German Forester Peter Wohlleben On The Power Of Trees & Ancient Forests

Amy's first ever interview for Uncommon Sense was with Peter Wohlleben about his debut book, The Hidden Life of Trees. Now, the German forester, conservationist, and best-selling author returns to discuss his latest book, The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us If We Let Them. Amy and Peter delve into a wide-range of themes from the book.

He reveals how together trees can create their own climate and weather systems, how trees communicate with birds and insects to protect themselves, the fascinating ways trees respond in situations of unexpected drought, the intricate and unexpected relationship dynamics between fungi, bacteria, and trees, and why ancient or old growth trees will play a key role in combatting climate change. Peter Wohlleben discusses these topics and much more.

Peter tells us that, "the term 'mother tree' is a very old German scientific term. It's been used for centuries in Germany, because foresters always knew there is some way of care. And nowadays we know it more exactly, it's to create shadow [and] it's for caring for their own seedlings. The mother tree is able to detect with the root tips whether it is an oak or beech tree near it, [and] if the seedlings are their own seedlings or seedlings from different trees."