nurturing the forest and in the act of dying be-questing life - moving resources - to the coming generations. We've had it all wrong; life is not a battle of the fittest oppressing the weaker ones, its a gifting of life, a generating and sharing of resources ...

  • Mathil

    Here in my envireoment (West- South Holland, The Netherlands) there are 270 trees who are on the list to be cut down. The Province name them obstakels and objects, becouse the are in the way of fast driving automibilists. I Have started today to do my best that they can stay and live. I hope and pray i can make people who say that old, healthy, oxygen giving trees are objects and obstakels, more conscious that the Trees do nobody harm. We do them harm if they are cut and cut down. Trees give, give, give and they keep the soil of the Earth together. Ah, I have no words right now. I feel sad. Though I connect with you and trees so that mightbe I get more power to fight for the trees. And also that there comes more respect and gratefullness for the Trees and that they are holy, in stead of many many modern windmills. I feel so sad.

  • Sophie

    This video reminded me of an incident that occurred about nineteen years ago. About eight family members and I visited a forest in New Mexico. After walking the trails, on our way out, we all decided to hold hands and hug a very large tree. While hugging the tree and feeling its vibrations, somewhere close by, another tree fell on its own. Since then I have wondered if our group-hug energy contributed to the falling of the distant tree. We felt it was a sign and now it seems there was a response to the hug. Humans are connected to one another too --- just like trees. As humanity evolves, we will start to understand that what we do to another human, we do to ourselves.

  • Slamplamtha

    I feel her pain

  • Slamplamtha

    Im surprised she didnt break out in tears when she saw the destruction. I did. So much carnage. So. much. carnage.

  • Alan Rollins

    I have always believed that all life is related. That each living being plant or animal plays an important part in the life of our planet. We can each of us help the other by connecting not separating from the essence of earth.

  • Dr. Antonia - the Inner Power Doctor

    What inspired you about this videoSeveral things inspired me about this video. One, teach meditation and The City College of New York. One of the practices I'll be introducing students to is "Tree Meditation." I'm going to show this video in class to give them a deeper understanding of what the practice is really about. The other reason I'm excited about this video is because of an energy practice I had done back in the 90s that unexpectedly that allowed me to tap into this secret world of trees.

  • Shiila Safer

    I love knowing that what I have intuitively felt to be true, is scientifically proven to be true about the trees, and the Mother Trees. I wish all lumber companies and loggers had to watch this video. It might make them think twice before they cut down the forest. We have so much to learn from the trees, about how humans can create health community. Thank you Suzanne!

  • cathy

    I am grateful that there are people like suzanne bringing this awareness into our lives. Thank You

  • Lynn Ferguson

    I think it is sad that you have to be a scientist to gain enough credibility for an audience to listen to facts that have not changed in the last millions of years. How can a person cut a single tree or a whole forest without an intense sense of loss. Tees communicate and they always have. It is unfortunate but most humans, like sheep, will follow their needs, killing indiscriminately.

  • Petra Schmidt

    This forest reminded me of my childhood on Germany and on how much I miss the forest! Here in Nebraska I call the 'woods' shrubs. The smell of Oxygen and moss and Ivy just can't be duplicated!

  • tucson748

    What inspired you about this video? I am a pantheist.

  • Tucson748

    Tucson748

  • Joan

    There's more going on beneath and feet...for that matter all around us....that we're unaware of, but should.

  • sheila

    What an incredible model of how humans could/should/would operate if sufficiently evolved.The similarities are so striking I am just amazed, and hopeful as well. Nature knows if we could pay attention & learn from it.

  • Stephanie

    Trees have been networking for success since the beginning. Humans are just figuring this out.

  • Harry

    There is a lot of information about root disease out there...Suzanne is taking a unique approach and seeking understanding. The same might be said of the root disease fungi...maybe it is doing the same. We need to try to preserve our natural diversity and understand the role these fungi play in our ecosystems.

  • Emily

    I wish Suzanne Simard covered the transmission of disease through the root systems and fungi. Our forest has a very damaging case of Root Rot that is mainly killing the Douglas Fir. It is spread through the interconnecting root system between the trees and now we have many standing dead trees. It is sad to see and almost impossible to stop without drastic clear cutting around the circumference of each affected tree. We are planting other more resistanant tree species to hopeful grow a more healthy forest once again.

