I am a chemist at heart. I was turned off biology back in my first year of university, but since my first time gardening almost 15 years ago, I have made an effort to learn more about what I’m growing. After recalling and refreshing on high school teachings about photosynthesis and plant vacuoles, I developed an understanding of how soil conditions support or inhibit plant growth and development. Plant biology suddenly became much more intriguing and I turned to books to further my understanding of plants including Braiding Sweetgrass and Finding the Mother Tree. In fact, both made me wish I had spent more time in a biology lab instead of an inorganic chemistry lab in university. As someone who has never formally studied biology or trees, I feel like my understanding is slowly coming together through self-teaching. Until I read Our Green Heart: The Soul and Science of Forests. Now I realize there is no way any formal education could possibly deliver what the author, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, has come to understand about nature. 

Part of me wants to go back to the beginning and start again. But I don’t think that would get me much closer. What is most fascinating about the book is that the author’s formative years were among elders, learning the Brehon laws of the Celts. The ancient Druidic knowledge of the Celtic culture, encompassing thousands of years of wisdom, was instilled in the author’s young mind. The simplicity of passing stories and knowledge down through generations while observing the outside world, taking time to explore and understand nature, has allowed the author to develop an incredible understanding of the natural world.

Historical evidence shows that early European settlers tried to eliminate traditional knowledge. While we are working to reconcile this, we need to understand that the English monarchy wasn’t just responsible for limiting traditional knowledge in Canada, but in other parts of the world as well, including Ireland. Traditional knowledge may be our best guide for education. Whether it be Indigenous knowledge, or Celtic knowledge, there must be credence to knowledge that survived and practices that worked for thousands of years.

When one’s learning starts with traditional knowledge that has been tested and supplemented  for generations, the fundamentals make sense. Take that same knowledge and apply it to a different region, with different landscapes, plants, animals, etc. and it no longer aligns. Beresford-Kroeger’s foundational knowledge was beyond what most of us can possibly obtain. Building on that strong foundation for years contributed to her developing a better understanding of the natural world; while her passion for this natural world - one of her first classrooms - enabled her to share her knowledge and observations clearly to people without a background in biology. 

Throughout Our Green Heart: The Soul and Science of Forests, Beresford-Kroeger introduces new observations and new topics in each chapter. Never once repeating the same message but sharing new insights each time. The book is incredibly well written. A word of caution though - don’t plan to breeze through it. While it is under 200 pages, give yourself time to fully absorb and reflect on what you have  read. This is not a book that should be rushed. It is a book that can be enjoyed all summer in your garden, opening your eyes to new ideas each time you read it. 

submitted by Julia Dupuis