“We need more talkative trees.”
Fairy tales have trees with human faces, trees that can talk and whisper, and sometimes even walk or fly.
Yet, trees are, despite all their brilliant features, easy to ignore. They grow slowly, really slowly, and even if deciduous trees shed their leaves and burst with new leaves each spring, they are sometimes just there in the schoolyard, local park or garden.
In education, the focus is often on identifying different types of trees and describing the shapes of leaves, needles or cones. But our understanding of trees have the last couple of years really increased and The Hidden Life of Trees has revealed some amazing things.
Can trees talk? Trees make lots of noises. Branches creak as they rub against each other and the leaves rustle. But these sounds are caused by the wind and not the tree itself.
Trees communicate by using smell. They send out chemicals to warn predators. The acacia tree on the African savannah that is being eaten by a giraffe gives off a warning gas that warns other neighbouring trees, so they immediately start pumping toxic substances into their leaves. The giraffes ignore the neighbouring trees and move to another area, or to an area where the wind had not transported the message.
Are there sad trees?
Peter Wohlleben, the author of The Hidden Life of Trees, says that the saddest trees have lost their ability to communicate. The saddest trees are found in agriculture.
What else would make a tree sad?
Well, isolated trees are sad. Trees like to share and connect with other trees. Trees have a to-do list, and they need to grow a little, and a lack of nutrients, water and sunlight makes them sad.
We are making a tree with leaves that are falling off. On each leaf, we are writing suggestions of things that can make a tree sad.
Tricky question? Can you always tell if a tree is sad? Can a tree still have green needles but not be healthy and growing? (Growth rings are a sign that a tree is growing.)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.
2 thoughts on “A sad tree”