234. What Forests Know That We’ve Forgotten with Ethan Tapper

We’re skimming through life—and it’s costing us hope. In this wide-ranging, deeply grounding conversation, forester and award-winning author Ethan Tapper shows how forests teach us to slow down, notice complexity, and recognize healing in motion. From the wisdom of old trees—and the life in fallen ones—to birds as messengers of possibility, this episode is an invitation to see the world, not as broken, but as quietly regenerating in ways we never realized. Chapters 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 04:00 – How to Love a Forest and Why It Resonates 10:30 – Why Old Trees Matter More Than Size 16:13 – Death, Decay, and the Life of Forests 22:05 – Why We Want Forests to Look Like Parks 28:45 – Rethinking the Word “Nature” 33:10 – Forest Resilience, Diversity, and Global Change 39:22 - Break 42:39 – Reading Forests Through Birds 49:45 – From Knowing More to Doing More 1:09:50 – Healing Bear Island 1:16:30 – Closing