What the Trees Taught Me
What would it be like to be guided by the wisdom of the forest? What would it be like to lean further and deeper in the the knowing of nature— her rhythms and cycles.
I have to say, I’ve been somewhat disconnected from this pattern of thinking as I immerse myself in school (graduating with a BA in Psychology in the spring and headed for my masters MA/MFT) but I recently spent a week in a national forest and found myself tapping back into her wisdom.
Ranger Todd was a vibrant human and I honestly did not expect him to be as alive as he was when he began our 20 min introduction to the Hoh Rainforest. By the end he had me crying.
Here are some of the things Ranger Todd taught me that I’ve been noodling on:
Forests Are Wise—and Deeply Connected
Through the work of ecologists like Dr. Suzanne Simard, we’ve learned that trees are not solitary beings. They’re part of a vast underground fungal network—affectionately called the wood wide web. This fungal network links roots of different trees (even across species), allowing them to share nutrients, send signals, and support one another in times of need.
As we hiked we noticed that some trees were growing atop the remnants of older trees. Ranger Todd told us these were called nurse logs—fallen trees that continue to nurture the forest even in death. These logs hold moisture, offer protection, and release nutrients that help the next generation take root. Some of the largest trees in the forest began their lives on the bodies of the ones that came before them.
What a powerful and humble reminder. If we want to live in a world that is truly sustainable— a world that is full and alive and thriving— we must remember that our lives are not just our own. They belong to those that came before us and those who will come after us. The trees remind us that here, nothing is wasted. Even in death, there is offering. Even decay becomes nourishment. The past doesn’t disappear—it lays the groundwork for what is coming.
Decentralized Roles and the Power of Mother Trees
One of my favorite things I learned is that trees don’t follow hierarchy. Their roles are decentralized—rooted in reciprocity and collective thriving rather than competition or dominance.
There are "mother trees"—typically older, larger trees—that play a central role in this network. But they’re not really in charge. Their leadership is based on capacity.
These elder trees:
Support: Send extra carbon (in the form of sugars) to saplings who are shaded and can’t photosynthesize well yet
Attune: Sense when their kin are in distress and adjust their nutrient sharing accordingly
Cultivate: Help maintain the underground web that keeps the forest resilient and adaptable
Mother trees act as stabilizers and central points of connection. And when they are weakened, they also receive support. The forest thrives because of this dynamic of mutual responsiveness.
Reciprocity, Not Competition
For decades, Western science has told us that nature was all about competition—survival of the fittest, dog-eat-dog. But modern ecology has flipped that script and shown us a more conversational and integrated view of the forest:
Trees warn each other of danger (like pests or drought) through chemical signals in the fungal network
They allocate resources strategically—helping kin, but also sustaining the whole forest
When a mother tree is dying, she releases her remaining nutrients into the network to support new life
And it’s not one-sided—seasonal shifts (like spring and summer) often lead to surplus sugars in younger trees, who then redistribute them back to the elders
The forest isn’t a battleground—it’s a living web of mutual care, cyclical generosity, and collective intelligence. And, this isn’t just science, it’s has the potential to transform our relational worldview. It has the power to shift not only how we see nature, but how we see ourselves. Forests are communities, not collections of individuals competing for resources. And those communities are shaped by exchange and responsiveness.
What Does It Mean to “Think Like Trees”?
Ranger Todd said, “I think if we all thought a bit more like trees we would be better off.” I’ve been thinking a lot about what that means. In truth, it almost feels too much to integrate— like I’ve been living in this independant cycle for so long. I’m curious how my life will (and could) shift as I come deeper into understanding of these truths.
The things is: trees don’t operate out of ego, control, or isolation. They live in deep relationship—with one another, with their environment, and with the cycles of life. To think like a tree is to:
Prioritize the collective over the individual
Realize that what happens to the whole affects each of us
Respond rather than dominate
Offer what you have when others are in need, and receive when it’s your season to be nourished
Adapt to cycles, not resist them
Be rooted, but stay connected
In the forest, success isn’t about outgrowing others. It’s about interdependence. No tree thrives alone.
The Ecology of Being: What the Forest Reflects Back to Us
When we remember that we are not separate from nature—but part of a living, breathing web of existence—we start to see things differently. The trees offer us the reminder that:
Well-being is mutual & help is not weakness. Your health affects the health of the whole. And trees give and receive constantly. It's not failure to need support (or have needs). It's part of life. And, it’s not transactional. It’s trust in the whole.
Individualism is an illusion. We need slower, deeper relationships. Just like trees share nutrients, humans share emotion, culture, energy. And fungal networks don’t happen overnight. Trees grow into relationship, and so do we.
Seasons matter. Growth, death, stillness, renewal—they all have their time, and resistance to these cycles causes suffering.
Roots are relational & resilience is communal. Where and how we are rooted determines what kind of nourishment we can give and receive. After a trauma like fire or drought, forests recover because they’re interconnected. Humans need the same web of support—relational, emotional, ancestral.
Final Thoughts: What the Wisdom of the Forest Can Teach Us About Connection and Resilience
Trees may not “think” the way we do, but their way of being is deeply intelligent. To “think like a tree” might mean to return to this intelligence within ourselves. To see ourselves as a part of the whole, not just human to human, but human to nature as well. To slow down. To listen. To take up space, and to use that growth as a support network for those growing alongside us.
The wisdom of the forest invites us to consider: What are you rooted in? Who are you connected to? What are you giving? What are you receiving?
And maybe most importantly: Are you trying to do it all alone when the forest is right here with you?
more from the field..