  • patricia

    it confirmed what I have felt for a long time and tree hugging was somehthing I started 4ears ago and I could feel their energy and comfort when I was sad. My new young trees have grown despite a lack of decent rain for 6 months and will provide sustenance to all who visit and sit for a while.

  • PAM

    I've always known this but not about the fungus!That's so interesting!I think of the shaman=tree and peyote=fungus.It's all connected and repeated-'as above so below'.

  • Liz

    It reminded me about the fact that everything is related to everything. Same as all humans are ONE whether they realize it or not. The shift here on earth is being seen, from plants to people.

  • Esther

    Everything in this video inspired me and the fact that more and more people take the possibility serious that EVERYTHING on this planet and beyond communicates. A shift, that is inspiring in it's own right.

  • Shirley cosep

    Inspired me, communicating with diifferent images who send message nature who gives knowledge If you see the different angle of trees, leaves trunk has different personality expessing who they are Send signal who they are, inspired to see and feel them so amazing to feel happiness that you are one part of the family,w

  • Patricia

    My love of trees. I am so distressed by what is happening with the trees right now. We are cutting them down around New England willy nilly since the ice storm a few years ago just so that they won't interfere with the power lines. It just seems like the destroyed everywhere in some fashion. It makes me very sad. I also believe that the future will bring maybe less trees but bigger and stronger ones.

  • manuel lorenzo

    ...We are all connected with one another...not only physical but beyond the perceived phenomena.........

  • Mike Franz

    Now I don't feel so bad about myself when I go outside and sit among the trees that I planted 25 years ago and listen to them talking to each other. If you listen and block out the noise of mans world you to can hear them. Its when you ask a question and receive an answer that you know your on a level that few ever get to feel.

  • Galena Debney

    The more these types of studies reveal, the more we learn how much we underestimate ecosystems and biodiversity and how abusive we are to this necessity for life on the planet. Keep going Professor Simard, the world needs you. I live on a farm and I'm going outside right now to find a mother tree and put a sign on it: I'm a mother tree. When people ask me about it, I'll tell them of your wonderful discovery and so feel I've made a little a contribution too by sharing necessities.. to know....just like the trees.

  • Andrew Greenman

    It's so beautiful to see the symbiosis of nature supporting itself and everything around it. We need to learn more and to fully understand and thus appreciate the life in everything around us and not take it for granted.

  • rohan

    Validates ancient Vedic knowledge. Swamis and Saints knew this centuries ago, the interconnectedness of all life forms. And yes! All life forms have 'souls'. Prof. Simard has connected with her beautiul inner being, the light has revealed to her what was hidden before. A beautiful rediscovery of what was once 'debunked' by western science as superstitious beliefs. I do speak to and play music for my plants. Read experiments that were done with plants and results as described by Swami Paramahansa Yogananda in his masterpiece Autobiography of a Yogi.

  • Patty Kelly

    Dear Suzanne, it gives me so much hope that there are professional foresters like you. Thank you for your courage. It is not an easy thing to be supporting such an amazing concept of trees communicating especially with B.C.'s obtuse and destructive forestry practices. The mycelium are dancing between the balance of life and death. We could learn from them.

  • Chandan Bhakat

    Human understanding (knowledge) depends on its limited ability to understand to the subject. Who knows in future we will discover tree has a soul also.....

  • mahesh n

    Dont cut any tree and animal for food and wood u can eat fruit and it is a must to plant seed inside. U can cut weak old or dead tree as it is better quality. If population grow 200% in a century fruit vegetable will have to grow at same rate. U can ask tree what happened at house. No tree in trivandrum.

  • Michael

    Italk to the trees on a regular basis.Iam sure that in some way they communicate with me.Iknow this thanks to the wonderful experience of inner peace I feel at the time.Your video speaks the truth to me.Thank you.Keep up the wonderful work.

  • Apurva Das

    I am totally in agreement with the presentation. Trees not only talk, they even care for each other. If you have a caring heart, even you can talk to these trees. Just try, it's a wonderful feeling.

  • don

    Nothing. it wont play. annoying.

