Suzanne Simard's childhood playground was the rain forest her family settled in. As a young adult, the forest became her passion. In this Fresh Air interview she describes how her grandfather’s old school approach to harvesting trees influenced her; how she struck her own path as one of the few women in the logging business; how she was driven to secretly study plant ecosystems and the groundbreaking discoveries that followed. Hers is a beautiful and brilliant voice for the silent yet powerful beings growing alongside us. My heart melts when I listen to her speak out; at the same time my resolve is strengthened to support her findings any way I can. Let's help spread her word—that old growth forests are vital to our survival—while there's still time. From the U.S. West Coast to the South American Amazon and beyond, old growth forests are being destroyed every day by clearcutting, by fire, by indifference, by greed. Check out her book for the full story!

Listen to the interview here:

Read excerpts here.

Photo credit Brendan George Ko/Penguin Random House