Dr. Suzanne Simard, renowned tree and forestry scientist who was recently placed on Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024, comes to Brooklyn this week in celebration of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s (BBG) Spring Gala. Ahead of her visit, BBG President and CEO Adrian Benepe spoke to the Eagle about her presence at the gala and her impact on the garden moving forward. “Broadly speaking, her research is groundbreaking, and every Botanic Garden has to think about it as they think about the long-term health of the gardens.”

Dr. Simard’s renowned book, “Finding the Mother Tree,” explores the fascinating interconnectivity of root structures in old-growth forests through mycorrhizal networks, which are composed of fungal organisms that allow trees to pass nutrients and water and convey information to one another. Benepe highlighted that her expertise on these networks could really help the garden. “We need to learn about the potentially helpful impacts of mycorrhizal networks and the fungi that are connected to those networks,” he said. “Dr Simard is one of the experts on Mycorrhizal networks, their impacts and potentials, so maybe she could help us find some preliminary research protocols.”

The gala comes at an important time for the garden, as Benepe hopes to introduce research programs to the garden to prepare for the continued effects of climate change. “Getting Dr. Simard’s thoughts on what questions we should be asking if we were to embark on doing research with a university will be important,” Benepe said. “Her general knowledge of trees and tree science could be really helpful in getting a sense of our plan for the next hundred years, especially in regards to the next generation of trees that could have to deal with hotter winter climates.”

Dr. Simard’s influential work continually serves as a reminder of the importance of trees — specifically old-growth trees — to the greater ecosystem, something that Benepe and the BBG have continuously highlighted, whether through Benepe’s leadership in the Million Trees Campaign, while head of the Parks Department, or the garden’s Power of Trees exhibit that ran last summer. “Dr. Simard understands that for the overall benefit of the planet, you need to understand what’s going on within the trees. She’s first and foremost a scientist, but she’s also a humanist who understands the existential relationship between humans and trees.”

Immediately following the gala, the BBG will unveil its newest exhibition, A Plant-Pollinator Love Story, which will run until Oct. 24 and include interactive exhibits and artwork centered around the importance of preserving pollinators in the city’s ecosystem.