Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Trees have sex, feel pain, says German forester
Deutsche Welle ^ | 06.02.2017 | Elizabeth Schumacher

Posted on 06/02/2017 12:52:41 PM PDT by Olog-hai

Peter Wohlleben’s bestselling book claims that trees can talk to one another and have relationships and social structures. A petition started by German academics is now circulating to denounce these “fairy tales.”

“Trees are very social beings,” says German forester Peter Wohlleben; “the parents, the ‘mother trees’, look after their offspring…they like to stand close together and cuddle.” They also talk to each other, have sex, form friendships and feel physical pain, he told the Canadian documentary series “Intelligent Trees.”

Wohlleben’s bestselling book “The Hidden Life of Trees,” caused a stir at Britain’s Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts this week. He encouraged the crowd to think of nature in human terms, comparing cutting off branches to “cutting your fingers, it hurts” and culling trees to allow new saplings to grow was like killing human parents to give children more room in the house. The festival sold out of his book within minutes of his talk, according to The Guardian newspaper.

But a growing number of German academics are crying foul — and now two science professors from the Universities of Göttingen and Freiburg have gathered thousands of signatures to protest “the conglomeration of half-truths, biased judgments and wishful thinking…not based on scientific evidence,” that Wohlleben is promoting. “Even in the forest, it’s facts we want instead of fairy tales,” says Freiburg’s head of silviculture, Professor Jürgen Bauhus.

“It’s pseudoscience,” Bauhus told DW. “It uses selective and biased observations to support the story he wants to tell. There’s also a lot of conjecture. He has abandoned good scientific practice.” …

(Excerpt) Read more at dw.com ...


TOPICS: Outdoors; Science; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: envirowackos; treehuggers; trees; wohllebehn
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-69 last
To: Olog-hai

I read the book and really liked it.


61 posted on 06/02/2017 3:03:15 PM PDT by KingLudd
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fwdude

That’s ENT-irely silly! :-)


62 posted on 06/02/2017 3:08:51 PM PDT by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai
I actually believe this, because I believe that all living things have to react and adjust to their environment to survive. BUT it doesn't mean that I should hug a tree or or let weeds grown in the garden.

The only way to survive to to kill another living thing. If I see a Palmetto bug (really large cockroach) in the woods, I leave alone. Find a cockroach in my home, out comes the poison outlawed in 14 states.

63 posted on 06/02/2017 3:31:16 PM PDT by fini
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai

Have another magic mushroom professor. :-)


64 posted on 06/02/2017 3:35:08 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai

“Is that a trunk in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”


65 posted on 06/02/2017 3:37:01 PM PDT by TADSLOS (Reset Underway!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KingLudd

"I understand you Blackjack Oaks are...gifted..."

66 posted on 06/02/2017 3:44:07 PM PDT by TADSLOS (Reset Underway!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai
Trees have sex...Yes, I was in CVS and I saw a tree buying 'Playtree' magazine. He said that Ms 'June Playtree' gave him wood. 😀
67 posted on 06/02/2017 4:00:19 PM PDT by Deplorable American1776 (Proud to be a DeplorableAmerican with a Deplorable Family...even the dog is DEPLORABLE :-))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Olog-hai

If you were a tree...what kind of tree would you be?


68 posted on 06/02/2017 4:02:10 PM PDT by Osage Orange (We can all live together as brothers or perish together as fools)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mass55th

The next day they leave.


69 posted on 06/02/2017 4:07:08 PM PDT by Larry Lucido (Thou shalt not covfefe thy neighbor's wife)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-69 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson