ThoughtGallery.org > The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World

wohllebenDeutsches Haus at NYU presents a lecture by Peter Wohlleben, and a conversation with ecologist Richard Karban, professor of entomology, field ecology, and community ecology at UC Davis.

In The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben shares his deep love of woods and forests and explains the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in the woodland and the amazing scientific processes behind the wonders of which we are blissfully unaware. Much like human families, tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, and support them as they grow, sharing nutrients with those who are sick or struggling and creating an ecosystem that mitigates the impact of extremes of heat and cold for the whole group. As a result of such interactions, trees in a family or community are protected and can live to be very old. In contrast, solitary trees, like street kids, have a tough time of it and in most cases die much earlier than those in a group. Drawing on groundbreaking new discoveries, Wohlleben presents the science behind the secret and previously unknown life of trees and their communication abilities; he describes how these discoveries have informed his own practices in the forest around him. As he says, a happy forest is a healthy forest, and he believes that eco-friendly practices are not only economically sustainable, but also benefit the health of our planet and the mental and physical health of all who live on Earth.

Peter Wohlleben was born in 1964 in the city of Bonn, Germany, studied forestry, and spent over twenty years working for the forestry commission in Germany before leaving to put his ideas of ecology into practice. He now runs an environmentally friendly municipal piece of woodland in the village of Hümmel, Germany, where he is working for the return of the primeval forests. He is the author of numerous books about trees, and holds lectures and seminars in order to transport his audience on a journey through the forests of his homeland and the whole world.

Richard Karban is a professor at the University of California, Davis. He is a member of the department of entomology, the graduate group in ecology, and the center for population biology. His research examines communication between plants and immune-like responses of plants to their enemies. He has published over 150 scientific papers and three books, Induced Responses to Herbivory, How to Do Ecology, and Plant Sensing and Communication. He grew up in lower Manhattan when it was dangerous, ugly, and had no trees.

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World was published by Greystone Books in September 2016. Copies of The Hidden Life of Trees will be sold at the event by Greenlight Bookstore.

Events at Deutsches Haus are free and open to the public. If you would like to attend this event, please send an email to [email protected]. As space at Deutsches Haus is limited, please arrive ten minutes prior to the event to ensure you get a good seat. Thank you!

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World is a DAAD supported event, and is co-presented by the German Book Office New York, and Greystone Books.











When: Mon., Oct. 10, 2016 at 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Where: Deutsches Haus at NYU
42 Washington Mews
212-998-8660
Price: Free
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wohllebenDeutsches Haus at NYU presents a lecture by Peter Wohlleben, and a conversation with ecologist Richard Karban, professor of entomology, field ecology, and community ecology at UC Davis.

In The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben shares his deep love of woods and forests and explains the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in the woodland and the amazing scientific processes behind the wonders of which we are blissfully unaware. Much like human families, tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, and support them as they grow, sharing nutrients with those who are sick or struggling and creating an ecosystem that mitigates the impact of extremes of heat and cold for the whole group. As a result of such interactions, trees in a family or community are protected and can live to be very old. In contrast, solitary trees, like street kids, have a tough time of it and in most cases die much earlier than those in a group. Drawing on groundbreaking new discoveries, Wohlleben presents the science behind the secret and previously unknown life of trees and their communication abilities; he describes how these discoveries have informed his own practices in the forest around him. As he says, a happy forest is a healthy forest, and he believes that eco-friendly practices are not only economically sustainable, but also benefit the health of our planet and the mental and physical health of all who live on Earth.

Peter Wohlleben was born in 1964 in the city of Bonn, Germany, studied forestry, and spent over twenty years working for the forestry commission in Germany before leaving to put his ideas of ecology into practice. He now runs an environmentally friendly municipal piece of woodland in the village of Hümmel, Germany, where he is working for the return of the primeval forests. He is the author of numerous books about trees, and holds lectures and seminars in order to transport his audience on a journey through the forests of his homeland and the whole world.

Richard Karban is a professor at the University of California, Davis. He is a member of the department of entomology, the graduate group in ecology, and the center for population biology. His research examines communication between plants and immune-like responses of plants to their enemies. He has published over 150 scientific papers and three books, Induced Responses to Herbivory, How to Do Ecology, and Plant Sensing and Communication. He grew up in lower Manhattan when it was dangerous, ugly, and had no trees.

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World was published by Greystone Books in September 2016. Copies of The Hidden Life of Trees will be sold at the event by Greenlight Bookstore.

Events at Deutsches Haus are free and open to the public. If you would like to attend this event, please send an email to [email protected]. As space at Deutsches Haus is limited, please arrive ten minutes prior to the event to ensure you get a good seat. Thank you!

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World is a DAAD supported event, and is co-presented by the German Book Office New York, and Greystone Books.

Buy tickets/get more info now