Suzanne Simard

The Douglas fir is a symbol of the Pacific Northwest [that] represents the checkered past of overlogging. Suzanne Simard of the University of British Columbia … is no friend of Big Timber after her groundbreaking research elevated the understanding of preserving healthy old forests. …Simard and colleagues are focused on the species’ survival in the face of climate stressors. …migrating genotypes or provinces northward gives the seedlings a chance to take root. …The study counters grim environmental concerns by encouraging individual action. A recent example can be found at Fairy Creek on Vancouver Island [where] authorities arrested about 1,200 protesters who stopped [harvesting]. Now, Canadian officials have extended a moratorium on logging in Fairy Creek to next year. “It’s not that one watershed is going to change the world, but the movement changes the world,” Simard said. Then she adds, “The trees are still there, communicating with each other.”