  • Diane Knowles

    I pass trees and tell them I love them. I send healing light and love. Thank you do much for the work you are doing and for sharing it.

  • Zaihan Kariyani

    The video keeps stalling , I can't watch the whole thing. Is this uploaded on YouTube or Vimeo as well? Your servers can't seem to handle the traffic at all.

  • Kim Wahl

    Kim I am so fortunate to have an inner city "forest" surrounding the house. We preserve and care for these trees with the help of our arborist. I am not sure which are mother trees but several are over 100 years and one is over 100 feet tall. We have learned so much from them and are so grateful for your work. It makes sense. ThANK YOU, kIM

  • Thelma

    I always knew that tree communicate, call it a sixth sense! Loved this video because it confirms my belief that trees are here to help up to understand relationships. It is so sad to see people cutting down trees thinking they are beautifying their property.

  • Lisa

    So, the trees can teach us what the role of a mother is: to help link the young together so that they can help each other. Thank you to you and the tress:)

  • Jeff

    Thanks Suzanne for this really eye opening video. I don't need any convincing, and it's still wonderful to see nature at work. More Proof (as if we need more) of the interdependence and beauty of the natural world. Gaia. This is the poetry of Nature. Conscious cooperative communication creates success, a mind driven competitive world makes for lots of failure. I'm hoping we're going beyond the dark ages of being afraid of Mother nature. Leaving the dark and spooky patriacale dominated religions behind us, and let Mother nature be our guiding friend again. Or is Matricide going to be the destiny of man? Taking care of all our Mother's and Mother Planet, must be made our priority.

  • Nikhil

    A nice understanding of Eco system. We have mothers for human beings and almost all species... Mother Fungi... Mother Birds...Mother Animals... Mother Planet... Mother Mothers....

  • rita

    the relationship between trees..

  • teri

    I fall in love so easily every morning in the forest - how beautiful and blessed to connect daily.

  • Prakash

    Mother trees on mother'day. Love and life are interlinked

  • Shanti

    An inspiring reminder that we are all inter-connected irrespective of gender, race or creed. Lovely Mother's Day video!

  • Ksenija

    It rings true!

  • Terri O'Hara

    Thank you for this beautiful message. A true reminder to us all of the beautiful interconnectedness that we all live by on a daily basis. In appreciation for your work!!

  • Becky Byrd

    Something intuitively known by so many of us, now explained Scientifically. I love it! Thank you for your research.

  • Carrie Payne

    What inspired you about this video? It speaks to science and spirituality and is urgently relevant.

  • Carrie Payne

    This represents the overall trend of moving the perspective from the male competition to the female cooperation. Eve (coming out of Adam like a progressive fractal)represents our progressive evolution toward the holistic/unity values. She has been the martyr going down with Adam to let the male species express his outmoded competion in History until his failure would lead him to willingly ask for the feminine to lead with Herstory. Maybe Obama has given the false christians a long rope to reveal themselves as regressive competitors (unregulated capitalism), out of touch with the planetary voice. Will Jesus (with the bleeding heart liberal Way) please stand up now.

  • Carole

    What a perfect message for Mothers Day! Thanks for the film and thanks, Suzanne.

  • Shrinivas

    This is an amazing video, there's so much to learn from trees as well! Thanks for sharing.

  • maria

    A tree does not hug back. Only a human can. What it does is gives shelter and shade, color and nutrition to the soil, helps other plants to grow, medicine from its leaves and bark, help create a micro climate, shades younger plants so as not to burn from harsh rays, helps form rain clouds to provide water, and makes for a greener world. And even if you have to cut one down, always replant another. Something my dad always did. Something all tree cutters need to do too and teach your children too.

  • R.K.Sama

    As a forester I can appreciate this wonderful understanding of relationship between Mother tree and younger-ones as a colony known as forest.,brought out by Prof Simmard. It is very appealing and truthful. Indian civilization has always attached lot of value and connected spirituality with sacredness of forest. I congratulate Prof Simmard for establishing it in such a powerful appeal. Let us start giving highest values to forests.

