The Arachne Project: Robin Wall Kimmerer

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of "The Serviceberry" and "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants," which has earned Kimmerer wide acclaim. Her first book, "Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses," was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing, and her other work has appeared in Orion, Whole Terrain and numerous scientific journals. In 2022, "Braiding Sweetgrass" was adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith. This new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us. This short film is part of The Arachne Project, a gathering convened in May 2024 by the Spring Creek Project at Oregon State University, with support by the Shotpouch Foundation. A diverse thinking community of writers, conservation biologists, Indigenous leaders, philosophers and others came together to consider what emerging visions and values should guide conservation practices as the world enters a radically uncertain future. Learn more at https://beav.es/arachne.