Forests are much more than a collection of trees: they’re complex, living systems that communicate, cooperate, and nurture one another. In a natural, diverse forest, trees are so well connected that they behave as a single organism in many ways. For generations, Indigenous communities have understood their deep interconnections within and among forest elements—and in recent decades, science has explored how these fascinating systems work.

Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, forest ecologist, and one of National Geographic’s ten Explorers at Large, and Dr. Teresa Ryan, a Tsimshian scientist, Indigenous knowledge practitioner, and fisheries/aquatic ecologist, will take us on a journey from root to treetop.

Together we’ll explore questions like:

• How do trees share crucial information and resources?
• What happens in the treetops when trees share a robust connection at the root?
• What lessons have Indigenous communities traditionally gleaned from forests that we can learn today?
• Why is it essential for all of us to see forests in a new light?
• How can we be better stewards of our own community forests?

This event will give you a deeper understanding of the wisdom of forests, and what they can teach us about community resilience. You’ll also come away with a clear path for protecting and caring for your own local forests. We’ll share resources that can help you support community forest initiatives, join stewardship or citizen science efforts, and utilize existing tree-mapping tools to better understand the forests where you live.