Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest, grand prize winner of the 2021 Banff Mountain Book Competition, shows that a forest is not a mere collection of individual trees competing for light and nutrients, but rather a sentient, interacting community.

Author Suzanne Simard, Ph.D., professor of forest ecology at University of British Columbia and former research scientist at British Columbia Ministry of Forests, has spent decades researching forest dynamics. She discovered what was known to Indigenous cultures—that trees are connected to one another through vast and complex underground fungal root systems known as mycorrhizal networks. Her research also revealed how ancient hubs in forest communities—what she calls Mother Trees—connect and sustain others around them and thereby play a crucial role in a given forest’s resilience and vitality.

Join us for Kestrel Reads, a quarterly discussion group to help you delve deeper into books pertaining to nature, environmental issues, and people’s relationship to the land. For our spring nonfiction selection, we’ll discuss Finding the Mother Tree on Wednesday, June 7, 6:30-8:30 pm at the Kestrel House. Kestrel member Cheri LeBlond will moderate.

Like so many of the arts, the written word has the power to inform but also to reach the heart. Book clubs expand on this experience by providing a common, respectful, creative space to listen and be heard, as well as to amiably disagree. Book lovers who share and explore ideas with each other become better readers, writers, and collaborators. Unpacking a good book deepens and enriches the story or content, giving you insights you’ll carry into the next read, creative endeavor, or conversation.

About the Moderator: Often lost in a good book, Cheri LeBlond has moderated book clubs for almost 10 years. A former bookstore owner, she’s had the pleasure of exploring the joys and pitfalls of storytelling with avid readers, dedicated writers, and persnickety publishers. Formerly of Kansas City, she now resides in Amherst and is delighted to live in the trees and walk Kestrel’s many trails.

Registration required for each quarterly discussion group. Limited to 15 participants.

We encourage new participants to join us for each session!