The Power of Trees Audiobook By Peter Wohlleben, Jane Billinghurst cover art

The Power of Trees

How Ancient Forests Can Save Us if We Let Them

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The Power of Trees

By: Peter Wohlleben, Jane Billinghurst
Narrated by: Mike Grady
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About this listen

“Another love letter from Wohlleben to the green world… makes the case for how we should allow forests throughout the world to regrow and in the process help heal not only the climate but us, as well.”—Lydia Millet, Oprah Daily

An illuminating manifesto on ancient forests: how they adapt to climate change by passing their wisdom through generations, and why our future lies in protecting them.

In his beloved book The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben revealed astonishing discoveries about the social networks of trees and how they communicate. Now, in The Power of Trees, he turns to their future, with a searing critique of forestry management, tree planting, and the exploitation of old growth forests.

As human-caused climate change devastates the planet, forests play a critical role in keeping it habitable. While politicians and business leaders would have us believe that cutting down forests can be offset by mass tree planting, Wohlleben offers a warning: many tree planting campaigns lead to ecological disaster. Not only are these trees more susceptible to disease, flooding, fires, and landslides, we need to understand that forests are more than simply a collection of trees. Instead, they are ecosystems that consist of thousands of species, from animals to fungi and bacteria. The way to save trees, and ourselves? Step aside and let forests—which are naturally better equipped to face environmental challenges—heal themselves.

With the warmth and wonder familiar to listeners from his previous books, Wohlleben also shares emerging scientific research about how forests shape climates both locally and across continents; that trees adapt to changing environmental conditions through passing knowledge down to their offspring; and how old growth may in fact have the most survival strategies for climate change.

At the heart of The Power of Trees lies Wohlleben’s passionate plea: that our survival is dependent on trusting ancient forests, and allowing them to thrive.

Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute.

©2023 Peter Wohlleben and Jane Billinghurst (P)2023 Greystone Books
Botany & Plants Ecology Ecosystems & Habitats Ecosystem
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Critic reviews

"Insightful and valuable. . . Wohlleben is a wide-ranging and meticulous researcher as well as a careful observer. . . This is an essential book for any botanist, forester, student of the environment or politician." —The Winnipeg Free Pres

"Another love letter from Wohlleben to the green world. . . [The Power of Trees] makes the case for how we should allow forests throughout the world to regrow and in the process help heal not only the climate but us, as well." —Lydia Millet, Oprah Daily

"Forester and bestselling environmental writer Wohlleben (Forest Walking, 2022) draws largely on observations of his home territory in Germany in this thoughtful look at how trees learn and adapt. . . the forest is often the last recipient of humanity's benevolence. The author is in his element here as a gentle purveyor of knowledge that provides a new perspective on a crucially important topic. His many fans will be enthused, and new readers will appreciate entering Wohlleben's evocative world." Booklist

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The all encompassing view of trees

Trees have so much to teach us if only we will listen to their inner world and how adaptable they are. They ondeed have power to heal our world!

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Critical Urgency

This book, like the authors other books about trees, is a call to a deeper understanding of trees and if action. He’s the global crier announcing the extreme value of trees, the dangers of not protecting forests, and gives advice on what to do. A must read for all who want to pass on a planet to their grandchildren.

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