  • jeanne

    The interconnectedness to everything. The wonder and joy that everything, if you listen and feel deeply has information to share. And... that in this connectedness, there the desire for health and well being. Time to hug a tree. ; )

  • Arun Chikkop

    Another Proof that the secrets of the world are still so much to be covered for man. many times its better we leave them and let them make their way to communicate..) Thanks for sharing...

  • Nihal

    I received it before Mother's Day and it explains how a pregnant woman is holding her baby inside her, it is all part of the wonderful Nature.

  • Tim

    I was wondering if anyone can tell me what the website is for this film. I am part of a environmental event and was wondering if we could acquire a physical copy and what rights we would have to acquire in order to play it for volunteers at the event. Thank you.

  • Lisa

    Hello, You and your followers must see my video of 4 different plants basically coming to or I mean- Showing their life that is ALIVE! They attack my hand like a pet kitten 0r puppy! This is real I promise you. I just don't understand why this is not common knowledge that plants are alive with personality's and move and play http://youtu.be/T3Yv99Xb3fI

  • ecophilosopher

    Thank you for sharing this. <3

  • Charles Hubbard

    Every living thing communicates with it's own species at some level. Humans as a species are a part of our inviroment as much as our blood cells are a part of our bodies. The more we realize that, the better the natural world will be for it.

  • sethi

    Thank you very much . There is so much we human beings can learn from trees in terms of kindness and sharing . It is amazing .

  • tanina

    I Love the trees contact and I am into getting more and more into the vegetal realm having it as a guide for surviving in a world of pure materialistc appearence. So the trees can talk, can chant, can heal us. They have been my best friends and Masters

  • cristina

    La verdad he sembrado varios àrboles , pero el mayor tiene 23 años, es un ser maravilloso,porque con toda seguridad se que me escucha, ya que atiende a mis sugerencias es increible, es una especie de carbonero llamado vulgarmente orejero debe medir quince metros aproximadamente, y el nombre con el cual lo identifico es " GUARDIAN ", puesto que esta a la entrada de la casa.

  • Tina

    Though the similarities of the tree and forest network with the brain's network is a very important observation, I was thinking of the similarities with open source and creative commons. As an educator, traditionally the profession has isolated teachers within the classroom creating a climate of hoarding educational materials and methodologies. With the merging paradigm shift required to innovate education, we would benefit from the collaborative, teamwork approach of trees and forests. Thanks for this powerful video.

  • Denise Lagassé

    Last summer I hiked into Avatar Grove with my husband and a hitchhiker from France. We sloshed on a muddy trail following flagging tape. When I laid eyes on the ancient tree I felt an immediate humbling and very deep understanding that this tree was holding space for a very large area in an energetic way. Last year I helped bring some yoga camp women into visit an old growth area near my home in Halfmoon Bay. About 40 women chanted under this massive old growth douglas fir, once again understanding at an energetic level the roles of these mother trees. It is great to hear the science behind it.

  • zonnekeyn rita

    nature is important, we have to respect it!

  • Ossian MacUrcrin

    Inspiring, revelatory and very motivating. Thank you for the best lesson I've learned in a long while.

  • gail

    What inspired you about this video? It was inspiring. Calm and peaceful.....

  • Jim

    As I watched this video all i could hear was Professor Simard, channeling Sigouney Weaver as a Botanist PhD in the Movie "Avatar". The parallel is remarkable. Yes, science is beginning to discover that all life is connected every where to itself, OUR SELF. All manifestation of life is merely a facet of all other life, all is related, Mitaquye Oyasin--ONE INFINITE BEING. Thank You for the very nice, and revealing clip.

  • Paula

    Inspiring to see evidence that there is strength in diversity. Politicians seek to divide us, segregate us, pit one against the other. The trees have taught us that in order to provide the human species w/life, they will share w/one another. It's as if they have been demonstrating this seemless universal lesson forever & we are just beginning to understand the teaching. Strength in Diversity! Oh how the politicians would quiver in their shoes if we could overcome our prejudices & biases & join together for sustainability. Thank you for the inspirational lesson. I admire your soul & diligence.

  • Page 1

  • Learn more about Professor Simard's work and drop her a note of gratitude!
  • Begin in your own journey of serving the soil by taking on organic farming practices.
  • Next time you're in a natural setting, practice openness to the interconnection of all things.  There's more to nature than meets the eye.

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