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Abstract

Bella Brown is an environmental science major and a biology minor from Glastonbury, CT. Bella says that she is “super passionate about nature and finding new ways to preserve and understand it” and when she was presented with the task of writing a research paper she knew that she wanted to further explore a podcast episode about trees communicating through fungi, or “talking trees.” She says it “seemed like a huge breakthrough on understanding how our forests function as complex ecosystems.” Bella also notes that one thing she loved about writing this paper was the freedom to choose whatever topic she wanted. “Because I was so interested in the topic I chose, I found myself devoting hours to research, pouring through countless scientific journals and staying up many late nights. I found myself mapping out each part of the system on white boards, drawing trees for my friends, and explaining the fungal networks that connected them beneath the ground.” Bella believes that getting the general public to perhaps find emotional worth in trees can be a large step in helping to preserve our forests. She is also thankful for the opportunity to “connect my passions of the arts and science together, and focus on researching something that real environmental scientists and biologists in the field are still actively studying.” Bella’s goal with this essay was to present science in a way that made sense to those who haven’t studied it. She hopes to continue researching and finding ways to protect our environment.

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