The Forgotten Forest That Could Change How We See Nature

Tropical dry forests, rainforest ecology, scientific illustration, Colombia biodiversity, fungi, climate change, and conservation come together in this conversation with Dr. Camila Pisano.

My guest today is Dr. Camila Pizan, a tropical ecologist, scientific illustrator, assistant professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and research associate at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

This conversation begins with a simple idea: sometimes the best way to understand nature is to look closer.

Camila grew up surrounded by art, biology, farms, forests, and the extraordinary biodiversity of Colombia. That combination shaped the way she sees the natural world and the way she teaches others to see it.

We talk about the intersection of art and science, why scientific illustration can sharpen observation, and how drawing a plant or ecosystem can lead to better scientific questions.

Then we move into one of the most misunderstood ecosystems on Earth: tropical dry forests.

Most people picture tropical forests as lush, green rainforests filled with animals and flowers everywhere. But tropical dry forests are different. They live through drought. They change color through the year. They drop leaves, bloom after rain, support unique species, and have been deeply shaped by human history.

Camila also explains what we are still learning about fungi, mycorrhizae, tropical soils, Arctic tundra, permafrost, climate change, and how longer, hotter droughts are already shifting plant communities.

This episode is about ecology, but it is also about attention.

It is about learning to see the forest, the fungi, the birds, the insects, the people, and the relationships between all of them.

Because conservation is not just about removing people from nature.

It is about learning how to live with nature more honestly, more carefully, and with a deeper sense of responsibility.