To Speak for the Trees

My Life's Journey from Ancient Celtic Wisdom to a Healing Vision of the Forest

By: Diana Beresford-Kroeger

Narrated by: Diana Beresford-Kroeger

2019 Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award

Canadian botanist, biochemist, and visionary Diana Beresford-Kroeger's startling insights into the hidden life of trees have already sparked a quiet revolution in how we understand our relationship to forests. Now, in a captivating account of how her life led her to these illuminating and crucial ideas, she shows us how forests can not only heal us but save the planet.

When Diana Beresford-Kroeger - whose father was a member of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy and whose mother was an O'Donoghue, one of the stronghold families who carried on the ancient Celtic traditions - was orphaned as a child, she could have been sent to the Magdalene Laundries. Instead, the O'Donoghue elders, most of them scholars and freehold farmers in the Lisheens valley in County Cork, took her under their wing. Diana became the last ward under the Brehon Law. Over the course of three summers, she was taught the ways of the Celtic triad of mind, body, and soul. This included the philosophy of healing, the laws of the trees, Brehon wisdom, and the Ogham alphabet, all of it rooted in a vision of nature that saw trees and forests as fundamental to human survival and spirituality.

Already a precociously gifted scholar, Diana found that her grounding in the ancient ways led her to fresh scientific concepts. Out of that huge and holistic vision have come the observations that put her at the forefront of her field: the discovery of mother trees at the heart of a forest; the fact that trees are a living library, have a chemical language and communicate in a quantum world; the major idea that trees heal living creatures through the aerosols they release and that they carry a great wealth of natural antibiotics and other healing substances; and, perhaps most significantly, that planting trees can actively regulate the atmosphere and the oceans, and even stabilize our climate.

This book is not only the story of a remarkable scientist and her ideas, it harvests all of her powerful knowledge about why trees matter, and why trees are a viable, achievable solution to climate change. Diana eloquently shows us that if we can understand the intricate ways in which the health and welfare of every living creature is connected to the global forest, and strengthen those connections, we will still have time to mend the self-destructive ways that are leading to drastic fires, droughts, and floods.

©2019 Diana Beresford-Kroeger (P)2019 Random House Canada

Critic reviews

“In her youth in Ireland, Diana Beresford-Kroeger received an extraordinary and unique education in traditional Celtic plant lore. At university in Canada, she specialized in biochemistry and merged what she learned and observed into her signature studies of trees, augmented by First Nation forest wisdom. This autobiography of learning ways to heal the damaged earth and break the tightening grip of climate crisis offers a rational and inclusive way to keep our future.” (Annie Proulx, author of The Shipping News)

“Diana Beresford Kroeger has given readers a rare gift: an inspiring tale about trees, trauma and the very purpose of life. Her Celtic story works on you like a good walk in a pine forest: You can’t help but feel invigorated afterwards.” (Andrew Nikiforuk, award-winning journalist)

Inspiring

i feel so fortunate to have found the work of this incredible woman and to have been able to hear her speak about it herself.

Outstanding

Makes me want to grow a forest. Excellent work and narration! What a profound life she's had.

A wonderful book!

I love listening to her voice. It felt like hearing a fairytale of ancient wisdom being read to me by the Queen of Fairies herself. I really appreciated her scientific knowledge that explained the mysteries of the folklore.

This filled my soul

Coming upon my recent return from Ireland, this has renewed my faith in humanity. My visit included a tree planting project in Northern Ireland with the Woodland Trust - about 30 teens planting 30-40 native trees on a hillside in the bright sunny cold -perfect connection to this book.

a thing of beauty

I hope the author narrates the rest of her books!! what an amazing message and her voice only helps convey her passion and personality

Excellent and informative

I loved this weaving of historical, biographical and botanical information. It is a great book

Captivating & full of wisdom

I loved hearing Diana read the story of her life to me through this audiobook. She has so much wisdom in regards to the plants around her. This is a must read and I can’t wait to read her other books. I can only hope to be as impactful to the world as she has been.

Read this book!

I love this book and the author's reading of it! I will be reading this one over and purchasing a hard copy for my library. What a valuable resource and connection for those with Celtic roots!

Absolutely wonderful!

This book has an interesting and beautiful blend of science and folklore from an author who has seen the best of the old ways and the new. The book has vaulted into the forefront of my all time favorites. Highly recommended!

Wonderful stories and a well of knowledge

I deeply appreciate the stories shared and was inspired by the meeting of ancient and modern knowledge. Something in these pages resonates with me. I highly recommend this book!