Every year around Tu B’Shvat, I open up The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben for a bit of inspiration. Did you know that trees form social safety networks underground? Trees share nutrients with one another and care for elderly or sick members of their communities.
But why are trees such social beings?…The reasons are the same as for human communities: there are advantages to working together. A tree is not a forest. On its own, a tree cannot establish a consistent local climate. It is at the mercy of wind and weather. But together, many trees create an ecosystem that moderates extremes of heat and cold, stores a great deal of water, and generates a great deal of humidity. And in this protected environment, trees can live to be very old…Each tree, therefore, is valuable to the community and worth keeping around for as long as possible.
I remember you talking about this book. It’s so fascinating. Thanks.